Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Jacqdiva]

I have the opposite problem. It is so hot here in QLD Australia, that I use a little ACV to promote the growth of good bacteria and reduce the risk of bad bacteria build up. In our winter because it is very mild I tend not to use it.

 

[Goosegrrl]

The same reasoning for me doping mine with ACV and such... HOT here. Stays around 80s even at night.

 

[chattery41]

Found this while browsing BYC a couple weeks ago. Haven't read the whole thing yet but i thought, what the heck , let's give it a try. Being 53, on disability, and raising a 7 yr old grand daughter, you can see where money would be tight. Saving money on feed is definitely what i need to do. Made a special trip to Wally World for the "Mother" and mixed it up yesterday in 2 ice cream buckets to start with. I have 31 chickens and 6 chicks. Used 1/2 bucket of layer pellets, no sense wasting it till i knew for sure i could do it right, added water and the mother and it started swelling immediately, to the point i had to stir slow so as not to make a mess. This morning when i went to let my birdies out i laid down a plate of mash and THEY WERE ALL OVER IT ! Not a beak turner upper in the bunch ! Put some on a plate in the brooder and they were still trying to decide if the plate was dangerous when i came in. Added a bit to the left overs and a bit of oats, stirred it up, ready for tomorrow. They ate less than half what they do on dry feed and i'm so darn eggcited i can't stand it ! Thank you all SO MUCH. Joining BYC was the best thing in the world for someone that never had chickens until a yr or so ago. THIS SITE ROCKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hyelaw]

So, I tried the FF and my birds don't seem interested... Any suggestions? The first plate I'm not sure if it got touched, the second, looks pecked at, but certainly not devoured.

 

[cd3farm]

I have been fermenting for several weeks now using a whole grains mix I am having milled at a mill and alfalfa pellets mixed in. It has been working great every day the white is all over the top. It hasn't smelled bad at all. I now have some sick chickens and so I thought to make it a bit stronger and so added some ACV yesterday. Today it stinks to the max and there is no white stuff on top.???????

 

[curious chickee]

So, I tried the FF and my birds don't seem interested...  Any suggestions?  The first plate I'm not sure if it got touched, the second, looks pecked at, but certainly not devoured.

Is your FF an oatmeal consistency and did you remove their other feed?

 

[Beekissed]

So, I tried the FF and my birds don't seem interested... Any suggestions? The first plate I'm not sure if it got touched, the second, looks pecked at, but certainly not devoured.

They'll stick to what they know...until you remove what they know and only offer the wet feed. They get hungry enough, they'll eat it.

 

[Sutremaine]

So, I tried the FF and my birds don't seem interested...  Any suggestions?  The first plate I'm not sure if it got touched, the second, looks pecked at, but certainly not devoured.

Put some of their old food on top of the FF. They'll inevitably get some of the FF underneath it. Either they carry on eating, or they pick out the last of the old food and leave the rest until they realise it's the only option. You could also present it by dipping your finger into it and offering it as a treat, away from the food bowl. So far I've found my chickens to be weirdly intimidated by too much of a new food, but some reassuring clicks or a small sample and they go on as if they've been eating it the whole time.

As Beekissed says, they won't starve while there's food in the bowl. But you can try and speed things up, if you want them eating as readily as they did before.

 

[hyelaw]

Their old food was low, but not removed completely. I'll sprinkle some of the dry on their too, thanks guys!

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

Question. I started my first fermented feed 3 days ago. Just nutrena layer feed and bottled water no kick starters. It's bubbling a little and smells like chicken feed to me with maybe a slight hit of yeast... I have a poor sense of smell. So I dipped out a bit and took it to work to get a second opinion and they agreed with my description of the smell. Yeast smell is no good right?