Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[ozexpat]

Ozexpat, you could try using raw milk from your goats as starters. That should contain some lactobacillius and other bacteria to get the fermentation going. Or the yogurt as mentioned. The sweet coconut drink you mention I am going to guess contains mostly wild yeasts favoring alcohol production, rather than lactic acid bacteria.

I will do a clinical trial with one pot of yakult as a starter, the other will be local coconut vinegar. I will post the results

 

[1 Happy Hen]

I started ff with my layers in Feb. My favorite hen used to be on the light side but I picked her up the other day and noticed she seems to have more breast and weighs more. Also, I have quite a few chickens and they go through about 9 (50 lb) bags or more of feed per month. Well a few weeks after starting with ff I have noticed a dramatic decrease in feed consumption yet a noticeable increase in weight and (dare I say) egg quality and quantity. I wish I would have kept notes, but like I said I have alot of chickens.

We have meaties that we got last week, 35 of them. Started them on ff when they got here. They have already doubled in size (I know it's normal) and don't seem to eat as much or drink as much as the ones we did last fall that ate non fermented feed. I am keeping notes on them, to see if it pays off in the end... ff vs regular. I kept notes last fall so this spring I will compare.

Only thing I was wondering about is it necessary for cornish x to be on medicated feed being that I usually butcher at 7 weeks? I usually use medicated but the bag of feed that I grabbed is not medicated. Should I get medicated from now on? Just wondering what you all think.

 

[Baybrio]

I'm sure someone has already asked but, you guys are on post 4762, I like to read but, well, could somebody tell me which maybe 50 posts to read so I can get started?

I started at the beginning of this thread but got overwhelmed immediately.

 

[SunnysMama]

I have never used medicated feed with any of mine.

 

[SunnysMama]

I'm sure someone has already asked but, you guys are on post 4762, I like to read but, well, could somebody tell me which maybe 50 posts to read so I can get started?

I started at the beginning of this thread but got overwhelmed immediately.

If you search for the posts by Beekissed you will get more than enough info to get you started and then you can ask questions as they arise.

 

[Bleenie]

Quote:
and should it smell so...'Pungent' too?

 

[Kilsharion]

Quote:
"Pungent" is fine...."omg it smells like three day old road kill in triple digit heat"...not so much.

 

[mstricer]

Quote: I know that is what I do. I kept saying, everyone says this is easy, I'm not seeing it. Well if I don't have to strain it so much, go buy a bag of Oats from the feed store and add it to it to thicken it, then that will be easy. It takes me so long to strain, I'm doing it two times a day and it can take me up to an hour or more, to feed my chicks and breeders and layers. No more major straining for me. I feel like

 

[colburg]

Quote:
"Pungent" is fine...."omg it smells like three day old road kill in triple digit heat"...not so much.
X2

 

[Kjordanov]

So I'm wondering.. Can you basically ferment any food you give them??