Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

Willow, I have read a lot of bad reports on silage and how there's a greatly increased risk of disease from it. Not sure that it's the best plan. I'd rather sprout seeds.

Update;
So yesterday I upped the feed intake of my CX's. They chowed down and were doin' great. Today they're being fat and lazy and there was SOOOOO much more poo under the tractor. I am thinking maybe I raised their feed intake too much and they just gobbled it down because that's what they do, and then they just ate too much and are fat and lazy today as a result. They've eaten only a little more than their "normal" amount of food so far today, and are still snacking on grass (at last) even with FF in the pen, but there's more left in the bin, I think I am not going to feed it to them today. I will feed it tomorrow and go for something inbetween the whole lot I fed yesterday and the probably-too-little I have been feeding before this.

I also just got new hay for the rabbits and gave the laying girls about 50lbs of almost year-old hay to play in, in both pen and coop. I'm building up their deep litter in the coop for winter, and their woodchips have decomposed rapidly so far this year and are starting to fade into the dirt!

Your birds sound like me after the Chinese buffet! lol

I'm sure silage could be messed up, just like our fermented feed could be. But silage has been used for years and years and years for dairy cattle. Without cheap silage milk would probably be over $20/gallon! But I do strongly believe that we would need to do plenty of research and know what we were doing.

 

[AletaG]

Folks I have been thinking about how to go about having good quality forage/greens during the winter and of course save on the feed bill. I don't know a whole lot about it but I think SILAGE might be a very good option. It is fermented so it would be really good for the birds. If any of you have the time (and the want to) we might could figure out how to make/store silage in buckets and put it away for winter.

I'm game, but don't know the first thing about it? Gather it's like KimChi for animals?

Mine is in the coop as well. I agree making sure its fastened down is needed. I used to have just a piece of wood sitting on the top but the girls figured out how to get it off. Now its sitting on a shelf that holds their nesting boxes and its just the right height that a cover isn't needed since they can't get their heads in it. Doesn't mean they don't try tho

I've moved my bucket out of the kitchen - Yay! - and into a locking cooler next to the coops. It's on it's side, like a fridge, with a bent cookie sheet for a shelf (for sifter spoon/serving bucket); we leave the water drain open and it's not sealed shut, just held with the lock. Not sure how to describe what I mean. It's an old style metal Coleman with the metal hook lock. So far, no one can get in it. Suppose a smart 'coon might, but so far...

 

[Kassaundra]

Folks I have been thinking about how to go about having good quality forage/greens during the winter and of course save on the feed bill. I don't know a whole lot about it but I think SILAGE might be a very good option. It is fermented so it would be really good for the birds. If any of you have the time (and the want to) we might could figure out how to make/store silage in buckets and put it away for winter.

Green living food for chickens in the winter is easy, a couple of burlap sacs some whole grains and 4 days and you have continuous supply of sprouted grains.

 

[Beekissed]

I think sprouting grains would be less of a speculative venture and yield the greens they would like...it also involves fermentation of the grain before sprouting occurs, so two birds with one stone so to speak.

Sileage can be a little tickly...not something I'd ever get into for chickens.

My birds find green all winter in the form of clover and other grasses still to be found all year round if the snow isn't too deep. Snows rarely stick around for long here anymore, so I don't have to worry too much about their getting greens when they like.

A few grow frames with cold weather greens in them can go a long way for birds confined to a coop and run system and certainly something I'd do for mine if they were confined. Winter wheat is easy to grow and what many around here plant for turkey and deer for winter browse in game plots...cheap too. Kale, some kinds of spinach and mangle beets are also cold hardy and can be picked and grow again type plants.

 

[Kassaundra]

I was telling my husband today I want to set up some grow frames for the chickens by fall planting time (kale, turnip, mangle etc....) My girls aren't in a run but the native greens picking is scarce in the winter in my yard.

 

[Triple Willow]

I'd just like to find a use for all this grass in my yard! LOL I am going to start the sprouting though. Do any of you have pics of your grow frames?

 

[Demosthine]

Yep, Bee will be Bipping away soon I hope! LOL

Demosthine, you certainly have a good understanding of fermentation... Ever studied up on silage???

I am by no means an exprert, having only studied up after this fermented feed and recent wine adventure. Silage sounds great, but I'm not sure it would work for chickens. The biggest concern with it is that it is not packed tight enough, thereby allowing oxidation to occur. This produces amino and ammonium, both of which are hazardous to your health. You want anaerobic fermentation to occur, so you would have to use a properly sealed container, like a large bucket with Gamma Seal lids. This can get expensive, though.

I am also not sure if the feed would be suitable for chickens afterwards. It was developed for ruminants, or cud chewing animals like cows. They have a drastically different digestive system. I agree with the others. Sprouting and growing fodder inside would be far easier and less expensive.

Now, for that grass, you can spread the freshly cut grass out on a large, dark tarp and allow the sun to dry it out. Store it as you would any hay or stars. Many use old laundry baskets for storage. Just stack them on top of each other and the weight will compress the lower ones. Add more dry grass to the lower ones as needed until you have a good supply. This will work for nesting boxes and bedding all year long.

 

[AletaG]

I'd just like to find a use for all this grass in my yard! LOL I am going to start the sprouting though. Do any of you have pics of your grow frames?

It's got greenery growing through now, been about 3 wks. Made of 2*6's cut in half, 2*4 seemed too tall.


Edit: mine are supported with 4" fencing with regular chicken wire, since I put in "green manure" mix which has field peas and clover and other non-straight grass stuff. Really technical, I know.

Now, for that grass, you can spread the freshly cut grass out on a large, dark tarp and allow the sun to dry it out. Store it as you would any hay or stars. Many use old laundry baskets for storage. Just stack them on top of each other and the weight will compress the lower ones. Add more dry grass to the lower ones as needed until you have a good supply. This will work for nesting boxes and bedding all year long.

Ooh, good idea!

 

[Beekissed]

I'd just like to find a use for all this grass in my yard! LOL I am going to start the sprouting though. Do any of you have pics of your grow frames?

Not mine but pics of some.....







And a link to a blog with a how-to:

http://backyardchickenlady.blogspot.com/2013/06/making-grazing-frame-for-your-chickens.html

The only thing I can see wrong with those I have seen is they seem to be planting one type of grass..which is fine if that is all you can get, but chickens are a little selective when out on range and tend to graze on different types of grasses and not just one type. I'd be mixing clover, fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, orchard grass, etc. You can probably find these in a pasture mix at your local feed store...variety is best. In the winter one can use winter wheat or cold weather greens like kale, beets, spinach, etc.

I would also have some frames with a larger mesh wire on top..it would require more supports but it would also allow leafy greens to grow through it more so than the hardware cloth in the pics.

 

[Triple Willow]

Thank you guys for the information and pictures on the grazing frames. I guess if wire wasn't so hard on chicken's feet it would be good to have a big area of your run built like a grazing frame. I will look into that for sure. What kind of container do you guys use for sprouting?

There is actually quite a bit of information on small scale silage making for poultry. And as mentioned, the greens must be packed tightly in the container and the oxygen removed then sealed. A lot of people are using bags to store it in, double bagging it. Here is a Mother Earth News article on it:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/home...scale-silage-production-for-chicken-feed.aspx