Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Kilsharion]

in fact I have to find his name he also works for Southern States. hey I am only stating what he said not my own feelings as I was getting ready to do FF myself. But I figured I would listen to someone 40 years in the poultry business as I am a newbie
http://www.southernstates.com/articles/poultry-guide.aspx

I can totally understand why he'd prefer pellets over crumbles or mash as you do get significantly less waste in such - when it's served dry.

I, however, have gone through only 25#s in the last month as opposed to 50# the previous month by using FF. That's the only thing that's changed. My birds also look healthier, more full breasted and easier to clean up after since putting them on the FF. Each bird has gained approximated a pound in the last month. And, this is with the crap scratch grains I currently have on hand. I'm very interested to see what happens when I'm able to switch them back over to the H&H scratch.

I haven't dressed any out, yet, so I can't speak to the flavour of the meat or the amount of fat; however, just looking at them and weighing them...I'm very impressed with the FF results - and, my budget is genuflecting at this thread for making me think to do it. So much useful information here!!

I've also had significantly wonderful results with my guinea keets - which I couldn't get to eat their regular food. Seriously - I was having fits trying to figure out how to get them to actually eat. Put some FF in there, mixed with some goat's milk and it disappeared so fast I had to actually feed them twice in a day....much better than going in and seeing their food barely touched.

 

[Mikedero]

It threw me for a loop as well. I mean there are 180+ pages with nothing but good about FF. I think the idiot bell in my head just went off. I am going to split my meat birds up into 2 groups one with FF and one without. When I get them I will post pictures and show my results from start to finish

He works for a feed company of course he is going to want you to buy more feed not less….. I think I need to smack myself upside the head.

 

[stone_family3]

I'd be interested in seeing your results! Especially with pictures. I'm a visual person so I need as much pictures as possible LOL

 

[SunnysMama]

He raised both and in fact stated that it was a waste of his time to do it and you lose some nutrients when you FF. He was a professor from West Virginia department of agriculture. I went to his seminar on Saturday and he said the biggest waste was in fact the feeders being too low

I will let my experience with this guide me opposed to someone with book knowledge. No offense but I see absolutely no downfall to feeding fermented feed. The birds are healthier, less waste (poop) and smell, and the cost we less than feeding them dry only even having to hold them for another week to finish them was less expensive. Respectfully disagree on the loss of nutrient. Happy, healthy, foraging birds will win hands down for me.

Not sure what you mean by the part of your comment that is in bold.

 

[Kjordanov]

I will let my experience with this guide me opposed to someone with book knowledge. No offense but I see absolutely no downfall to feeding fermented feed. The birds are healthier, less waste (poop) and smell, and the cost we less than feeding them dry only even having to hold them for another week to finish them was less expensive. Respectfully disagree on the loss of nutrient. Happy, healthy, foraging birds will win hands down for me.

Not sure what you mean by the part of your comment that is in bold.

At the moment I've been feeding a nice 17% layer crumble but I am going to start FF.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:

I actually had them waste more with pellets than with crumbles.. it was easier for them to pick through the pellets to get the corn . So after feeding I would walk through the coops and see pellets everywhere on the ground being wasted..
with the crumbles mine would eat the crumbles and the corn.. not sure why.. it was the same brand from the same milling company.. but for some reason they actually ate more of the crumbles than the pellets

with the fermented they eat everything.. it even looks as if they licked the feeders clean...

so to me it IS worth the extra time it takes to give them fermented.. less waste means less money out of my pocket

 

[stone_family3]

Okay so I'm starting my first batch tonight and I have a few questions.

1. Does anyone have a recipe?
2. I drink a lot of loose leaf tea can I toss the leftover tea leaves in the FF?
3. How much should I feed a day?
4. Should I feed the birds more than one time a day? Right now I feed my chicks once a day and my big girls whenever their feeder is empty.
5. Can my ducklings eat the FF? Seems like it would be up their ally with it being moist.

 

[Mikedero]

I will let my experience with this guide me opposed to someone with book knowledge. No offense but I see absolutely no downfall to feeding fermented feed. The birds are healthier, less waste (poop) and smell, and the cost we less than feeding them dry only even having to hold them for another week to finish them was less expensive. Respectfully disagree on the loss of nutrient. Happy, healthy, foraging birds will win hands down for me.

Not sure what you mean by the part of your comment that is in bold.

THe guy has been int he business for more then 40 years and over 1 million birds at a time. So chances are he has raised more birds then everyone on this board all at once. but please see my last post]

the feeders should be hung higher as lower to the ground the more they scratch out the feed thus the loss

the simple fact is a low feeder they will waste allot I have seen this it gets all over the ground. I raised mine up and in only 3 days I have done this I have seen less food on the ground.

 

[Kjordanov]

  THe guy has been int he business for more then 40 years and over 1 million birds at a time. So chances are he has raised more birds then everyone on this board all at once. but please see my last post]

the feeders should be hung higher as lower to the ground the more they scratch out the feed thus the loss

the simple fact is a low feeder they will waste allot I have seen this it gets all over the ground. I raised mine up and in only 3 days I have done this I have seen less food on the ground.

But it wouldn't matter what kind of feed your feeding them, you'll still have to have the feeder raised so that they don't poop or walk over it.

 

[Kjordanov]

But it wouldn't matter what kind of feed your feeding them, you'll still have to have the feeder raised so that they don't poop or walk over it.

And about wasting food, they eat less of the FF than the regular feed because it has more nutritional benefits to it. So if you had in one chicken pen regular feed raised above ground the chickens are going to eat more of it than in another pen chickens eating FF because it doesn't have the same nutritional value. I can see why he would not ferment the feed though if he has over a million birds, it would seem like a complete waste of time.