Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[aoxa]

Anyone care to see my solution for the freezing buckets?

Temp went down to -15 last night. Everything was above freezing in my makeshift room.



Still have to hinge the door and make sure heat doesn't escape. Waiting for my FIL to return so he can cut the door. I am terrified of Skill Saws. I can handle table saws..


Room for at least 4 more buckets in here! I had two jugs of water in this little closet also, and nothing was frozen this morning. SO happy!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Anyone care to see my solution for the freezing buckets?

Temp went down to -15 last night. Everything was above freezing in my makeshift room.



Still have to hinge the door and make sure heat doesn't escape. Waiting for my FIL to return so he can cut the door. I am terrified of Skill Saws. I can handle table saws..


Room for at least 4 more buckets in here! I had two jugs of water in this little closet also, and nothing was frozen this morning. SO happy!

 

[3 NH reds]

Anyone care to see my solution for the freezing buckets?

Temp went down to -15 last night. Everything was above freezing in my makeshift room.



Still have to hinge the door and make sure heat doesn't escape. Waiting for my FIL to return so he can cut the door. I am terrified of Skill Saws. I can handle table saws..


Room for at least 4 more buckets in here! I had two jugs of water in this little closet also, and nothing was frozen this morning. SO happy!

Great job! Working well for you
-15*

 

[aoxa]

Great job! Working well for you
-15*

Should have been clearer. I kept it in Celsius.. In your temps its just 5

 

[finnfur]

BUCKET STICKING SOLUTION
Just come down below the bottom rim of the ferment bucket and thru bolt a spacer
Thats just some hardware I had from a job but anything even small pieces of 3/4 plywood work- or cut off dowel drilled thru.
Works great
Tom

 

[Mountain Momma]

Well, since we are all showing our FF winter set up, which are awesome by the way. Here is mine so far. Still working on a few kinks and When I went down and took these guess what! My rain barrel is full and the over flow has kicked in!!! Yippee! In our neighborhood water is very expensive. This is a super big deal. The pics are not of my actual coup but the maint area that I've let them be in over the last few days (it is side by side with the coupso they have been in and out and I didnt want them to be stressing ) since they didnt want to go outside. We have a metal roof that heats up fast in the sun and that is what feeds my rain barrel. On the right you can see a curtain that I hung in front of the coup to keep the biddies warm. It only covers about 2/3 of the open air side of their coup. Taking all critiques and commenttins!!!!

 

[NickyPick]

Has any one else seen an increase in egg production when switching to the FF? I sure have, with the weather getting colder and the days shorter I was only getting about one egg every other day. Now I am getting between five and eight EVERY day! This is from a dozen hens, a couple of which are a few years older, like five-ish. I am impressed, for sure.

I haven't. Went from 10-13 eggs a day to now about 7. I don't think its the FF, though. I can see that at least 5 hens are raggedy and molting, plus, the EE's always shut down over the winter. Going by last year's calendar, the numbers pick up in January and we're back to peak by mid February.

I use a single bucket system right now. I get up at 4:30 am, let the dog out, scoop a strainer full and let it drain while I get my coffee, then dump that in a 5 gallon feed bucket and set another strainer full to drain while I get dressed and peruse the net until I have to leave for work at 5:15. I put the feed bucket on the dryer with a towel over it and my Dad will grab it when he gets up around 8 to feed all the animals. (I love him! This totally keeps me from getting all sweaty in the summer before work!) We're presently using the flat rubbermaid horse feed pans for the FF. I have noticed when I feed on the weekends, that when the hens run out in the morning, they're not frantically scarfing food anymore. Some eat, some drink and some play keep away with Mr. Feathers. My habit has been, around 4, I'll go out and give them a couple more spoons of FF so they can fill up before bed, but lately, there is still a LOT of FF in the pans. I don't "think" anyone's going hungry so, are they just getting fuller on less feed now? I'm not sure if I should be worrying or not.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep...they are getting fuller on less feed and my chickens always cut back at this time of the year naturally. May have something to do with keeping warm...when all blood supplies are directed towards digestion efforts, the extremeties go lacking. Solution? Eat less, move around less. What we always call "cooping up".

 

[Beekissed]

Taking all critiques and commenttins!!!!

I think I'd set up a feeding system that didn't encourage tracking fecal matter into the feed...this will also keep your chicken's feet dryer and won't track feed into your bedding. A good trough system is great and you can elevate it to chest height so they are not encouraged to step into the feed. If you have to use the rubber pans I'd place a grid over them so that they can get their heads in but not their feet...a strip of wire mesh fencing will do the trick but not typical poultry fencing.

Your birds will stay dryer, your feed cleaner and there will be less waste of feed.... and less debris tracked into the feeds.

 

[Mountain Momma]

I think I'd set up a feeding system that didn't encourage tracking fecal matter into the feed...this will also keep your chicken's feet dryer and won't track feed into your bedding. A good trough system is great and you can elevate it to chest height so they are not encouraged to step into the feed. If you have to use the rubber pans I'd place a grid over them so that they can get their heads in but not their feet...a strip of wire mesh fencing will do the trick but not typical poultry fencing.

Your birds will stay dryer, your feed cleaner and there will be less waste of feed.... and less debris tracked into the feeds.

I hear you loud and clear. Picked up a wallpaper glue trough at Goodwill the other day. Its big and long and about 35 years old I think so its made of the heavy plastic, not at all flimsy. I just want a warmer day to wash it out really well before I use it. I'm listening! I usually feed them outside but our routine is a little off with the whole flock refusal to step on snow. lol. When the bowls are outside they arent standing in them as much because they have more room and more bowls. So weird but at 20 degrees Farenheit it feels balmy to me! Thanks Bee!