Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Windy Bay Farm]

Well today is the first day since my girls started laying a few weeks ago that they didn't give even one egg. I thought yesterday they weren't going to lay but they (4 out of 13) did and one was even laying an egg just before dark, she was literally climbing out of the best box and onto the roost. I'm not sure why they didn't lay anything today, yesterday was a real cold snap and high winds here and most of today was the same... I'm wondering if this is what may have caused it, in addition to the shorter days of course. I figured where this was their first year of laying that they may hang tough right through the winter... However, nature looks as though she has other plans than what I prefer.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Well today is the first day since my girls started laying a few weeks ago that they didn't give even one egg. I thought yesterday they weren't going to lay but they (4 out of 13) did and one was even laying an egg just before dark, she was literally climbing out of the best box and onto the roost. I'm not sure why they didn't lay anything today, yesterday was a real cold snap and high winds here and most of today was the same... I'm wondering if this is what may have caused it, in addition to the shorter days of course. I figured where this was their first year of laying that they may hang tough right through the winter... However, nature looks as though she has other plans than what I prefer.

If you know when they hatched? I hatched for the first time in December last year and every single one of those girls is now in a full blown molt! I have hatched in January before without that end result so I'm waiting this year. Maybe they were hatched real late last year? Are they molting?

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

If you know when they hatched?  I hatched for the first time in December last year and every single one of those girls is now in a full blown molt!  I have hatched in January before without that end result so I'm waiting this year.  Maybe they were hatched real late last year?  Are they molting?

Hi LB... All were hatched on May 27th and none are molting.

 

[BCMaraniac]

Beekissed wrote-
I'm confused as to why FF was used at all if dry feed was used as well. The results can't have much to do with the feed efficacy of FF at that point if it was just one portion of the total daily ration given. Now, if one group were fed FF and the other dry and then costs and wt comparisons were done, I could see where this evaluation would have some bearing on if the FF is worth doing or not, but it wasn't. Conversely, since dry feed was given in equal amounts, one could say that the dry feed was not worthy of continuing because it didn't change the outcome or results.

Reply- The birds were given about 2 to 2 1/2 gallons of fermented feed every afternoon and that was indeed their feed of choice. They would see me coming with the bucket, and gather round for it, I would fill a 4 foot long rain gutter trough. In a small side feeder there was typically about 2 pounds of the 20% protein grower ration, and it seemed this rarely was eaten down very much. I used the 20% grower ration in the FF bucket, along with wheat and cracked corn. The liquid used was a 50/50 mix of beer/water. (our son is a microbrewer) The fermenting was always an active culture and smelled like raising bread.
We have done prior batches with just pasture, and 20% protein grower ration with better weight gain, with exception to one bad batch of cocci.
jeff

Jeff,

Was the yeast from the beer your primary fermentation, or did you have lactofermentation as well?

 

[naillikwj82]

Was the yeast from the beer your primary fermentation, or did you have lactofermentation as well?

Our son does not pasturize the beer, so the yeast is still present. So yes I think it would have been the primary, living in a agriculture area there are sure to be other spores present though.

 

[BCMaraniac]

Was the yeast from the beer your primary fermentation, or did you have lactofermentation as well?

Our son does not pasturize the beer, so the yeast is still present. So yes I think it would have been the primary, living in a agriculture area there are sure to be other spores present though.

Bee is the FF expert, but I am curious....did you add any yogurt or unfiltered ACV when you started your fermentation? I know that some just rely on the bacteria/yeast in the air, but others "jump start" theirs with a dairy source of lactobacilli(yogurt, cultured buttermilk, acidophilus) and unfiltered ACV for the Acetobacter species to convert any alcohol produced by yeast into additional acetic aid. The chickens love all of these acids....good for their digestion.

I guess I am wondering if a more bacterial based fermentation and a little less yeast fermentation might have given you a better gain with your birds. Just a thought.

 

[B J Hopkins]

Had to bring in my ff from the shed I've had it in all summer. The ff was pretty much frozen Sun morning. Brought it in to our mud room which also has our supplemental wood stove. So now the chickens n turkeys will be getting warm ff to help keep them warm.

 

[BCMaraniac]

Had to bring in my ff from the shed I've had it in all summer. The ff was pretty much frozen Sun morning. Brought it in to our mud room which also has our supplemental wood stove. So now the chickens n turkeys will be getting warm ff to help keep them warm.

They will definitely LOVE that!!

 

[Triple Willow]

Had to bring in my ff from the shed I've had it in all summer. The ff was pretty much frozen Sun morning. Brought it in to our mud room which also has our supplemental wood stove. So now the chickens n turkeys will be getting warm ff to help keep them warm.

Mine have not been too crazy about COLD ff lately. They are getting a little tough love until they clean it up. lol I'm considering bringing mine in out of the garage just to spoil them with a warm breakfast.

 

[Triple Willow]

I use round garden pavers and as they grow taller I add another paver, so the food and water are always growing with them and staying out of the litter. 

That's a good idea. I want some of those square ones to put around my henhouse to keep critters from digging in.