Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Leahs Mom]

One other thing...

I've also read some folks getting concerned when their feed smells "sour" and dump it out and start a new batch. The sour smell you get is good - not bad! And the "sour" smell is different than "rotten".

(Again, think of the smell of lacto-fermented sauerkraut or pickles - both quite "sour")

If your feed smells “sweet”, you are soaking your feed but not fermenting it.

 

[galanie]

When I did mine outside with ACV it didn't smell "sour" - it smelled ROTTEN after about two weeks. It would start out with an ok smell, then after a few days smell like I imagine it should. Not sweet or tasty but sour. Later though, it was rotten. I mean like something had died in it. I have done food fermenting with salt and whey myself (love carrots w/dill!) and so that's why I'm using whey now rather than vinegar. That which I've done in whey didn't ever develop such a horrible odor. I guess its' either too hot here or we have some bad stuff floating around outside.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I find that the addition of a bit of salt - like in a pickle or sauerkraut or any other fermentation recipe - helps. (Not too much, though, or it slows the acidification process.)

 

[Kassaundra]

I have never used an activator at all just the grain and water, it ferments on it's own, if I were going to add anything it would be my LAB I've already made for a ton of other uses.

 

[galanie]

Do you know, I have made LAB but I think whey from cheesemaking (or in my case, kefir allowed to "brew" till it separates) is really the same thing. But thanks for the reminder because I need to spray my fall tomatoes with a bit of LAB!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have never used an activator at all just the grain and water, it ferments on it's own, if I were going to add anything it would be my LAB I've already made for a ton of other uses.

Yes! You can just let it ferment on it's own...but some like to give it a boost to get things started faster...impatience, you know!

There are a variety of Lactic Acid Bacteria's ... some are thermophilic (as in yogurt) and some are mesophilic (as in kefir) ... but the lactic acid IS what you want for sure if you're adding something to your fermenting feed.

 

[Kassaundra]

Yes! You can just let it ferment on it's own...but some like to give it a boost to get things started faster...impatience, you know!

There are a variety of Lactic Acid Bacteria's ... some are thermophilic (as in yogurt) and some are mesophilic (as in kefir) ... but the lactic acid IS what you want for sure if you're adding something to your fermenting feed.

My fement solution has been going for over a year, so rapid start is not even a consideration for me.

 

[pichuris]

Thank you for all the wonderful information. I'm not even half way reading through the thread.

I'll be getting my red broilers on Friday and since feed has gone up $5 since spring I needed more bang for my buck. I have never done meat bird before so I'll be documenting pretty closely how this goes for me. I've only ever done culls or rooster reduction so will see how this project goes for me.

I started fermenting feed 3 days ago for my layers and also for my 4 week old layer pullets. I only did the water and feed no other ingredient. Every morning I gave my big girls layer crumble mash so they were already use to the texture. They took to the FF very quickly and I haven't seen any difference in water and feed consumption. No difference in egg production either. But I'm still hopeful since its only Day 3.

BUT...

Day 3 for my 4 week old layer pullets has been a different matter. Today I was so pleasantly surprised to go to the basement and for once it didn't smell like little chickens aka chicken poop. In all 3 brooders 50% less water consumption and 25% less food consumption and it looked like 50% less poop. I've also noticed all but 3 have lost all their downy fluff on their heads and have the more "adult" look which in the past its taken at least 5 weeks to get to this point.

Its ok that there is less water consumption right because they are essentially getting it from the "wet" FF?

I'm very thankful for everyone's expertise and look forward to learning more as I continue reading the thread.

 

[diriel]

Leahs Mom,

Thank you for the interesting information.

 

[Tivona]

Okay...I have a concern that I posted on Bee's website and I'm going to post it here also.


I use fermentation on a regular basis in other venues (pickles, sauerkraut.... I'm also a cheesemaker) Based on my knowledge of lactic fermentation, one thing concerns me that I'm reading out there (BYC, Scratch Cradle) about fermenting feed that I want to mention here for your comment.

Both have stated the use of "bakers yeast" (the kind you use when making bread) as a start for the fermentation. From my understanding, baker's yeast would NOT be suitable for lacto-fermentation.

The process for lacto-fermenting feed is the same as fermenting an item such as pickles or sauerkraut. You can add the ACV, a little whey from cheesemaking, or a lactic culture if you want to encourage it to ferment faster. (You could actually get a recipe for sauerkraut or fermented pickles and use the recipe/method there for fermenting feed.)

The point of fermenting is to create an “acidified” product – thus “lactic fermentation” is an acidification of your feed. Think pickles or sauerkraut. The acid is what preserves the food you are fermenting, allows "good bacteria" (pro-biotics) to proliferate and keeps undesirable bacteria and certain yeasts from growing in the feed.

Baking yeast, however, is a different chemistry with a different result that would not be recommended for items that you are eating raw. (Have you ever picked up a piece of yeast-rising bread dough raw and eaten it? If you do, you won't like the effects!)

I have only been doing the ff for a short time, but I really like how simply you explain this. I too read about some using the bakers yeast and it just didn't sound right to me but I couldn't put my finger on why. I have done very little in fermenting so I was just going by gut instinct. I sorta figured that the yeast might not hurt the birds but wouldn't actually improve the ff or make it safer. Bubble well I am sure but not better perhaps. I got mine started with a number of different strains of good bacteria and I am hoping that it will help make it safer in the long run. The extra lactic acid from the bacteria as well as the ACV should also help prevent botulism from becoming an issue I would think.