Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[bruceh]

I've been contemplatin' on this FF for the winter and I'm thinking that this last bucket will be the last bucket for the year until early spring/late winter rolls back around. The birds have got a good bowel flora going on and I worry about feeding them the wet feeds unless they can consume it all in one meal...which generally doesn't happen in the winter for my flock. They get fed in the morning during the winter months so they can eat on it all day, leaving nothing overnight for the rodents.

When giving cold, wet feeds to outside animals, this chills their core temps....not as much with chickens because the food is stored in the crop a bit, then in the next chamber, then the gizzard and will warm it's way through the system...but my birds are old and don't have a good layer of fat right now. I noticed they avoided the feed altogether this morning and this was feed left over from last night's feeding. I'm thinking that the cold, wet feed was not too appealing to an old, cold bird on a day like today.

I might go back to dry until March and then resume the FF. Still thinking on it....

They will still be getting their ACV in the water, so always getting a good probios shot in the gullet. Just not sure about feeding wet in the winter.

bee, all my birds did the same thing. it has been getting cold around here. the birds just left the feed. even the meaties. so i switched to regular feed. all i can say is feeding 48 birds is going to break the bank. they have gone through 50 lbs of feed in 5 days.and the water consumption is unreal. this birds get feed at 2:00 pm and topped off at 6..pm. the next morning nothing left.
next week they will get a new routine maybe 12 pm and 4 pm . that is 4 gallons of feed a day. g-d bless the meaties.

 

[Beekissed]

For now, Bruce, I'm still feeding the FF. I've just honed it down to smaller portions so that there won't be much left over to lay there and get cold. The feed out of the bucket is not too bad...it's just any left overnight seems to be a bit chilly for the chooks.

When I get my hay next week I'll be placing my FF bucket in a haybale pocket and hope to see if that will insulate it somewhat...I'll be real surprised if this stuff freezes. I've never seen vinegar freeze and I'm doubting the FF will either.

I found that when I fed the dry, they cleaned it up just as slowly as they did the FF, so I'm thinking they are getting so much out on forage right now that this feed here is just a supplement.

 

[armorfirelady]

I bought an outside timer today to connect my heated dog bowl to for their FF. Its been in the 40s the last few days and they have been eating less of it but when I dump it in the big run and it sits in the sun for a little while they clean it up. I am hoping the slightly warmer FF will encourage them to eat it all winter.

And Bee my mom uses vinegar as a cleaner when she cleans houses & she says she leaves the gallon container in her car all year long at its never frozen

 

[ChillyChicken]

How much do buckets cost where you live?

By the time you've done all the scooping and mixing, I've hung the bucket and the water immediately drains off the top portion enough to feed...I don't need to drain the whole bucket to get dryer feed.

When buckets are cheap( $3-$5 ea. here) and time is not, I like to invest in less time wasted. The bucket will last the lifetime of what I need it for but in the time I wasted scooping, mixing in feed that isn't fermented, leaving it overnight for the rodents to scavenge any of it and hoping it ferments along with the wet feed, I could have fed and already left the coop long ago.

you're paying too much for buckets! go to Walmart deli/bakery. They sell empty buckets for $1. Round or square, 3 to 5 gallon buckets, usually with lids.

 

[Beekissed]

I don't remember what these particular buckets costs, I haven't bought buckets for awhile now...my mother had many sitting around not being used.

 

[pigeonguy]

I was trying to find ingredients for the sweet 16 with no luck. Can you tell us what's in it? I don't use soy so I won't use the calf manna. Was just wondering if the sweet 16 has soy.

If you won't use use calf manna you probably won't use sweet 16 because the recipe starts grain products and anything that starts that way has probably got some soy. As I mentioned above sweet 16 has almost everything calf manna does.

 

[pigeonguy]

Pigeon - could you post a link or photo of your strainer spoon? I did some looking around and wasn't happy w/what I found. Wondering what yours looks like.

I don't really do pictures my daughter has a camera and maybe some day I will.
My strainer is just the common ordinary strainer bought at walmart has a screen bowl with a handle on it. I don't care that it does not get all the juice out because of mixing dry in to absorb the juice. Hope that helped.

 

[Lacy Blues]

This group has been incredibly gabby the last several days! It's a good thing I've been able to get on here several times a day or I'd never catch up!

 

[pigeonguy]

How much do buckets cost where you live?

By the time you've done all the scooping and mixing, I've hung the bucket and the water immediately drains off the top portion enough to feed...I don't need to drain the whole bucket to get dryer feed.

