Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[delisha]

I've been curious if there is such a thing as too young for FF. I am planning to get some chicks in another month or two, I'm assuming they will ship as day olds and they aren't coming far. Can I just give 'em FF from day one? (or day 3 it might be when they get to me)

I started FF on day one

 

[Beekissed]

OK i did it, read alllll 236 pages of it.

But i haven't got a single question either you guys rock!
Fantastic exchange of information, thank you so much.
My set up will be 4 - 5 gallon buckets with lids. 2 for pigs, 2 for my birds.
Want to have a good rotation on the feed so its well fermented. have a closet in the laundry room that will be perfect for it.
Right by the back door, cant get any better than that. I have all the feed mixed and waiting, just need my vinegar to arrive.
I am processing my Meaties on Thursday, so can't report this time but will definitely do FF for my spring batch, and turkeys then too.

YAY!!!! Congrats for making it to the finish line!

Can't wait to see what you think of this feed once you are about 2 wks into it. Do me a favor? Take good pics and measure your egg yolks right now so that we can do a comparison after they have been on the FF for awhile. It would definitely be a great learning tool for everyone if the newbies can see the difference as well as hear about it.

 

[delisha]

new hatchling to 4 day old's on FF


one week later..look at that crop..sheesh

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I'll be 63 in Dec. Never felt my age until this year. Lost my daughter & Mother this year. My chickens are my therapy.

I am so very sorry to hear

. I agree, my birds just "know" when you need some comfort. I am 49, but i do all the same stuff i used to...
I did give up dirt bikes and roller blades tho

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

YAY!!!! Congrats for making it to the finish line!

Can't wait to see what you think of this feed once you are about 2 wks into it. Do me a favor? Take good pics and measure your egg yolks right now so that we can do a comparison after they have been on the FF for awhile. It would definitely be a great learning tool for everyone if the newbies can see the difference as well as hear about it.

THANKS! you betcha... but i don't have a scale, maybe a measuring cup? I keep watching the thrift store for a baby scale.

 

[pigeonguy]

thank you pigeon guy! He has stopped pulling feathers and I am hoping he was just going through some boredom stuff. The 2 bronze turkeys sometimes have a little 'dominance dance' & the one who starts it is the one who was eating the feathers... They have an enclosed (hawk wire overhead) space of about 150 feet x 30 feet - they go in and out of the henhouse but roost outside at night. I have 14 chickens, 7 of which are bantams. they are pretty happy and busy normally running around and scratching outside and they chow down the FF like little vacuum cleaners. I let them out on controlled runs through my raised beds and the neighbouring field at least once a day so they get some exercise. I also went and bought a sack of game bird and turkey feed - so between all this I'm sure it will sort itself out. I really appreciate this forum - thank you everyone, so much, for the advice and help and humour

Glad to hear that. Keep having fun.

 

[Beekissed]

THANKS! you betcha... but i don't have a scale, maybe a measuring cup? I keep watching the thrift store for a baby scale.

Just take a ruler and measure them across(diameter) and measure how high they sit in the pan/plate. Should give you a good idea of the difference in size, even if it's in millimeters. Crack one of your eggs now and put it in a bowl in the fridge(it won't rot in 2 wks time....the eggs in the store are much, much older than that). Should still show a good visual two weeks later of the difference of one of your previous eggs compared to your present eggs.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Just take a ruler and measure them across(diameter) and measure how high they sit in the pan/plate. Should give you a good idea of the difference in size, even if it's in millimeters. Crack one of your eggs now and put it in a bowl in the fridge(it won't rot in 2 wks time....the eggs in the store are much, much older than that). Should still show a good visual two weeks later of the difference of one of your previous eggs compared to your present eggs

Take a picture of it too. Two days sitting in the fridge, I imagine the yolks would fall at least a little bit.

 

[aoxa]

Does it say with mother over to the right? if so it's what your looking for. Haven't seen that brand in my part of the country. 

Yes it says with mother

I used this with filtered ACV and it's been sitting for 2 weeks with tissue over the lid to allow breathability. I want to make it last longer

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Just take a ruler and measure them across(diameter) and measure how high they sit in the pan/plate. Should give you a good idea of the difference in size, even if it's in millimeters. Crack one of your eggs now and put it in a bowl in the fridge(it won't rot in 2 wks time....the eggs in the store are much, much older than that). Should still show a good visual two weeks later of the difference of one of your previous eggs compared to your present eggs.

OK sounds great I love to experiment! Mine are already very orange from free range, can't wait to see what this will do! Oh and a side note, my girls slowed way down from 5 eggs to 1 with the cold winds and rain this past week. Maybe the food warm from the laundry room will help too.