Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[ak rain]

Ok thank you Beekissed

 

[mollybuck]

wow.. i had completely forgot about this until i was researching making my own chicken feed! I just got a doz broilers yesterday, and I want to start them on the FF... but.. i bought medicated chick starter. Will that effect the process? I will just use up the bag if it will and start with new later.

thanks!!

 

[Beekissed]

It won't make a difference to the fermentation process.

 

[Regin]

My chicks love the fermented feed. BUT, they make a mess of themselves with it.

 

[DesertChic]

My chicks love the fermented feed. BUT, they make a mess of themselves with it.

This is why I wait until my chicks are a week old to start them on fermented feed. I just couldn't keep spending so much timing soaking and cleaning their little feet in warm water after the food hardened on them and they didn't clean it off. I was bathing baby chicks multiple times per day. As it turns out, baby chickens aren't quite as enthusiastic about water as baby ducks are.

 

[enola]

If you feed the feed really thick, the feed will not get all over them.

Fermented feed does have to be soupy to be fed.

 

[n3kms]

This is why I wait until my chicks are a week old to start them on fermented feed. I just couldn't keep spending so much timing soaking and cleaning their little feet in warm water after the food hardened on them and they didn't clean it off. I was bathing baby chicks multiple times per day. As it turns out, baby chickens aren't quite as enthusiastic about water as baby ducks are. 

I put my FF in one of those little round feeders with the holes and screw a mason jar on it so they can't walk through it. Feed it from day one and no messy feet. They do get a little messy under their neck. Also no worries with pasty butt.

 

[Beekissed]

This is why I wait until my chicks are a week old to start them on fermented feed. I just couldn't keep spending so much timing soaking and cleaning their little feet in warm water after the food hardened on them and they didn't clean it off. I was bathing baby chicks multiple times per day. As it turns out, baby chickens aren't quite as enthusiastic about water as baby ducks are.

If you have some large, deep pine shavings in the brooder they will just walk that feed right off eventually. You can also place a piece of wire over your feeders for them to walk upon while they eat...they still will occasionally step in the feed but they won't be taking a bath in it. Mixing it dryer will help also, as Enola has said.

 

[cortner1195]

Good morning! I have been following this thread for about a year now. Last year I raised 20 cornish cross using fermented grain and they raised out beautifully. I lost three to a raccoon attack while foraging, and one to sudden death. The meat was absolutely everything I could hope for. I will start with thanking you heartily for this thread. I have learned so much about feeding stock. We will be starting weaner pigs in early May and they will start on fermented feed with some calf milk replacer mixed in at first.

This years meaties have been off to a bit of a rough start. I started a bucket of ff the day I got them. I started feeding the ff last year at about three days of age. On Friday morning, day eight, I found one meatie dead in the brooder box. Fully stretched out with legs straight out behind, and head and neck stretched out as well. I have several other babies with trouble walking, like they were in a squat position while walking. One other chick was laying down with legs stretched way out, and when touched she flapped her wings vigorously, but couldn't bring her legs under her. I put that one in a box within the brooder expecting her die imminently. After work the box was tipped over, and I couldn't tell which one had had that problem. She didn't die, and seemed to resolve the leg issue. I still had several with trouble walking. I started them on corid just in case. I split the meat birds off from the layer chicks that were 14 day, and one day. This morning all the chicks are moving normally, eating the ff vigorously, and their crops and tummies look great.

My question is this: Last year I fed three times per day in the beginning, then twice per day toward the end. These birds are super hungry at about 6 hours. Should I increase to four times per day (every 6 hours) for now? I remove the dishes after about 30 minutes and there is still a bit of food left, so they are getting enough at each feeding.

A comment about keeping ff for only five days. My thought is this, if you mix up a fresh batch of ff and never add fresh food for the culture to eat then after five days I can see where you may need to dispose of the remainder and start using a fresh batch. But if you continue to add fresh grain every day with enough water, (occasionally)a small splash of ACV) then the fermentation should continue and be perfectly usable. Just my thought. I have found if a bucket sits without care it will become rancid. Any thoughts?

 

[Latestarter]

Not sure of the feeding regimen as I don't have meaties and just use the FF for my flock. They get fed a decent portion every morning, and they eat off it all day as and when they want to. I try to put enough out so that there is very little to none left in the trough by bed time for them. They are not fat and not thin and are overall healthy and good looking (aside from the bare backs and elbows from the overzealous roos).

I HAVE had FF sit in a 5 gallon bucket for more than a week (sub zero cold snap), and though the strength of the ferment got very strong (smelled VERY strong, almost like puke), there was nothing "rancid" about it, it did not mold, and when fed to the birds, was consumed with gusto and absolutely no ill effects. When the bucket was almost empty, I simply added new food/grains and water and continued on

No biggie... I would guess/estimate that a 5 gallon bucket would be good for better than 2 weeks before the grains are fully spent. Obviously temp/moisture content and FF grain make-up would be the variables involved... some grains ferment out faster, some slower.

I only add ACV when starting a new bucket from scratch, and only because... well, just because... I KNOW it's not really needed or required, but it makes me feel like I'm "helping the process"

And I don't know why, but every now and then I just enjoy a whiff of ACV

Sorry about the weird health things with your chicks... that is pretty strange. Glad everything seems back to normal now. Hope you have the same success you had with your last batch.