Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[jrsckn]

I do the same thing, the new wet layer will moisten the older ff. Eventually they'll surprise you and the feeder will be empty

. