Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[zyzzyx]

Howdy Y'all --
I am wondering if something that is done to make worm "tea" fertilizer or even chicken "tea'' fertilizer would be useful in perhaps speeding up the fermenting process and even making it stronger. After having read this entire thread I thought I might put in my idea for doing this. Right now I have no chickens. I live I in Panama and when I have all the infrastructure all put together I will ( I fear) be forced to go to a local feed store to get what ever chickens they are selling that day. My thoughts on the FF are this. If you are going to do this, why not make the process as strong as it can be to improve both the feed and the chickens that are eating it. Why not do as they do in the "tea" arena and use a small aquarium air pump either placed between the buckets and into the bottom of the set up or drill a hole in the side of the 30 gallon set up and introduce the air into the mash with a valve like device. I think the addition of air to the solution in that way would make the aerobic little critters go crazy and therefore be more active and ferment the feed even faster than it is with a little slosh everyday when the feed is taken out for use. I don't know if this will work and at this time I don't have any reason to test it ---but ??? What say you??

 

[Lacy Blues]

I ferment lay crumbles and grains, half and half. I think it would be too thick for the air to make much difference. However, if someone does grains only, such as Beekissed

, it might make a difference.

Waiting to hear from Beekissed on this one.

 

[chicken curious]

Hi All,
For those using a 5 gallon bucket or any container with a lid you might consider using a beer brewing airlock. The airlock lets gases out while keeping flies and gnats out.

http://morebeer.com/view_product/16598/103702/Airlock_-_3_Piece

Joe

Air needs to go in, too, for the beneficial bacteria and yeasts so an air lock wouldn't work in this case.

 

[chicken curious]

Howdy Y'all --
I am wondering if something that is done to make worm "tea" fertilizer or even chicken "tea'' fertilizer would be useful in perhaps speeding up the fermenting process and even making it stronger. After having read this entire thread I thought I might put in my idea for doing this. Right now I have no chickens. I live I in Panama and when I have all the infrastructure all put together I will ( I fear) be forced to go to a local feed store to get what ever chickens they are selling that day. My thoughts on the FF are this. If you are going to do this, why not make the process as strong as it can be to improve both the feed and the chickens that are eating it. Why not do as they do in the "tea" arena and use a small aquarium air pump either placed between the buckets and into the bottom of the set up or drill a hole in the side of the 30 gallon set up and introduce the air into the mash with a valve like device. I think the addition of air to the solution in that way would make the aerobic little critters go crazy and therefore be more active and ferment the feed even faster than it is with a little slosh everyday when the feed is taken out for use. I don't know if this will work and at this time I don't have any reason to test it ---but ??? What say you??

This might work great for grains, but to be honest, it sounds like way more work (and more to clean) than just a bucket that gets stirred a few times a day. I have a very large container going and I do need something longer than a spoon to stir, but it's bubbling along happily and is plenty fermented. Even when I was only doing a 1 gallon bucket and feeding out 75% and then refilling (so a good amount of back-slopping with culture-rich water and 25% already fermented grains), it was completely bubbly and had a white film within about 12 hours and I let it go ~24 hours. Just FYI that you don't need to make it more fancy to make it beneficial.

 

[Beekissed]

I ferment lay crumbles and grains, half and half. I think it would be too thick for the air to make much difference. However, if someone does grains only, such as Beekissed

, it might make a difference.

Waiting to hear from Beekissed on this one.

Lacy, I use half and half also!

What would I say about complicating a simple process that is fermenting quite well and is beneficial enough? I'd say that my life is all about making things simple and keeping it good....I leave complicating simple things to the government. I'll pass on it. Don't want a motor or hoses incorporated into my simple bucket system and there is no electric to this particular coop...sounds like it would be a pain in the patoot.

 

[Miss Lydia]

This might work great for grains, but to be honest, it sounds like way more work (and more to clean) than just a bucket that gets stirred a few times a day. I have a very large container going and I do need something longer than a spoon to stir, but it's bubbling along happily and is plenty fermented. Even when I was only doing a 1 gallon bucket and feeding out 75% and then refilling (so a good amount of back-slopping with culture-rich water and 25% already fermented grains), it was completely bubbly and had a white film within about 12 hours and I let it go ~24 hours. Just FYI that you don't need to make it more fancy to make it beneficial.

So once you get the grains and feed into the bucket with the water and ACV you let it sit for 24 hrs before feeding it to the flock? Has anyone ever used this for ducks and geese?

 

[erinszoo]

Has anyone ever had their feed not ferment for them? Do you just have to toss it out and start over? What would make it not ferment? Just asking a "just in case" question.

 

[Tivona]

So once you get the grains and feed into the bucket with the water and ACV you let it sit for 24 hrs before feeding it to the flock? Has anyone ever used this for ducks and geese?

Hi Miss Lydia.

Got to get bubbles first as I understand it but mine only took 2 days to start. I guess it would depend on how you started it and how warm, feed type, etc. After the bubbles started I started holding it about 24 hours before feeding. Mine is always bubbly now but some days more so.

I have for my ducks and geese but *checks calendar* only for 12 days so far. Everyone is looking better on it and their poop is looking better and the smell is waaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy better. We need a person who has done this long term to tell us about how the ducks and geese do long term please!

 

[Mum]

Hi Miss Lydia.

Got to get bubbles first as I understand it but mine only took 2 days to start. I guess it would depend on how you started it and how warm, feed type, etc. After the bubbles started I started holding it about 24 hours before feeding. Mine is always bubbly now but some days more so.

I have for my ducks and geese but *checks calendar* only for 12 days so far. Everyone is looking better on it and their poop is looking better and the smell is waaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy better. We need a person who has done this long term to tell us about how the ducks and geese do long term please!

Sounds like you are the longest FF feeder of ducks and geese

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds like you are the longest FF feeder of ducks and geese

So she'll be our go to girl.

I will be getting mine started this weekend I'll be mixing FR,whole oats, wheat, can I put in scratch too?