Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Kassaundra]

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?

Yes scratch ferments well

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes scratch ferments well

Thanks i was hoping I could add it too.

 

[just me]

Have read the thread, and STILL have a question. Please excuse if it has been addressed already (so much information, I could't retain it all). I am convinced that feeding FF is the way to go. I want to get started with what I have now, layer mash and Rocket Rooster (pellets). What I"ve been doing is mixing 50# bags of each in a 55 gallon food grade plastic drum. I will be using 2 gallon buckets to fermit, for 17 birds, 12 weeks old. (Once they get enough meat on their bones, they will be "thinned" down to 10 total, probably in a couple of weeks). So, will I have sort of a "paste", or will it be "loose" in the water??? Also, if I end up with a "paste", do I just leave 1/4 of it in the bucket and add more feed and water each feeding?

Thanks in advance,

Julie

 

[zyzzyx]

Howdy again---I gather that the consensus here feels that this idea will work---but like the old saying from somewhere or another----If it ain't broke - don't fix it. Thanks

 

[Kassaundra]

Howdy again---I gather that the consensus here feels that this idea will work---but like the old saying from somewhere or another----If it ain't broke - don't fix it. Thanks

Yes, if it isn't broke it doesn't need to be fixed.

But in addition, it will be difficult to add air w/ an airpump if you are fermenting anything but just grains, the feed makes a thick almost oatmeal consistancy.

I didn't understand your comment about "chicken tea" you mentioned it in the same way as worm tea which is worm feces, I hope your not talking about adding chicken poop to the food???

 

[Nomibear]

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, we have 7 mallards with our chickens. They have all been getting the same fermented feed for the last month. Everyone looks healthy and strong. I haven't had any duck eggs yet, but my chickens started laying 2 days ago. No missing shells, in fact, after the store bought eggs, they were downright tough to crack!

 

[Nomibear]

Have read the thread, and STILL have a question.  Please excuse if it has been addressed already (so much information, I could't retain it all).  I am convinced that feeding FF is the way to go.  I want to get started with what I have now, layer mash and Rocket Rooster (pellets).  What I"ve been doing is mixing 50# bags of each in a 55 gallon food grade plastic drum. I will be using 2 gallon buckets to fermit, for 17 birds, 12 weeks old. (Once they get enough meat on their bones, they will be "thinned" down to 10 total, probably in a couple of weeks). So, will I have sort of a "paste", or will it be "loose" in the water???  Also, if I end up with a "paste", do I just leave 1/4 of it in the bucket and add more feed and water each feeding?

Thanks in advance,

Julie

For my first 2 weeks I used the layer pellets I already had. No scratch. It was pasty. If I had lots of water in it, it would be soupy. The pellets do not keep their shape, at all.

 

[just me]

Thanks. Just a little nervous about starting, don't want to have to throw that expensive feed out because I messed it up!!

 

[zyzzyx]

No I wasn't talking about introducing chicken poop to the food. Chicken "Tea" which I read about on this site is used as a fertilizer in the same fashion as Worm "Tea" ---I have looked but I can't seem to find it now---someone coined the name of "Chicken Liquor''---I thought that was quite appropriate as well as being funny. If I can find the thread I will be using the "Liquor" on my garden. If I remember correctly the set up is quite similar to the FF set up but does include mechanical aeration.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi Miss Lydia, we have 7 mallards with our chickens. They have all been getting the same fermented feed for the last month. Everyone looks healthy and strong. I haven't had any duck eggs yet, but my chickens started laying 2 days ago. No missing shells, in fact, after the store bought eggs, they were downright tough to crack!

Thanks Nomibear, looking forward to seeing if they will even eat it.