Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[AK Baha]

I am a little nutty and get crazy ideas. this morning for whatever reason, I decided to taste the fermented grain. WHOOWHEE. It made my eyes bug out and my toes curl and was absolutely terrible!!!!! My birds are crazy for the stuff but I can't recommend it for people! LOL

I have smelled it and thought about tasting it. Glad I did not now.

 

[RoseMarie1]

You folks that grow meal worms for your birds, can you point me to some real short and to the point instructions on how to do it? I have read about the three drawer system (that sounds good to e) and I have read about doing it all in one container. Which do you think is best? Thank you!

have you tried doing a search on here for meal worms? The reason I ask, I saw someone that used those plastic drawer things with rollers on them telling how they do it and thought that was such a neat idea and you can see through the plastic and everything. I'm thinking it was on the BYC forum but not sure on that. Maybe google raising meal worms in plastic drawer storage containers or something of that sort.

 

[Triple Willow]

I agree!  If earthworms were a big killer of birds, not a robin would be alive, let alone any chickens.  I think it comes down to acceptable loads of parasites being carried by naturally hardy birds...if you don't have hardy animals, get rid of them and replace them with hardy ones.  Simple as that. 

 

I agree with that. I don't think it would be worth the worry and trouble to have to deal with puny birds all the time. I read so many posts on here where people have got birds that turn out to be very unhealthy. I feel sorry for those people because I know they want so bad to help the bird(s) but probably won't be able to.

I haven't read enough to know what causes a gape worm imbalance. No doubt I am just overly paranoid trying to keep my birds healthy.

 

[Triple Willow]

...and the information you posted says that only birds up to 8 weeks are susceptible. That's a good thing!

 

[Beekissed]

have you tried doing a search on here for meal worms? The reason I ask, I saw someone that used those plastic drawer things with rollers on them telling how they do it and thought that was such a neat idea and you can see through the plastic and everything. I'm thinking it was on the BYC forum but not sure on that. Maybe google raising meal worms in plastic drawer storage containers or something of that sort.

One neat thing about meal worms is that they are the larval stage of the darkling beetle....who lives in chicken litter and feeds on the manure. How cool is that?

 

[RoseMarie1]

Bee I got another question for you.

lol


OK went out to the chickens pen today and had lots of flies and knats in the roosting area where they poop (under the roost.) I've been turning it over about every other day since they're not working this area at all. They're really working the run area when they're in the pen but not the roosting area at all. It's not smelling nice either. What do I need to do? Do I just need to keep adding materials to it or just keep turning it over? Wondering if I need to take what's on the bottom and move it to the top? I've just been pitch forking the top over on it. What am I doing wrong? Not liking this smell

and all these flies and knats.

shooooo The run doesn't stink at all but then again they're not pooping much in it since they're out mostly free ranging.
OH AND by the way....lol They are pooping on my patios less and less so that tells me they're staying out in the areas they need to be free ranging so the less food idea is working.

I've not had to run them off every hour on the hour. NOR clean up poop!

I've not put the DL in the backside of the run where the roof is because this is the area they dust bathe in and they're food is in right now. Going to relocate the food shortly though since it's a tight squeeze for them now where it is.


ALSO Bee I wanted to show you this. lol I fed them so late yesterday evening they didn't get to quite clean they're plate before they were hitting the roost. Not much at all left in it but just enough for them to need to finish it before I added fresh to it this evening. Was out there with my camera taking a pic of one of the chickens I wasn't sure about being a cockerel or a pullet so was going to ask on a page about it. Anyway I had let them in their pen to finish up the food and I was outside the pen raking up pine straw and I could hear them. So I decided to go in and video it. Check this out. Do you think they love this stuff or what?

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=575330112525882

 

[RoseMarie1]

One neat thing about meal worms is that they are the larval stage of the darkling beetle....who lives in chicken litter and feeds on the manure. How cool is that?

THAT'S VERY cool......

So Bee I could buy some of those and chunk under the roosting area and that would be good? I could put it way down under it and since the chickens aren't turning that area.....ummmm that might fix my problem I just asked you about. lol you and I were posting at the same time.

 

[Triple Willow]

have you tried doing a search on here for meal worms? The reason I ask, I saw someone that used those plastic drawer things with rollers on them telling how they do it and thought that was such a neat idea and you can see through the plastic and everything. I'm thinking it was on the BYC forum but not sure on that. Maybe google raising meal worms in plastic drawer storage containers or something of that sort. 

Hi RoseMarie. Yes I did read some threads about it on BYC. I did read the one about the three drawer setup. I agree, it does sound pretty neat. But then I read some about it being done all in one container. One thing I'd like to know is do those dang beetles ever escape? I am not very fond of bugs, especially in the house. That's one thing I like about chickens, they eat bugs! I do believe meal worms would be a garage project. lol

 

[RoseMarie1]

Hi RoseMarie. Yes I did read some threads about it on BYC. I did read the one about the three drawer setup. I agree, it does sound pretty neat. But then I read some about it being done all in one container. One thing I'd like to know is do those dang beetles ever escape? I am not very fond of bugs, especially in the house. That's one thing I like about chickens, they eat bugs! I do believe meal worms would be a garage project. lol

I'm with you on that being in the house.

Don't think I would like critters in mine either and especially not under my bed. chills..... IF those things got out, I KNOW they would get in the bed with me and chills um...Sure as I am sitting here, the dog would knock the top off or someone would put something under the bed and knock the top off OR something.

Might have to just do them in the summertime in the garage.Bet they wouldn't survive over winter in the garage unless it was heated.

I shouldn't need but a few to get them started eating the poop under the roost though. I wouldn't think so anyway.

 

[Triple Willow]

I'm with you on that being in the house.

Don't think I would like critters in mine either and especially not under my bed. chills..... IF those things got out, I KNOW they would get in the bed with me and chills um...Sure as I am sitting here, the dog would knock the top off or someone would put something under the bed and knock the top off OR something.

Might have to just do them in the summertime in the garage.Bet they wouldn't survive over winter in the garage unless it was heated. I shouldn't need but a few to get them started eating the poop under the roost though. I wouldn't think so anyway.

Ohh I agree! No bugs under the bed. Just hearing them would be bad enough! If one happen to get in my bed I would no doubt need my ceiling repaired! LOL