Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Arielle]

I may have missed it somewhere, since I had to skip ahead. BUT, I think I shall do an experiment! The next batch of meaties (CX's) I get, I am going to buy the a bag of each feed for each group. I will ferment one group's and not the others. Then, I will share my findings with you all here I'm a scientist at heart and it seems like there is really no such straight forward experiment with simple to understand findings. Maybe there is and I'm just not finding it, but I still want to do it for my own knowledge anyway!

DId you see the one done last summer? Three groups of meaties and three feeding methods. Weighed once a week?
It was a very good attempt to see an effect. LIke many experiments, it leads to other questions and the needs for another experiment.

 

[Bleenie]

Has anyone else here used storebought yogurt to start their fermenting process?

Just the other day one of my buckets wasn't looking 'active' so I decided to try yogurt(raspberry, drinkable +vits and stuff) since I read it works faster than ACV. Well it did work pretty quick! I used out of the same bucket today and added the dry feed to do it's thing. it's swelled a lot and looks great and COMPLETELY smells like Yogurt! it smells delicious, much better than the way it previously smelled.

has anyone else had this experience?

 

[bakingintherain]

No but I will have to try it

 

[Lacy Blues]

Using plain unsweetened yogurt would be best for your chickens. Strawberry is great in a bowl by itself for those with a sweet tooth but the sugar they add to the yogurt kills the beneficial bacteria off (maybe not all, but definitely a lot of them).

 

[countrygirl74]

Using plain unsweetened yogurt would be best for your chickens. Strawberry is great in a bowl by itself for those with a sweet tooth but the sugar they add to the yogurt kills the beneficial bacteria off (maybe not all, but definitely a lot of them).

x2 - another option is plain Kefir...

 

[LaynaDon95]

Okay, I haven't really read on this thread at all recently, but I caught the word kefir, so I thought I'd comment. I have 3 jars of kefir making in my kitchen. (With actual grains, not the powder you can buy at the store) I have used kefir with all my chicks to successfully protect against coccidia. As long as they are on it, no cocci. If I take them off of it too young, they immediately get it. I didn't have any kefir grains this time and my meat chicks got cocci. None died from it, but I had to use corid.
So anyways, whatever y'all are talking about, yes to the kefir!

It's amazing stuff!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Yep! I have never used kefir but rather unsweetened plain yogurt (Mountain High brand has 5 different beneficial bacterias in it). I have never used medicated starter and I give yogurt only occasionally and I have never had cocci in my birds. I start them out very young.

 

[Impress]

I have found an unexpected added bonus to the fermented feed! (Which my chickens and guineas LOVE, by the way!)

My Pygmy goats are notorious chicken pellet thieves, they will fight to try to get into the duck and chicken house during feeding time, I have to separate them and sit while they eat then let them into the pasture. I decided to open the door so they could invade the first fermented feeding, just to see how they reacted. My girl out her nose in it, lifted her lip (they do that when they find a smell disgusting) and immediately left the room. My boy saw her reaction and fled after her. No more fighting the goats when feeding!

 

[countrygirl74]

 

[ash10383]

DId you see the one done last summer? Three groups of meaties and three feeding methods. Weighed once a week?
It was a very good attempt to see an effect. LIke many experiments, it leads to other questions and the needs for another experiment.

Anybody have a link to this?