Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Lacy Blues]

If you still have something for them to eat on free range, I'd let them do that. It gives them exercise so they don't get too fat. If they're cleaning it all up you're probably not feeding too much. When there's too much, they won't finish it. Also, as their nutritional needs are being met by the ff, the amount they eat will decrease so though it seems like a lot at first, like you're not really saving much, they will eat let within the first... I don't know... I want to say a month but it could be longer.

 

[Beekissed]

I have an EE hen who is quite large and was hoping with the ff and not using dry feed she would slim down, so I guess I'll just play it by ear since they have been on nothing but ff for just a couple of days now. I was so happy to take the dry away I'm going to be disappointed if i have to go back to it. They have been on ff for a couple of months mostly but did have a tray of dry out for them too. Okay so I am using 2 heated dog dishes and a blk rubber bowl right now till it turns cold again, they are going through all 3 bowls before 10:am so do I refill or just let them continue to forage for the rest?this is 32 total flock members. Thats my biggest problem now is figuring out how much to give them, The only ones foraging right now are my chickens the rest are pretty much just eating ff.

The thing I think we need to get in our minds about FF is that we need to feed less feed to get the same amounts of nutrients we use to feed when the feed was dry and unfermented. So, if you are still feeding the same bowl/feeder/scoop size and amounts you were feeding when the feed is dry, you are going to see some wt. gain. The wet feeds are easier for them to eat and they will eat what you feed....but they are getting more nutrition in each bite.

So, it's like the difference between 2% milk and whole milk...drinking the same amounts of whole milk that you do 2% every day is gonna make ya a little more fluffy, I'm betting.

 

[delisha]

I can't go by what is left. My FF is gone in about 5 minutes and they are looking at the back door to the kitchen waiting for me to come with more. I feed in the morning and just before dark. My birds are getting fat so i started opening up the gate. I can't take them looking for food all day long.

 

[jeapa]

I started keeping tract of how many eggs I get each day and I got 54 eggs in the past 7 days from my 8 hens. There were only 2 days that I got 7 eggs instead of 8. I think that is great production. I have 2 barred rocks, 2 RIR, 2 GLW, and 2 CW, all were purchased from a hatchery and are just about 7 months old.

Right now I am feeding a 50/50 mix of layer mash/grains, with a little boss and pumpkin seeds thrown in. I have had the same bucket going since the end of August. I just keep adding more food and water each day after I take out enough for a feeding. here is a picture I took last night showing the bubble action.

I think feeding FF is going viral on BYC. I keep seeing threads popping up on this topic. I have been sharing this with everyone I know that is keeping chickens. I think this is definitely going to change the way people look at feeding their chickens. So far I see no negatives and many, many positive reasons to feeding this way.

Thanks again Beekissed for sharing this with us all.

 

[aoxa]

I started keeping tract of how many eggs I get each day and I got 54 eggs in the past 7 days from my 8 hens. There were only 2 days that I got 7 eggs instead of 8. I think that is great production. I have 2 barred rocks, 2 RIR, 2 GLW, and 2 CW, all were purchased from a hatchery and are just about 7 months old.

Right now I am feeding a 50/50 mix of layer mash/grains,  with  a little boss and pumpkin seeds thrown in. I have had the same bucket going since the end of August. I just keep adding more food and water each day after I take out enough for a feeding. here is a picture I took last night showing the bubble action.

I think feeding FF is going viral on BYC. I keep seeing threads popping up on this topic. I have been sharing this with everyone I know that is keeping chickens. I think this is definitely going to change the way people look at feeding their chickens. So far I see no negatives and many, many positive reasons to feeding this way.

Thanks again Beekissed for sharing this with us all.

I pretty much mention FF every chance I get. Actually have a young man who just purchased three chicks as pets, and he's asking me to make the FF and charge him a higher price for the trouble.

Bee, were you the one that started this madness? I'm assuming so Who invented the two bucket system? Should sell the system!

 

[Beekissed]

I don't think I was the first on BYC to feed fermented...could have been Kasaundra, I'm thinking, but not sure...she chimed in after we started posting on this thread. But I am probably the one that got the word out, researched the info and wrote about my experimenting with it, alongside Shadowmane, who disappeared on me after he started this thread and invited me over.

Yep, the 2 bucket thing is mine, far as I know.

I don't know just how it all took off but more and more folks found out about it and I just kept talking about it and then magic happened. Now everyone is sloppin' their chickens and thinking it's great...

 

[mrsamplias]

Until I can get some tight fitting lids with fine screens, I'm suspending fermentation. We're absolutely infested with fruit flies! If they're covered, they get scummy mold, and if not, the flies feast as much as the chickens do and we have them all over the dang house

have you tried the nylons stretched over the tops? That works for me.

 

[aoxa]

I don't think I was the first on BYC to feed fermented...could have been Kasaundra, I'm thinking, but not sure...she chimed in after we started posting on this thread.  But I am probably the one that got the word out, researched the info and wrote about my experimenting with it, alongside Shadowmane, who disappeared on me after he started this thread and invited me over. 

Yep, the 2 bucket thing is mine, far as I know. 

I don't know just how it all took off but more and more folks found out about it and I just kept talking about it and then magic happened.  Now everyone is sloppin' their chickens and thinking it's great... 

 

It's too bad that this thread is in the meat section, because small pet flock owners avoid this area like the plague.

I've even encouraged people in the silkie thread to give it a try. We frequent posters can really get the word out to pet flocks as well. Those are the ones that need the natural way most!

 

[jeapa]

I pretty much mention FF every chance I get. Actually have a young man who just purchased three chicks as pets, and he's asking me to make the FF and charge him a higher price for the trouble.
Bee, were you the one that started this madness? I'm assuming so Who invented the two bucket system? Should sell the system!

I think Bee started this thread so I am betting she came up with the two bucket method. I like using one bucket with a strainer, but that's just me, I think there are so many right ways to do this that everyone should be able to find a method that works for them and their situation. It literally takes me 5 minutes tops to scoop out some feed let it drain for 2 minutes then run it out and fill the feeder.

 

[aoxa]

I pretty much mention FF every chance I get. Actually have a young man who just purchased three chicks as pets, and he's asking me to make the FF and charge him a higher price for the trouble.
Bee, were you the one that started this madness? I'm assuming so Who invented the two bucket system? Should sell the system!

I think Bee started this thread so I am betting she came up with the two bucket method. I like using one bucket with a strainer, but that's just me, I think there are so many right ways to do this that everyone should be able to find a method that works for them and their situation. It literally takes me 5 minutes tops to scoop out some feed let it drain for 2 minutes then run it out and fill the feeder.

I'm currently using both methods and definitely prefer the two bucket system.

It really is a lot easier. No draining required at all, and the good juices stay.

I just bought 8 more buckets with 4 more tops and a 10 ft x 5inch vinyl rain gutter to feed out of.