Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[WildfireSmitty]

Is it already milled? or do they mill it upon ordering?
Ask how old the feed is when you buy it. When ever buying grains or pre-mix's it's always good to ask a lot of questions.

It can be something as simple as old feed to ruin your whole meat bird season.

How many birds are you raising? if you don't mind me asking.

 

[Sabz]

Is it already milled? or do they mill it upon ordering?
Ask how old the feed is when you buy it. When ever buying grains or pre-mix's it's always good to ask a lot of questions.

It can be something as simple as old feed to ruin your whole meat bird season.

How many birds are you raising? if you don't mind me asking.

Would you please explain?
Aside from a little diarrhea, maybe a slow down in growth, how would a single bad of bad feed ruin a whole season of meat birds?

This made me worry, I never verify that..

 

[JJSS89]

Probably means if it is bad enough to contain botulism or something that would kill all the birds.

 

[WildfireSmitty]

CX breeds are so touchy.

I have had it where my feed was too course to early and my chickens started dropping like flies.
You could be feeding moldy grains all season long and not realize it(some grains can be toxic when moldy). Which in turn would definitely affect your poultry's performance.

 

[lazy gardener]

Moldy grains would most likely kill before affecting performance.

 

[WildfireSmitty]

Moldy grains would most likely kill before affecting performance.

depends on the grain.

 

[Beekissed]

I'd say it depends on the type of mold and the extent of it.

I'll tell you something I found out about moldy feed this year....I had a goodly amount of it at the bottom of a feed can that had a hole in the bottom that had let in water~smelled rancid and very acrid, had visible mold growing in it. I tossed that out in the woods in a pile where I thought the chickens wouldn't find it very easily. I was wrong...they found it and were eating it. I covered that pile with a large rubber pan turned upside down...those boogers~especially mama and chicks~scratched around the edges of that pan all they could to reach that moldy old feed. Not only that, but they bothered that place so much that they moved the pan over in increments, all the while getting bits of the moldy grain out from under the edges of it.

When last I looked they had took that pile down by half even with the big feed pan up ended over it.

No sick or dead chickens noted.

 

[19disbre]

I agree with bee kissed, chickens experience quite a bit of mold every day and probably ingest a decent amount there are some molds that won't hurt a thing like most but then there are a handful that would kill your chickens pretty quick

 

[ak rain]

@beekissed. Or someone else I need some advise my DH is being transferred to CA. I have to give my birds away.

Well switching to dry feed do harm?
Akrain

 

[Beekissed]

I've sold and given away birds that had been raised on FF and no one reported any difficulties when feeding them dry rations, so they should be fine. They'll probably drink more water and might have poop changes at first but that will all even out.