Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Mine will eat it, just wondering if it is equivalent to what they get when free ranging.

Not really, as they can pick and choose the greens they'd rather eat and they also get the natural proteins of the bugs and worms they find, not to mention the exercise and getting to walk around on healthy soils that are not saturated with feces. But, it's definitely better than not having that supplement.

 

[kevinr1]

Not really, as they can pick and choose the greens they'd rather eat and they also get the natural proteins of the bugs and worms they find, not to mention the exercise and getting to walk around on healthy soils that are not saturated with feces. But, it's definitely better than not having that supplement.

That makes sense. I can add meal worms easy enough. Best I can do till I can get out of town.

 

[Triple Willow]

Good morning all!
Anybody with snake problems, here is a good thread about dealing with them. Be sure to read post number 126.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/515899/best-way-ive-found-yet-to-deal-with-snake-problems

 

[Triple Willow]

I live in a residential neighborhood. I put my CX out on my back lawn for grass. Barring that, I bag all of my grass clippings and feed them to all of my chickens ( I have DP birds in the woodlot behind my house). The clippings don't last long at all. I even mow my neighbors lawn for free so I can get her grass clippings too.

I hit the jackpot the other day. I found a like new pull behind grass catcher/sweeper for $50. I already had one but it needs repairs so I figured I'd be better off getting this one. The local radio station in our town has a "call-in, buy-n-sell" program Monday thru Friday. We can find some pretty good stuff that people want to get rid of and I have sold stuff that way too - and it's free.

 

[Triple Willow]

I have a very large rabbitry when I lived in TX, big open pole barn. I raised red worms in the manure under the cages and fed a lot of worms to my chickens which were penned separately. Now I just have a couple of rabbits for meat, tho I may get a few Angoras for wool when I get some other things situated. I'm thinking of a simple shelter with solid walls on the north and west sides to keep out hot sun and cold wind, then a fine trellis work on the other sides, covered with climbing roses for lots of air and shade. I will raise worms under the cages again but maybe put some fence along the worm beds so the chickens can't get in all the time.

Hi Mary. That sounds like it would be a pretty neat setup, especially the rose trellis. I have thought about planting pole beans (green beans) on the side of my pens for shade. It wouldn't be as pretty or smell as nice as your roses ...but I can eat it! lol I bet either would grow like crazy with all the poop nearby.

 

[Triple Willow]

I have a question for you folks with experience on this. I have some birds that are about 22 weeks and some that are 12 weeks. How is the best way to intergrate the two groups. I'm thinking putting one 22 week old pullet at a time in with the younger birds? Would that work or should I just wait until they are closer to the same size? What about the 22 week old rooster? Should he be put with them first? He's a fairly nice rooster. I'd like to get them together before winter gets here.

 

[AletaG]

An Amish friend of mine built a big rabbit hutch that was about 10 feet long. I believe it had three single adult sections and a bigger growout section. It was up on legs and had a roof on it. It had a piece of metal underneath it to catch the waste. I believe you can rig it so the pee will go in one bucket then rake the droppings into something else. A Mennonite friend made fun of him saying that he had more money in that hutch than he would have in rabbits. lol I really liked his setup though, and I think I will build one like it if I do rabbits.

I'm thinking of hanging a section like this along the sidewall of the run. The run already has a roof, and no need for legs if it's off the existing structure. Maybe by next Spring.
Anyway, my camera is not great but:

Don't know if you can see on the L, the 2 dog runs, back to back, with the raised dog-house sleeping coops... I tried to take closer pics, but the light was so bad. The house in front of the gate is for all our chicken shoes, and the shoe bath is under that gray plastic water block (like for foundations) which doubles as a spot for the kids to sit and change shoes. I'm going to work on figuring out that "my coop" think in my profile, so don't take up thread space anymore...

 

[RoseMarie1]

I have a question for you folks with experience on this. I have some birds that are about 22 weeks and some that are 12 weeks. How is the best way to intergrate the two groups. I'm thinking putting one 22 week old pullet at a time in with the younger birds? Would that work or should I just wait until they are closer to the same size? What about the 22 week old rooster? Should he be put with them first? He's a fairly nice rooster. I'd like to get them together before winter gets here.

if you have a wire pen you could sit inside the others pen and put the ones in it that you want to get introduced to the others so they could see each other that would get them used to each other. You could leave it in there for a few days maybe a week or so and then put them together at night time and check on them bright and early the next morning to see how all of them are doing. I'd keep a close eye on them for a few days once I put them together just to be safe as well. But this worked with mine although mine were raised together basically just with a wire in-between them so they could see each other and I didn't even have to put them in together at night time, I just tried putting them together just a few of them and they hit it off. They'd been sleeping against the wire on both sides of the wire for weeks before I did this inside their pens. lol

 

[Triple Willow]

I'm thinking of hanging a section like this along the sidewall of the run. The run already has a roof, and no need for legs if it's off the existing structure. Maybe by next Spring. Anyway, my camera is not great but: Don't know if you can see on the L, the 2 dog runs, back to back, with the raised dog-house sleeping coops... I tried to take closer pics, but the light was so bad. The house in front of the gate is for all our chicken shoes, and the shoe bath is under that gray plastic water block (like for foundations) which doubles as a spot for the kids to sit and change shoes. I'm going to work on figuring out that "my coop" think in my profile, so don't take up thread space anymore...

I like that roof! At my former neighbor's place (they have passed away now) just down the road from me, they have all kinds of buildings and barns. Oh what I could do with all those buildings! lol I bet nobody is even using them! I like your idea for your shoes too. Watch out for spiders! I can't leave anything outside without slugs slimming it up! Yuck! lol Cool doghouse, never seen one shaped like that.

 

[fuzziecreatures]

What does fermented feed gone wrong smell like? It was going really well, I had started my larger batch of feed in the 55 gal drum but only did a half drum to see how it would go. It was going great, I was going through the feed, the chickens loved it, I added feed, grains and water and a splash of acv occasionally. I decided ok, this is going great! Lets amp it up and fill up the barrel! I did equal amounts of feed, wheat, scratch, BOSS, buckwheat, added water and acv I also added some more yeast since I was doubling up on the batch. That was about 10-12 days ago. Now it smells sour, chickens didn't eat it well today, I don't want to make them sick but I don't want to waste all that feed. My husband suggested adding more water (it is kinda thick) and more yeast.

There is about 40 gal of fermented feed in there. Can I save it? If I do have to pitch it.... what do I do with it? I can't put it in the compost pile, the chickens turn that for me. The dogs will get to it in the woods, and I would imagine it would be bringing other animals in.
After my husband added some water and stirred it

Excuse my drippy mess on the outside