Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[RoseMarie1]

And less of what you are feeding is going to waste on the coop floor as dry matter in the feces. CX will eat how much you want to put in that feeder, so they don't actually stop eating so much food...they just get more nutrients from less feed. A person has to be careful not to fall down in the coop or they will eat ya'....so eating less is just not going to happen.

By increasing the total nutrients absorbed you can get by a little cheaper on the total feed consumed. At the end, do the math and let us know if there is a difference.

Bee would you give me your websites link please?

 

[RoseMarie1]

I wouldn't worry about the water covering the food...my water hasn't covered the food in all the time I've used the FF and my bucket sits for days in 80-90 degree heat without freshening up and it is just fine. It won't ruin...stir it every day when you feed and don't worry. Worry is like a rocking chair...lots of back and forth motion but it never really gets you anywhere!

Rosemarie, look up the thread about deep litter and see about starting one in your run...it will help your flock from becoming sick in wet weather, will eliminate the barren and sick soils underfoot and will help you have cleaner, healthier birds. No need for vitamins,medicines and such....just a self cleaning coop and run that helps keep your birds healthier.

Thank you Bee! Yes I know about worry.... Scripture also tells me not to worry. My daughter tells me I look for things to worry about. lol Thank you!!!! That sure would make it easier for straining and such with all that water not being in there!!!

 

[Beekissed]

Thank you Bee! Yes I know about worry.... Scripture also tells me not to worry. My daughter tells me I look for things to worry about. lol Thank you!!!! That sure would make it easier for straining and such with all that water not being in there!!!

Oh! So you have access to and study the only manual for life, the Bible? Good! Now apply it to your flock of chickens, my dear! When all is said and done and you've done your research, are set to implement some form of new husbandry, and you have little niggling worries...just apply faith in the Lord to the formula and pray that He watch your flock for you when you cannot.

I've done this for years and attribute all my success with chickens to the Lord. He leads me to good ideas, gives me the courage to implement them, provides me with good dogs for a help mate in my farming and watches over all of my animals when I sleep and when I am traveling. He even lets me make mistakes so that I can learn from them and provide better care and stewardship for other animals.

He even gives me wonderful people on a forum to whom I can talk and mull over the good ideas I want to try or to tell about the mistakes I have made! I love Him so!!!! He's a wonderful Father to me.

 

[Triple Willow]

Oh!  So you have access to and study the only manual for life, the Bible?  Good!  Now apply it to your flock of chickens, my dear!  When all is said and done and you've done your research, are set to implement some form of new husbandry, and you have little niggling worries...just apply faith in the Lord to the formula and pray that He watch your flock for you when you cannot. 

I've done this for years and attribute all my success with chickens to the Lord.  He leads me to good ideas, gives me the courage to implement them, provides me with good dogs for a help mate in my farming and watches over all of my animals when I sleep and when I am traveling.  He even lets me make mistakes so that I can learn from them and provide better care and stewardship for other animals. 

He even gives me wonderful people on a forum to whom I can talk and mull over the good ideas I want to try or to tell about the mistakes I have made!  I love Him so!!!! He's a wonderful Father to me. 

Ditto! Sure wouldn't want to even try to do life without HIM!

 

[mabhera]

I started to give FF to my chickens yesterday. My laying hens are having a blast with it. They act like they have won something and chase my around for more. (they used to follow me around anyway but now is more like a predator). My goose also is addicted.... I hope to spend less in feed for them and also to keep them healthy. This is my first time also with meat chickens. I have 18 at 2 weeks old. I feel they eat a lot more of this FF than the dried thing. How much you give to the laying hens? with the meat chicks I need to give them less so the learn to forage ....

 

[RoseMarie1]

Oh! So you have access to and study the only manual for life, the Bible? Good! Now apply it to your flock of chickens, my dear! When all is said and done and you've done your research, are set to implement some form of new husbandry, and you have little niggling worries...just apply faith in the Lord to the formula and pray that He watch your flock for you when you cannot.

I've done this for years and attribute all my success with chickens to the Lord. He leads me to good ideas, gives me the courage to implement them, provides me with good dogs for a help mate in my farming and watches over all of my animals when I sleep and when I am traveling. He even lets me make mistakes so that I can learn from them and provide better care and stewardship for other animals.

He even gives me wonderful people on a forum to whom I can talk and mull over the good ideas I want to try or to tell about the mistakes I have made! I love Him so!!!! He's a wonderful Father to me.

Yep I sure do Bee. I have asked Him to keep them safe. Yes He is to me to!

Yep these are some wonderful people on here and I sure am enjoy learning from every one. I need the link to your website.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Here is a link with pictures of different droppings. What you describe sounds like "intestinal shedding". Some of the pictures are really gross.....just a warning...........

http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0

That's good to know. I had a little in my poop hammock this morning when I cleaned it out. I was wondering what it was but now I see. That's the first time I've seen blood in one of their poops. ;-) Thanx for sharing that!

 

[RoseMarie1]

Sorry if this is a lame question.

I want to do a 5 gallon bucket with screen on the bottom to help drainage. I read that you use glue sticks to hold the screen down but I don't have any. Is waterproof silicon glue an appropriate substitute?

The label is too small for me to read and can't seem to find anything about safety issues around feed.

Thanks

maybe one of those stainless steel clamps that you have to use a screw driver to tighten it up? It would have to be a very large one to fit around your bucket but where hubby used to work they had them that big. I would also make sure the screw that you tighten it with is also stainless though since I have some that aren't stainless.

 

[RoseMarie1]

You know how you can tell when your hens like their FF?



When they walk out of the run wearing it since they were eating it like piglets........3 hens with dirty faces/chins........I came home from a weekend away thinking they got into the FF bucket I left in the run so my friend could feed them while I was gone.......Thinking the girls need some of those giant lobster bibs

LOL LOL LOL that looks just like mine! They chase me with the bucket! LOL I am not lying they LOVE this stuff! I have started letting them out of their pen so I can get inside to scoop the stuff into their trough and pans without them trying to eat from the spoon and they will run after me when I try to get in the gate without them tagging along. It's a hoot and if someone was there in the woods or a visitor they would swear they haven't eaten in months. They sound like a herd of cattle running behind me when I take off running to get in the gate without them. THEN they will stand outside right beside the fence where I am scooping out their feed ramming their faces into the fence trying to get at the food. Silly things. It's hard to run while you're laughing and carrying a bucket of food to feed the lil pigs with.

When I was allowing them inside with me while I was trying to scoop out the food, they would sling it all over me.

I really think they LOVE the stuff!

 

[Debs55]

Not quite finished this thread yet but I'm going to start fermenting my feed tomorrow! Hopefully. Um I have a bucket but I'm not sure if I have the lid. Could I just cover it with a towel? Also there's no way my dad will let me keep it inside but it's 90 in the shade outside. Will that be ok?