Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[BlueMouse]

when I got up to stir my FF this morning, it had a grey skin over it, now I know it's working well for sure! Who knew you could get excited when food has a weird greyish skin over it

Little piggies still nomming it down, of course, they're buff orpingtons to they would probably eat anything that stood still long enought to get et....

 

[mstricer]

I had a few patches of fuzzy mold on top that I removed and threw away. I added a touch more hot water and ACV. When I stir I get bubbles but not when it's just sitting.

When you are stirring, you are releasing air bubbles. Does you acv unpasteurized?

 

[Toast n Jelly]

I had a few patches of fuzzy mold on top that I removed and threw away. I added a touch more hot water and ACV. When I stir I get bubbles but not when it's just sitting.

When I let my FF get thick, easier to serve, there are few to no bubbles so I panic and add water to cover and by the next day..it bubbles and boils lol! So I can go back to thick FF. I go back and forth figuring that I get all the goodies in their bowl when it's thick, that's in case they miss some when I drain the thinner mixtures.

 

[BlueMouse]

So I've been feeding FF for a week now, although the ferment wasn't really strong when I started, and now someone is having a very runny slimey looking poop. before their poops were nice and hard, with a nice white cap, what I think of as "healthy bird poo" in color and formation from my years of dealing with parrots. is this a normal stage on the way to better intestinal health, or am I doing something wrong? Or worse yet is something wrong with one of my birds? It's slimey and yellow brown, no white cap. I'll try to check people for pasty bottoms when I take their fodder out in a few hours. There was nothing noticeable, but BO's have very fluffy "pants" and you can't even see their bottoms most of the time.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

So I've been feeding FF for a week now, although the ferment wasn't really strong when I started, and now someone is having a very runny slimey looking poop. before their poops were nice and hard, with a nice white cap, what I think of as "healthy bird poo" in color and formation from my years of dealing with parrots. is this a normal stage on the way to better intestinal health, or am I doing something wrong? Or worse yet is something wrong with one of my birds? It's slimey and yellow brown, no white cap. I'll try to check people for pasty bottoms when I take their fodder out in a few hours. There was nothing noticeable, but BO's have very fluffy "pants" and you can't even see their bottoms most of the time.

What I've read often on here, is that it takes a couple of weeks for the poop to regulate back to what it should be with less odor which is a plus.
With my hens it took about a month to firm up and will still be liquidy if I feed a wetter FF.
It also took about that much time to drink less water. My hens are over 2 years old.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Maybe you could add some plain, unsweetened yogurt for insurance. It works wonders for intestinal health.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

I need some thoughts.

I gave some of my fermented feed to a person I know, he was not in the office so I gave the Gallon jug. to his wife. I told her it needs to breath and be feed or the starter could die. Apparently he was not happy with the results. His girls almost stop laying, they acted wonky, and the eggs they gave tasted bad. Now my sister told me I had to stop giving it to my girls, that is why they have not started laying. I told her what I told his wife, I wonder if the fermentation died. If that was so it may not be good to give it to chickens. My girls haven't started laying because they have been molting baby feathers and they are only 20 & 21 weeks old. Chickens will start laying at 16 weeks to 29 weeks by breed. The early layers are production birds, I do not have any of that breeds. Most will lay between 20 and 29 weeks. I'm not worried. Also the one that is laying, her eggs are outstanding.

Could it be the F Feed had died?


Note: my "BIG" sister believes everyone, but me. I am the baby.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

I need some thoughts.

I gave some of my fermented feed to a person I know, he was not in the office so I gave the Gallon jug. to his wife. I told her it needs to breath and be feed or the starter could die. Apparently he was not happy with the results. His girls almost stop laying, they acted wonky, and the eggs they gave tasted bad. Now my sister told me I had to stop giving it to my girls, that is why they have not started laying. I told her what I told his wife, I wonder if the fermentation died. If that was so it may not be good to give it to chickens. My girls haven't started laying because they have been molting baby feathers and they are only 20 & 21 weeks old. Chickens will start laying at 16 weeks to 29 weeks by breed. The early layers are production birds, I do not have any of that breeds. Most will lay between 20 and 29 weeks. I'm not worried. Also the one that is laying, her eggs are outstanding.

Could it be the F Feed had died?


Note: my "BIG" sister believes everyone, but me. I am the baby.

It would be helpful if you tell us what you put in the FF. Did you start it with up/ACV or other?
Did he have access to this thread which would have explaned how to handle it?
I'm sure that with more info the more experienced people will be able to help you.

 

[SunnysMama]

So I've been feeding FF for a week now, although the ferment wasn't really strong when I started, and now someone is having a very runny slimey looking poop. before their poops were nice and hard, with a nice white cap, what I think of as "healthy bird poo" in color and formation from my years of dealing with parrots. is this a normal stage on the way to better intestinal health, or am I doing something wrong? Or worse yet is something wrong with one of my birds? It's slimey and yellow brown, no white cap. I'll try to check people for pasty bottoms when I take their fodder out in a few hours. There was nothing noticeable, but BO's have very fluffy "pants" and you can't even see their bottoms most of the time.

Chickens have what is called a cecal poop and is normally very slimy looking. Completely normal!

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

I need some thoughts.


I gave some of my fermented feed to a person I know, he was not in the office so I gave the Gallon jug. to his wife. I told her it needs to breath and be feed or the starter could die. Apparently he was not happy with the results. His girls almost stop laying, they acted wonky, and the eggs they gave tasted bad. Now my sister told me I had to stop giving it to my girls, that is why they have not started laying. I told her what I told his wife, I wonder if the fermentation died. If that was so it may not be good to give it to chickens. My girls haven't started laying because they have been molting baby feathers and they are only 20

It would be helpful if you tell us what you put in the FF. Did you start it with up/ACV or other?
Did he have access to this thread which would have explaned how to handle it?
I'm sure that with more info the more experienced people will be able to help you.

I used organic pellets and a little crushed corn, whole oats, and millet. No he did not have access, his wife was in charge of the starter. I told her it needs air and food, and if there are bubbles it is working and good. I fear his wife is NOT the chicken person in the family. She scared me when she said she would put it in his office for him when he came in the next day, and something about refusing dispatching a rooster. It was a Friday so I did not know if next day was Saturday or Monday. I did tell her to tell him to check on BYC go to Fermented Feed thread. I have a feeling that was omitted when she told her husband, IF she said any thing other then someone dropped this off for your chickens. I do not know if she even took it home with her.

My mash did die once on me when I was gone for a week. My nephew that it was to much work and to complicated to add a 2 cups of feed and at lest 4 cups of water then mix it. Mix it again before he left. This is a man that told me he doesn't trust me to feed his dogs because I may not do it right. Boil chicken breasts, dice it up, add carets, sweet potato, rice, and a little peas, when cool add vitamin pack he had and oil for the coat. This had detailed cooking instructions. Then he made enough himself and froze portions.

He did mix it, but never rinsed the mixing spoon or anything else he used, and the strainer I had to soak in hot water to loosen the dried build up.

My girls get daily FF, fresh Julian greens from garden (usually leaves to tuff for me), a little oyster shell (once a day) 1 to 2 cups cracked corn and seeds for scratch; and a treat ever so often 1/2 squash or sweet potato along with kitchen scraps & leftovers. They eat very well & seem very healthy.