Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

First off...I was not questioning his ways at all, as a matter of fact I'm going to try it but had to find out if any vitamins or anything else is added to the grain!!! I also fed my dog a RAW diet so please don't judge me on my question.

I too watch my flock very carefully and I feed commercial feed to my layers but in the winter supplement them with scratch and hydrated alfalfa cubes. They seem to do better with green stuff! I am very interested in feeding this to my new CX chicks coming in and would like to feed it to the new pullet chicks coming in but they are going to be my granddaughters' market chickens for 4H so I have to make sure I'm doing things right.

Beekissed...thank you very much for all the information that you have provided, it is very much appreciated!

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

How long approximately does it take for your first batch to ferment? My chicks will be here in a week from Monday and I want to have feed ready for them at that time. I will have 35 CX and 10 pullet chicks.

Also, how many pounds of feed should I do at a time and how much ACV w/mother do you add to their water, per gallon?

 

[Zootopia]

We free range but by mid summer there isn't much for them to eat, except when they dig thru the cow patties. We use the Alfalfa cubes too, but for all but spring when there is plenty of green for them. This would be really great.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:

Here's a pic or two of my fermentation:

Is that something like the 5-grain scratch sold already bagged? I get my feed at a conventional feed store, no mills to personally grind/mix/order things special for me.

 

[Raen]

First off...I was not questioning his ways at all, as a matter of fact I'm going to try it but had to find out if any vitamins or anything else is added to the grain!!! I also fed my dog a RAW diet so please don't judge me on my question.

Sorry, didn't mean to nag at you personally, just people in general I'm glad you feed your dogs a raw diet, I think it's the best thing for them, crazy processed food advocates be dam**d.

Quote: I've heard 1 TBL/Gallon of ACV to water. I just started doing this with my hens.

I'm curious about the other questions, though. I'll be getting a similar batch of babies on the 30th (only 11 Cornish Xs, though). Can we just offer them as much as they can eat a few times a day, or do they feed always available?

 

[Beekissed]

After adding them mother ACV to it, it was percolating and bubbling by the next day. I'd say it will vary according to temps, air flow, the type of grains used, etc. I would say you could just play with it and experiment before your birds come...that's what I did.

Same with the feed amount...just have to play with it and see how much they can and will clean up within a few hours time. If still plenty left over, cut back next time. If it's picked clean in short order, then up it a little at a time until they leave a little but not too much behind.

ACV amount? I shake my jug to get the mother broken and distributed, then a pour a glug or two in the bucket~you should only have to do this the one time if you save your water for the next batch. Just add fresh water to keep the mix above your feed line and the old ferment will mix with the water and you'll soon have it full of cultures as well.

Same with the waterer, but just one glug, as they are not full of water yet while the chicks are too little to drink it up in a few days.

How's that for specific measurements?

I don't buy this as a premixed scratch but I don't see why you couldn't use scratch grains for this. It's just cheaper for me to buy 100 lbs of each kind of grain and mix it myself. I have a huge garbage can full of mixed grains and some wouldn't even fit into the can and I paid $56~that's for 250 lbs of grain. How many lbs of scratch can you get for that amount? I've never bought scratch, so I'm curious....

 

[TinaSwarr]

I am going to try this with my freedom rangers coming on the 26th, now when you say cracked corn, barley,wheat grains, is this equal amounts of each. and could I add other things for instance I often feed my layers some sunflower seeds, or any other addition scraps I may have......If this works for me it would be great because we grow corn barley and wheat.

 

[Beekissed]

I am going to try this with my freedom rangers coming on the 26th, now when you say cracked corn, barley,wheat grains, is this equal amounts of each. and could I add other things for instance I often feed my layers some sunflower seeds, or any other addition scraps I may have......If this works for me it would be great because we grow corn barley and wheat.

I only added 50 lbs of wheat to the mix as opposed to 100 lbs of corn and barley. I'm glad I did because these CX don't seem to like the wheat at all, for some reason. My layers would pick the wheat out of the laying mash and eat it first, so who knows what goes through their feathery little brains?

The reason I used these grains was because they were cheap...if you have other grains you can get much cheaper, by all means, do so. The whole objective of this experiment, for me at least, is to see how cheaply I can turn out CX and still keep them healthy and growing well.

Right now they are eating the innards of the WR roo that I had here....like a cannibal tribe, they are. They will have a whole day's entertainment from that pile of guts!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
Your mix costs you $11.20 per 50 lbs, I saw a 50 lb bag of 3-grain scratch (generic brand) for $15 & change at the feed store today. I'll have to see if the grains could be bought individually for less.

I've started my first batch of fermented chick starter this afternoon. I got some 1-gallon buckets and a colander that neatly fits the top at the dollar store, plan to pour the contents of a bucket through the colander into another empty one, collecting the fermented mash in the colander to feed my birds. Then I can put some fresh feed into the drained liquid & add water if needed. I will start a second bucket fermenting tomorrow, so that each bucket can take 2 days to ripen before feeding if that's needed.

A friend offered me some weevil-infested wheat grains to feed to my chickens, do you think that would take to being fermented?

 

[Beekissed]

Probably so...I've found the wheat doesn't soften up like the other grains and my CX will eat it last and reluctantly. Try it and see what happens!