Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[kapie9969]

From what i read,three days is usually good.The articles i read said people don't wait long enough. I cant quote anything.One night i spent a couple hours reading everything i could about fermented grain.Lots of info on fermenting by people making booze! Just put a few different words about fermenting in your search engine and you can read forever about it.

 

[countrygirl74]

Just in case this would help anyone who is new to fermenting feed, as I am...

I found that it took closer to 4 days to really see the bubbling/fermentation. I am pretty certain it is because my house is pretty cold. I live in a manufactured home and on the 2nd day, I decided to place the bucket halfway over one of the floor heater vents. This got it going!! I keep it there when I am not feeding and it is doing great.

Also, I think I am going to switch to the 2-bucket method for sure. I am making a HUGE mess of this stuff every time I feed, trying to scoop it out, drain the water, etc. over 1 bucket. It's a disaster...

And lastly, it took me about 1 week of feeding the chickens and ducks to notice a difference in their poo (not as loose and house not as smelly) and also to see a difference in the amount of food they were consuming. At first it seemed like they were eating more food now that it was fermented than they were with the dry!! But now, they are starting to taper off a little. I'll be interested to see if it continues. I also have to keep in mind that it is winter and there's nothing else to eat except for what I give them. I bet in the summer, it'll be great on feed costs!

Oh, and even though the chickens took to it right away, the ducks were a little slower. It took them several days to act like they actually liked it. Before that it seemed like they were shaking more of it out all over the place. I ferment a mash and usually leave the ducks' food a little more sloppy than the chickens'.

Still learning....

 

[rambunctious]

I've got 15 chicks coming in 12-14 days (

). I got (2) 3 gallon buckets (not the 5) to start FF. Do you guys think those buckets are big enough or should I get the 5gal ones? How much feed should I start with for thr 15 (I know they'll need more as they grow) I was thinking to start the process 4c of chick starter 1/2c U-ACV and enough water to cover with 2-3" above the mix. Does that sound about right? Thank you!

 

[delisha]

Sounds like you are doing great..

Yes many start to feed too early but that does not matter. You are feeeding out a good product and replacing with dry. Eventually your bucket will get a good ferment going, some faster than others. You can feed out of the bucket the first time with little ferment just to get the birds used to the taste and wet texture. Of course they are not getting what you intend for them to get, yet, but, it still contains UPACV. Good stuff for birds.

 

[delisha]

I've got 15 chicks coming in 12-14 days (

). I got (2) 3 gallon buckets (not the 5) to start FF. Do you guys think those buckets are big enough or should I get the 5gal ones? How much feed should I start with for thr 15 (I know they'll need more as they grow) I was thinking to start the process 4c of chick starter 1/2c U-ACV and enough water to cover with 2-3" above the mix. Does that sound about right? Thank you!

I have a dozen chicks on FF and ferment there feed in an old coffee can. One inch is more then sufficient. All you need to do is have it covered in liquid to help keep the bad bacteria from growing. After I strain it I do add calf manna to it for the chicks for a week or two. It absorbs some of the slop and they do not end up with hard balls on the toes.

 

[countrygirl74]

I've got 15 chicks coming in 12-14 days (

). I got (2) 3 gallon buckets (not the 5) to start FF. Do you guys think those buckets are big enough or should I get the 5gal ones? How much feed should I start with for thr 15 (I know they'll need more as they grow) I was thinking to start the process 4c of chick starter 1/2c U-ACV and enough water to cover with 2-3" above the mix. Does that sound about right? Thank you!

Others more experienced can help you with how much you might need to start with chicks. I have 12 chickens and 4 ducks. Mine are half-grown already and they seem to be consuming about 1/2-3/4 cup of ff per bird at each feeding (2x's per day) - so I am fermenting about 6-8 cups of feed a day. My ducks seem to eat a little more - but it is starting to slow a little bit... I used 1 cup of ACV to about 12 cups of feed and someone mentioned it was more than plenty so you might not even need a 1/2 cup for just 4 cups of feed. Again, I am learning too so someone else will probably chime in here with more info!!

 

[delisha]

Your recipie has too much UPACV.

Try 2 cups dry mash
1 tablespoon UPACV
3 cups water ...stir.... check in an hour and you will need to add more water
Baby chicks eat so very little. At two weeks old these chicks eat about 2 cups of mash a day


I also give them spinach, peas, ground raw meats and raw chicken/beef/pork bones to pick on.

 

[ZakoHero]

Hello!

 

[delisha]

Hello!

right back at ya

 

[ZakoHero]

right back at ya

Thanks!