Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[ChocolateMouse]

Suggestion; if you're going through 15# of dry feed a month with free access before FF, you can figure to go through no MORE than that fermented. Calculate out your daily dry feed needs (sounds like about 0.5lbs/day?) and ferment and ration accordingly. So if you wanna do a fresh fermentation to feed daily, ferment .5lbs every day, if you wanna do a weeks worth, ferment 3.5lbs and feed out through the week. If they finish that every day and don't get super fat you're not doing them any harm and you can creep down from there as-needed to encourage more free ranging or up to make up for a lack of forage in winter. I'd say however much dry they were eating before FF is a good expectation for the tops of how much dry matter you should ferment for them.

 

[RoseMarie1]

To me, the poop now seems to just disappear in the deep litter...not as gooey and persistent in maintaining its shape and texture. Not sure of the chemical processes behind that but the flies are no longer interested, Jake is no longer interested but the bugs seem to like it just fine and when I dig down into the litter I can't find old, dried droppings in it...they just disintegrate or are eaten by the insects, not sure.

Out in the yard, the rains seem to wash the poop away quicker or the bugs are taking care of it because I have places where the birds congregate and poop a lot but within a couple of days that poop is no longer there. These places are out of the dog's territory so I know he isn't snacking when I'm not looking...he's not snacking on them at all any longer, which is strange.

yeah same here with me Bee on the poop disappearing in the deep litter. It doesn't seem to be piling up in there. I actually saw a cricket in their pen last night so it is surely drawing the critters already! Also have seen them running trying to get one they found in there while rooting.
Bee it was so nice and cool here today that I was able to get more of that good ole litter in their pen. I guess I took in about 5 good sized construction wheel barrow loads into it. We pulled up our tomatoes out of the garden and there was loads of the pine straw and leaves I had raked up for putting around the tomatoes. The chicks have been rooting around in it for about a week or so I guess and had it all spread out in the garden area. So I got out there and raked it all up and put it into their run area. One area that I have the tarps over is really wet looking but the area that doesn't have the tarp is dry looking and that's what is weird to me since it rained cats and dogs here yesterday. You'd think the area with the tarps would be the area that was dry but it's the opposite. But come to think about it, when the wind is blowing and it's raining it's going to get wet from the sides and the tarp over it will make it hold the water in the DL longer. I've had to turn the litter under their roost once to turn the poop over so they don't walk on it. They're not working that area much at all. I guess it's just too much since the pen is as large as it is.

 

[Beekissed]

Here's an interesting little paragraph or two that explains it even better without all the scientific jargon...


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And a lovely graph!!!

And more cool facts....


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[bruceh]

my birds use about 1.11 lbs each per day.now mine a layers of all ages.

 

[foreverlearning]

Thank you. I never had a problem with having to limit their dry food, in fact I thought they weren't eating enough compared to what they ate a few months ago. I have read about problems with broilers getting that fluid stuff on their breast and busted crops due to overeating, but no one ever talks about weather or not it can happen with other breeds. It is summer still and they seem to have an endless supply of bugs, frogs,and snacks that they like I just didn't want to cause a problem. It doesn't help reading that they will eat styrofoam, just proves they don't always know what is best for them.

 

[Beekissed]

Question for you all:
Can regular laying hens over eat the FF like meat birds do or do they just stop when they have had enough?
I am new to FF and decided to try it on my broilers first and limit them to 2-3 feedings a day depending on the looks of their crops, it seems they don't have a shut off valve in their heads. However one of my hens wanted to know what I was "cooking" so I put a bowl of it out there for them. Every time I go near it to stir she flys in the window to get more and can't seem to get enough. (Out of 8 months with her this is the only time I have ever seen her fly!) They are still free ranging really good no matter how much I give them. Also, the rest of my flock will not touch their dry food anymore.
I just want to make sure that I don't have to limit it with my regular flock. When they were free ranging with dry feed they only went threw about 15# of dry feed a month free access. It seems like I gave at least half of that in feeding FF today alone. I know it seems like I am giving more and in reality am giving less, I just don't want to harm my girls.

I wouldn't feed it continuously...but then, I would never feed dry feeds on a continuous ration. Some breeds will graze that continuous supply of feed until they put on enormous fat layers around their organs that can seriously shorten their laying life and their actual life. No animal should have continuous access to grain feeds if you want them to live a healthy and long life. Some may be able to subsist on that kind of diet for years with no ill results but most cannot.

For some reason people have gotten it into their heads that offering continuous feed to pets equals good care and love, but most serious breeders of quality animals of any kind do not offer continuous rich foods to their animals...not if they want them to perform well and live naturally long and healthy lives. Obese pets are now the norm and I'm seeing the results of this type of feeding in the many posts on this and other poultry forums as well~egg bound, sour crop, bumble foot, poor immune systems, early death, poor feathering, over stressed animals that fight, peck and kill one another, have poor laying, abnormal laying, ect.

Regular meal portions that keep your birds trim and in good condition are the best approach, be it feeding dry or fermented feeds.

 

[foreverlearning]

my birds use about 1.11 lbs each per day.now mine a layers of all ages.

Mine used to go threw about 50 pounds a month, then the ants and quarter sized frogs moved in the yard. A lot less feed consumed but their crops are full at night and empty by morning. I figured they just got most of what they wanted or needed from the yard. Until they found FF that is, they can't seem to get enough of it. I have 7 hens and 3 roos.

 

[bruceh]

Thank you. I never had a problem with having to limit their dry food, in fact I thought they weren't eating enough compared to what they ate a few months ago. I have read about problems with broilers getting that fluid stuff on their breast and busted crops due to overeating, but no one ever talks about weather or not it can happen with other breeds. It is summer still and they seem to have an endless supply of bugs, frogs,and snacks that they like I just didn't want to cause a problem. It doesn't help reading that they will eat styrofoam, just proves they don't always know what is best for them.

i cut open birds with all kinds of stuff in their crop. . i actually kept a nut to a bolt that i found. it is in an old med bottle.

 

[Beekissed]

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It can and does. My sister has had three chickens die recently from long term diets of high protein grains found in wild bird feed, treats, etc....all with the same symptoms. Ascites from organ failure and the resulting respiratory distress, with eventual death.

 

[Triple Willow]

Rain, rain, rain again today! I bet we got at least 3" this afternoon/tonight, maybe 4". Every dip and ditch was running full. I'm thinking about putting my coop up on stilts!