When buckets are cheap( $3-$5 ea. here) and time is not, I like to invest in less time wasted. The bucket will last the lifetime of what I need it for but in the time I wasted scooping, mixing in feed that isn't fermented, leaving it overnight for the rodents to scavenge any of it and hoping it ferments along with the wet feed, I could have fed and already left the coop long ago.

Bee please read this to the end both parts don't paraphrase.
It's not the expense of the bucket. I get them free. I just always look at what is best for me and if I stop fermenting I have no use for a bucket with holes in it. Plus it did not fit my coop design. I just needed to figure out what worked for me and I know that is what you would want and nothing less. If I didn't and you were here you'd give me a bunch of crap for it. You do what is best for you and I love it because it fits your needs if I implied anything else forgive me. I also value time so little of it. That is another reason for my method. 1st day it took me 25 min to feed the birds scoop new feed and add dry and stir. That was to long. So I thought you need to do things in order and be more organized. I now have it down to 10 and 15 minutes. Fed and watered.

What type of scoop? I read in earlier posts that it takes a long time to drain and the bucket hanging over another bucket takes about 15 minutes...I'm thinking of having this set-up close to the house (covered porch downstairs) and just lift it when I wake up...have a 2 gallon bucket next to it and scoop the goop and feed before leaving. How long does it take for the scoop and how many chickens are you feeding. We have close to 40 overall and now in 2 coops. I have about 10 to 15 minutes now to get everyone situated prior to leaving for work due to darker in the AM. Soon the light in the AM will be later. Maybe we need solar garden lights in the pasture so I can see what I'm doing in the AM (no electricity or water over there). DH is grumpy in the morning and will not get up early to help (this is 'my hobby...so 'my responsibility'..his is 'fishing').

I feed 31 and I don't let it drain just scoop and add dry to feed bucket at same time I add dry to my ferment bucket. I have been thinking about using a scoop without holes at all so I can get a little extra juice to mix other things I don't want in my main ferment bucket (sweet 16 and boss) I know they could go in main ferment just preference. the other thing I like about this way is I get a layer of mother or yeast or something in that 2nd bucket that is thick. I stir it in on the way to the feeder. I should mention I do like mine with no juice dripping out and pretty thick when fed. I think the chickens like it too. They gobble it up like mad.
I am so glad Bee convinced me to do this she doesn't know she did but yes it was her. For that I say thank you Bee. This does not mean I won't disagree with you like your current flock would have culled and started over. Glad you didn't though I learned a lot from it.


Well you all have an alternative method now. Try both ways and figure out what works best for you and go with it. Both accomplish the same thing just different ways of getting the same end result Or give us another alternative. Like the ones about pouring it off and then back slopping another good idea. Just try different things till it matches your life style. If that means drilling a bucket drill a bucket just because I find it a waste doesn't mean you should.
If you find something takes to long get a piece of paper and map out your steps and then decide what steps you can eliminate by moving something or just if I went here before here I'd get done faster. An example would be I put on the coffee in the morning and fill my milk jugs with water and set them by the door while it is brewing. Then when it is time to feed and water. all I have to do is grab the jugs and feed bucket. Easy 15 min I'm done the only thing is right now I just hang out and watch them and study feeding habits. I have also put wet feed in one end of the feeder and sloppy feed in the other. They eat the dryer stuff first so that is what works for me right now. I will keep experimenting till I get it right. The old gal down the road when I was a kid gave chores and times to get it done and if you were not finished you got a crack from the bull whip not a beating just a crack on your hind end but it was enough to make you figure out better ways to do things and there was no help figuring. Can't tell you how much I loved her. Like a second mom. I didn't have to go there but I did because I learned about things I liked. (animals)
Rambled again didn't I sorry. Just so y'all know I might not check in often tomorrow having my moms wake. She passed September 22, 2012 been waiting on family to get here. Please don't go on with a bunch of mushy stuff. I'm a big boy and I will miss her but she suffered for ten years really 37 but 10 real bad ones (muscular dystrophy) and I'm glad the lord took her so she can walk with me and see all the wonders of the world again. You may not understand but this fills me with so much joy. I have not cried once don't really understand that. I lived next door my whole adult life to take care of her always thought it would feel different. She always was an angel and now she has wings. Again no mushy stuff.

 

[pigeonguy]

I don't have meaties just laying pullets that don't lay yet 21/2 months to 41/2 months old. just wanted to make that clear so I don't mislead anyone. I think you new Bee but not sure.
26 Black copper marans and 6 easter eggers that were suppose to be americaunas. (Spelling)