Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[3 NH reds]

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!!!!

Nice coop the curtains are a good idea. I need to set up a gutter and some pipe to fill my watering barrel, right now it is filled via a garden hose.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

How long on average do you let the first batch go before feeding? I am almost to 3 days, though I may be at 4. Can't remember when I started exactly.

 

[Beekissed]

When it's soured in smell and the liquid is cloudy and bubbling...I feed it. The first batch should be the only batch you ever have to make....after that, you just add to it when it's getting low, stir it well, add water and let it do its job. The next day, it's ready to feed again.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

When it's soured in smell and the liquid is cloudy and bubbling...I feed it.  The first batch should be the only batch you ever have to make....after that, you just add to it when it's getting low, stir it well, add water and let it do its job.  The next day, it's ready to feed again. 

 

Awesome! I am draining some now.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Well, the girls have their first try of FF today and Lost Their MINDS. You'd have thought I gave them steak bits or something!

 

[armorfirelady]

So I wanted to post on here my first eggs. My hens have been on FF since August....about 13 weeks old they were started. They are 31 weeks old now & only 1 hen is laying and started last week.



Pullet eggs are smooth, hard shells and have gooe weight to them-I have no store bought eggs to compare size to but they were 2" in length




Here are 2 eggs after I open them. Yolks are a great dark yellow & the *white* part is clear (the pic shows yellow glare from yolks & flash)

I made homemade noodles with these 2 eggs and normally the noodles are white. This time they were yellow

 

[Beekissed]

Are you sure they are all being laid by the same gal? I know that it takes time to get the eggs to be consistent in shape, color and size but the two smaller ones look like from another bird than the two larger ones. Could you have another hen laying also?

 

[aoxa]

Are you sure they are all being laid by the same gal? I know that it takes time to get the eggs to be consistent in shape, color and size but the too smaller ones look like from another bird than the two larger ones. Could you have another hen laying also?

I was thinking this as well. Never had a hen be that inconsistent before.

In the spring, it's going to be very difficult to keep track of who is laying what. With all my layers.. Right now it's easy. I only have 8 or so laying.

 

[mrsamplias]

Well, the girls have their first try of FF today and Lost Their MINDS. You'd have thought I gave them steak bits or something!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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