Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[aoxa]

I doubt it.  Rabbits are a little like ruminants in the fact that they eat some of their undigested poop again~sort of like chewing a cud...they just don't regurg a cud like a cow or deer.  I don't think they would need the fermentation and it would be very hard to feed them a wet feed.  I would, however, use the mother vinegar in their water at all times and provide some good quality hay to balance their diet of grains. 

 

I have a random rabbit around our farm and he gets into the fermented chicken feed... He also is offered his own feed, but Not sure how to stop him. I rarely see him, but I have caught him eating some of it not too long ago.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Bee, have you ever thought of making a video? Some people, such as myself, are more visual and learn faster when they can watch someone with experience.

I had that same thought.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Has anyone tried FF with rabbits? Minus the corn, of course. We plan to grain feed our bunnies on wheat, barley, oats and beet pulp, and I wondered if fermenting it might be of any benefit.

They do need to chomp on their food to keep their teeth from growing out of their head

 

[mickey328]

Thanks Bee and Toast They'll have free choice alfalfa and fruit wood sticks to chew on, of course, as well as ACV in their water. I just wondered if there would be any benefit from fermenting their grain. I suspect you're right though, Bee since they have teeth and do chew to break it down.

 

[smyers32]

I showed a scoop of FF feed to my horse this am on the way to give it to the chooks. He's always very interested in what I'm doing. At first he was like, "ohhhh a scoop of GRAIN!!"

he stuck his nose right in then, "wait ahh... what the...it's wet!! and it smells funny!! EWWW"

Sucker.

 

[galanie]

Well I found another benefit to Fermented Feeds I haven't heard yet. Probably because the majority of you have more practical breeds than my fluffy butted Orpingtons. NO RACING STRIPE. My grown fluffy butts have always had a poop streak down their butts. Always. I figured it was just what they had due to having so much junk in the trunk. The EE's, Dark Cornish, and sex links never have it, just the Orps. Well, lo and behold, after a couple months of FF and a bit of molting, no poop back there. I'm amazed. Even the fluffiest of butts is clean. Even one that hasn't molted is much, much cleaner than she's ever been.

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I think Bee is on to something here with this FF stuff. hehe.

 

[aoxa]

Well I found another benefit to Fermented Feeds I haven't heard yet. Probably because the majority of you have more practical breeds than my fluffy butted Orpingtons. NO RACING STRIPE. My grown fluffy butts have always had a poop streak down their butts. Always. I figured it was just what they had due to having so much junk in the trunk. The EE's, Dark Cornish, and sex links never have it, just the Orps. Well, lo and behold, after a couple months of FF and a bit of molting, no poop back there. I'm amazed. Even the fluffiest of butts is clean. Even one that hasn't molted is much, much cleaner than she's ever been.
e
I think Bee is on to something here with this FF stuff. hehe.

Looking forward to this benefit! My cochins are bad for racing stripes.

 

[aoxa]

Not noticing any change in poop yet. Actually noticed a few with runny poop.

Does FF help with the smell of broody poop?

 

[Ashdoes]

Not noticing any change in poop yet. Actually noticed a few with runny poop.
Does FF help with the smell of broody poop?

I'm not sure on the broody stuff, but I know it took about three weeks for the poo to really start changing, and the month mark is even better. I almost gave up after two weeks, cause the poo seemed to get worse. Stick with it, it really does start to change.
*even having two kids I have never talked or looked at poo this much in my life...

 

[Island Roo]

I'm not sure on the broody stuff, but I know it took about three weeks for the poo to really start changing, and the month mark is even better. I almost gave up after two weeks, cause the poo seemed to get worse. Stick with it, it really does start to change.
*even having two kids I have never talked or looked at poo this much in my life...

Broody poo control is the first benefit I noticed. There is no comparison: fermented is less stinky, less watery and seems much less abundant. We turn and change brooder litter at about 1/4 the frequency we did when our meaties were spewing the sewage from regular chick starter.

The difference is not as obvious with heritage chicks but still an improvement.