Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Scratch is lower in protein(8-9%) and sweet feed at tractor supply is 12%. I think I remember your feed being about 20%. If so, a 50/50 mix with 12% will give you 16% overall protein. Or a mix of 35/65 scratch/feed will give you about 16% protein.There's a myriad of ways to lower that protein, and they'll be much cheaper than game bird feed, etc.Good luck,

Agreed! Cut your mix with lower nutrient grains that can provide more fiber and less total proteins. If you buy from a store and do not have a feed mill/farm co-op nearby, then I'm thinking the suggestion for scratch grains is your best bet...they sell those at TSC, don't they? Your chickens will enjoy the change in variety and they will be just as satisfied, but you will be spending less money and have healthier birds. It's a win/win.

At first your birds will pick all the grains out of the mix, but they will clean their plates if you don't overfeed them. If you come back to feed the next day and they have left feed in the trough..feed them less until they are cleaning their plates. Pretty soon you'll have their habits down and can make only small adjustments as their needs change with seasons, laying, etc.

 

[Debs55]

Hey y'all this is my feed

When I checked it this morning it had some water covering it. I stirred it and saw a couple bubbles but left it. I just checked again and there is no water. I stirred it and saw no bubbles. Do I need to add more water? It is starter/grower and some scratch

 

[nab58]

It's hard to see the bubbles from the top. I have mine in a semi-transparent container and can clearly see bubbles thru the side. you can see bubbles when you first stir but it takes a while for them to reform.
I'd add a little more water to yours to get it a little looser. it doesn't absorb much after its sit for a while. Even so, if you make it too loose, just add more feed.

 

[nab58]

here's a pic from the side. You can see how spongy it looks.

But you don't really see that on the top. This was after it sat all day and before I stirred it.

This is what it looked like while I was stirring it

 

[Debs55]

Ok thanks!

 

[Beekissed]

Here's a pic of mine before I stir it....you can see bubbles at the sides and dark spots in the mother film on the top where gas bubbles have escaped.



And here it is after I stirred it...this shows about the amount of moisture I keep in my feed most of the time, give or take....in this pic I've pulled some feed over to show the fluid, but you normally cannot see it until you stir the feed and move it over to one side so as to show the fluid farther down.

 

[Debs55]

Mine did have the white film of mother over the top. It probably just needs alittle water

 

[nab58]

I don't like that white stuff...it looks moldy to me. I stir it in and haven't seen anything fuzzy yet so you all must be right.

 

[Beekissed]

It is a mold..of a sort. But not the harmful fuzzy kind. As this one grows more thick it gets a webby appearance to it and should stay whitish grey or beigey depending on the feed being fermented. That beneficial yeast molds and will form again each time the feed is left undisturbed, so stirring it in is the best thing to do.

To be honest, that is the same stuff that I take out of my bottom reservoir about twice a year~the scoby~ that resembles sourdough bread mix and all my animals will actually LICK it off the grass when I dump it out. The chickens won't leave it alone until it is all gone, so it must taste way better than it smells...the dog licks the grass where it has been. I remove part of it a couple of times a year because my reservoir will get filled with the flour residue off my feeds and leave little room for fluid there, so I just remove some of the flour to make room for more settled particles.

 

[Debs55]

Think mine will be ready to feed tomorrow morning? It's been sitting since last night