Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[LindaB220]

Thank you. These are laying chicks. So no issues about them eating pretty much all day?
They love the fermented feed!

I put out food about noon and set out enoug FF for them to finish up by bedtime. At the same time I throw out some scratch and they will eat it the next day.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

I think I'm bracing myself to start FF again. I don't know why it seems so daunting to me. I just have this feeling it's going to take too much time every day. I think I just need to plan out my process to keep it as simple as possible.


@Kassaundra For your 30-gallon FF bucket, what are you using to scoop out the feed? I have this mental image of you shoulders-deep in a trash can scraping out the bottom with a teaspooon, but something tells me that's not quire right. ;-)

 

[Regin]

I think I'm bracing myself to start FF again. I don't know why it seems so daunting to me. I just have this feeling it's going to take too much time every day. I think I just need to plan out my process to keep it as simple as possible.


@Kassaundra For your 30-gallon FF bucket, what are you using to scoop out the feed? I have this mental image of you shoulders-deep in a trash can scraping out the bottom with a teaspooon, but something tells me that's not quire right. ;-)

teaspoon ? !!!

 

[Beekissed]

I think I'm bracing myself to start FF again. I don't know why it seems so daunting to me. I just have this feeling it's going to take too much time every day. I think I just need to plan out my process to keep it as simple as possible.

Maybe you are over complicating it? It shouldn't take any extra time at all each day...mere seconds to dish out some feed in a trough. About every other week or so, you add more dry feed to the bucket and add more water and give it a stir. Even that just takes a few minutes. Then you go back to using seconds out of your day to dish up feed once per day. How much more simple can that be? I'm trying to picture anything more simple and I just can't bring anything to mind.... maybe licking an envelope? I dunno.....

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Maybe you are over complicating it?

Over-complicating things is the way of my people.

I think last time I was adding more feed to the bucket every time I dished some out.
And I think I had some kind of bucket-rotating dance I was involved in.
And instead of a hand scoop, I had the feed dispensed by a 23-stage Rube Goldberg machine. The up side to that is every now and again I'd capture a road runner in it while the chickens were eating.
And my coop is in the center of one of those giant hedge mazes, and there are goblins in the maze, and I have to cross the Bog of Eternal Stench to get to the center.

But other than that, it's dead simple.


So, you only feed yours once per day? About how much FF per bird?

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
Yes.

That depends....on the season, what combination of ages in the coop, if they are laying well or not, etc. There is no one size fits all feeding amounts, no matter what the books may say. You watch your flock, gauge their needs and feed accordingly.

If one doesn't want to spend the time, then the pat answer is "1/2 c. per bird" of dry feed....but we aren't dealing with dry feed here, are we?

Nor are we feeding the same nutrition to be found in 1/2 c. of dry feed, so you still have to go by your flock's particular needs. I'd say get out there and watch the flock, see how much they leave behind after a single feeding, adjust accordingly, then watch their bodies and general health, then adjust accordingly....that is, if you don't get eaten by the goblins as you are watching the flock.

 

[Regin]

Quote:

Yes.

That depends....on the season, what combination of ages in the coop, if they are laying well or not, etc. There is no one size fits all feeding amounts, no matter what the books may say. You watch your flock, gauge their needs and feed accordingly.

If one doesn't want to spend the time, then the pat answer is "1/2 c. per bird" of dry feed....but we aren't dealing with dry feed here, are we?

Nor are we feeding the same nutrition to be found in 1/2 c. of dry feed, so you still have to go by your flock's particular needs. I'd say get out there and watch the flock, see how much they leave behind after a single feeding, adjust accordingly, then watch their bodies and general health, then adjust accordingly....that is, if you don't get eaten by the goblins as you are watching the flock.

I measure by weight, and I am feeding about 1/4 lb. (dry) per bird. 12 - 13 lbs. mash in each bucket of fermented feed. And feed slightly less than 2 bucket per days about 90 chickens. I scoop out 3-7 scoops for each feeder depending on the amount they eat. Like Beekissed said. Feed them and see how it works out. If they leave some cut back. If they clean it up give them more. My silkies eat very much less and the Buckeyes more.

I wouldn't feed MY chickens anything else. Here's a bonus; with winter coming on you don't have to worry about the water situation as much. Since they are eating water in their food, most of mine only drink extra water when it's warm out. If it freezes over they will not be stressed as much as birds eating dry food.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Here's a bonus; with winter coming on you don't have to worry about the water situation as much. Since they are eating water in their food, most of mine only drink extra water when it's warm out. If it freezes over they will not be stressed as much as birds eating dry food.

That is a really excellent point, thank you.

The more I think about it and talk to folks, the happier I'm getting about it. I just need to get a couple feeders together and I'll be ready to go!

 

[Regin]

Quote:
I make some really simple feeders from two bricks and some 1x2s and a plastic shoe box.
make two long peices about 18 1/2 inches (the length of your shoe box plus both bricks)
then two small pieces just a hair shorter than the brick.
Connect together with screws so that it clamps onto the bricks
I used some wire ties, but if you get the clamps tight you won't need them.
The bricks will give a good weight to keep the chickens from moving it .
you can put these in the coop. and just remove the plastic boxes to fill.

They are deep enough to avoid waste from throwing out the food.

I have 10 of these in place. I'll try to get a picture later.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

I make some really simple feeders from two bricks and some 1x2s and a plastic shoe box. make two long peices about 18 1/2 inches (the length of your shoe box plus both bricks) then two small pieces just a hair shorter than the brick. Connect together with screws so that it clamps onto the bricks I used some wire ties, but if you get the clamps tight you won't need them. The bricks will give a good weight to keep the chickens from moving it . you can put these in the coop. and just remove the plastic boxes to fill. They are deep enough to avoid waste from throwing out the food. I have 10 of these in place. I'll try to get a picture later.

Nice! I'll have to look around and see what I have that I can make into a feeder. I may end up scrounging some glassware at goodwill, but I love the idea of a weighted box to hold it.