Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

I bet my clothes would out-trash yalls! LOL I have trouble getting my pants on because I can't seem to get my foot down the leg of the pants and not through a hole! Same goes for my shirts, more holes than swiss cheese! LOL My family gives me a hard time about it. "Why don't you throw them rag away!?!" I have my every day home trashy clothes and I have my decent going somewhere clothes (nothing fancy!). The problem is there is nothing inbetween to replace my holey clothes. I'm sure not going to go tear up my decent clothes! They have got to last me at least 10 years! LOL

 

[browncow15]

Newbie here! I was reading through the early pages of this thread and saw mention of feeding chicken guts. I was wondering, is there anything you do to prepare them like cooking them first? Or do you just throw them out as is? I have several bags of heads and guts taking up space in my freezer that I was going to burn next time we have a brush fire; but if my birds can make use of them I'd like my freezer back

 

[Triple Willow]

Newbie here! I was reading through the early pages of this thread and saw mention of feeding chicken guts. I was wondering, is there anything you do to prepare them like cooking them first? Or do you just throw them out as is? I have several bags of heads and guts taking up space in my freezer that I was going to burn next time we have a brush fire; but if my birds can make use of them I'd like my freezer back

Hi Browncow15. I saw a cooking show on tv a week or two ago where they were cooking "stuffed cock comb". Grossed me out a tad but it might actually be good. I don't know about the guts and heads but I bet they'd eat them. I'd toss the intestines though.

 

[Triple Willow]

 
I hope no one will be offended by my making a reference to the Bible. 

Definitely NOT offended by the Bible.

 

[Beekissed]

So, Bee if one were using the one bucket, then it would be better to have 2 buckets going at the same time and feed one out and refill and go to the second one to get greater advantage of the fermentation?

I knew a fellow that died very wealthy. One day he was riding the tractor in the field with a penny loafer and a cowboy boot on. A fellow asked him if he hurt a foot. He said no he wore out one of each type and didn't see any sense in throwing two good shoes away. I hope no one will be offended by my making a reference to the Bible. Those who have read Ecclesiastes will understand what I mean when I say I read it at 20, but did not understand it until I was 60. I probably am a slower learner than most of you. Bee, I think you understand it.

I do indeed understand it and it is why I am frugal in all things...not to be cheap but to be able to give more abundantly to others who are in need, more so than even I. I didn't understand it when I was young either but around 40 He opened my eyes to a lot of things I was lacking in my understanding about such things.

Some folks do just that with their fermentation when they have larger flocks to feed so that they can have a good rolling scoby going that is pretty fermented when they start that second bucket...and then the next second bucket and the next. It's a great system for larger flocks for sure. I only have a small flock now of 14 birds, so I can do the same level of good fermentation in my one bucket by mixing large batches in it and feeding out of it all week. In the winter I mix even bigger batches due to the slower fermentation in the cooler temps of where I keep it in the house.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Newbie here! I was reading through the early pages of this thread and saw mention of feeding chicken guts. I was wondering, is there anything you do to prepare them like cooking them first? Or do you just throw them out as is? I have several bags of heads and guts taking up space in my freezer that I was going to burn next time we have a brush fire; but if my birds can make use of them I'd like my freezer back

I was thinking I had read something about COOKING the liver and gizzards and feeding them but don't remember it being given to them raw. ?????

 

[Beekissed]

Bee lets say someone makes enough food to last say 2-3 weeks, how often would they need to add fresh food to it to keep it doing ok and it not go bad from not having fresh food added to it? Or would it just be better to do a weeks worth and feed out of that.
Also you said you do a weeks worth so you don't add any fresh food at all to yours for a whole week? How much food do you have left over when you add fresh food to it? Do you allow it to get really low before adding more to it?
Just had another question asked....just how long does it take to get the good ferment going where it has the good vitamins and stuff in it? Isn't it like 3-4 days?
Ok got another one for you. Do you have any idea on an estimation of how much daily for each bird?

That's something you'd have to try and see...I've never went that long without adding fresh feed but I bet it would be alright. I know you can go pretty long without feeding a sourdough mix before it starts to go bad...maybe you could try a small batch and see?

I posted a vid the other day that showed about how low my feed gets before I add fresh feed...you can see the bottom of my bucket. Since I rely more on the scoby in the bottom reservoir as my inoculate for the batch, I don't have to worry much about saving a lot of feed back to do it.

It should be converting the nutrients to a desired level at 8-15 hrs in temps of 70 +...at least that's what the study done on the method stated (one listed at the beginning of the thread). I'm not up on all the science of that process and exactly when those nutrients have been converted in a certain mass of feed...I just feed it out and have faith. And that seems to work!

I bet my clothes would out-trash yalls! LOL I have trouble getting my pants on because I can't seem to get my foot down the leg of the pants and not through a hole! Same goes for my shirts, more holes than swiss cheese! LOL My family gives me a hard time about it. "Why don't you throw them rag away!?!" I have my every day home trashy clothes and I have my decent going somewhere clothes (nothing fancy!). The problem is there is nothing inbetween to replace my holey clothes. I'm sure not going to go tear up my decent clothes! They have got to last me at least 10 years! LOL

I have the same problem!! My bad clothes are pretty bad and my good clothes are fair, but I have not much in between. Same with my shoes...one pair bad enough to throw away that are my "mess" shoes. You know the kind that never really dry out inside any more but have that slime factor? And then I have my "good" shoes...but when does one convert perfectly good shoes into "mess" shoes? Too painful to watch, that's for sure, wearin' perfectly good shoes through the mud and muck! Wish they had my size at the Good Will but my size is too common and is usually pretty much snatched up upon arrival. Dadnabbit!

Newbie here! I was reading through the early pages of this thread and saw mention of feeding chicken guts. I was wondering, is there anything you do to prepare them like cooking them first? Or do you just throw them out as is? I have several bags of heads and guts taking up space in my freezer that I was going to burn next time we have a brush fire; but if my birds can make use of them I'd like my freezer back

Some of them are hard for the chickens to get pieces off of and you'll find those dried up and lying in the yard much later, attracting flies. My dog, who eats nearly everything, seems to turn up his nose at the heads and my birds won't touch them either. Guess both parties feel that is a little too gruesome....

If you have a meat grinder and don't mind the "ick" factor, you could make some really good chicken or dog snacks by grinding them into more manageable pieces for the eating. Then they would gobble them right down, no bawks asked.

 

[7acres]

Newbie here! I was reading through the early pages of this thread and saw mention of feeding chicken guts. I was wondering, is there anything you do to prepare them like cooking them first? Or do you just throw them out as is? I have several bags of heads and guts taking up space in my freezer that I was going to burn next time we have a brush fire; but if my birds can make use of them I'd like my freezer back

delisha, on the BLRW thread says that she uses everything when she butchers. She cooks the intestines and cuts them in smaller pieces before she feeds them. I think she said she cut them up to keep the dogs from running away with them and to make it easier for the chickens to eat. Don't know about the heads.

 

[Triple Willow]

  I have the same problem!!  My bad clothes are pretty bad and my good clothes are fair, but I have not much in between.  Same with my shoes...one pair bad enough to throw away that are my "mess" shoes.  You know the kind that never really dry out inside any more but have that slime factor?  And then I have my "good" shoes...but when does one convert perfectly good shoes into "mess" shoes?  Too painful to watch, that's for sure, wearin' perfectly good shoes through the mud and muck!  Wish they had my size at the Good Will but my size is too common and is usually pretty much snatched up upon arrival.  Dadnabbit!   

Oh I have some of those rubber Croc shoes that I do all my messy stuff in. If I get them all muddy or poopy I just take the water hose or dunk them in some water and their good as new! But they are so slick on the bottom that they have caused me to bust my hiney a couple times - in the mud! lol But I keep wearing them because they are so quick to slip off and on and the easy cleanup and drying factor. But I did learn to stop leaving them out on the porch when I discovered a slug in one the hard way! LOL We have HUGE nasty ol' slugs! When the sun goes down they come out. Blaaaa barf! LOL I suppose those creatures have a purpose but I have to question the purpose of a huge snot bug!!!

 

[TexasLisa]

Definitely NOT offended by the Bible.

My mother-in-law would fit in with you guys really well. She uses rubber bands to hold her shoes on, safety pins to keep her shirts together, etc. etc. I am getting there. I have clothes over 10 years old in my closet that I wear. Tears my kids up.

Lisa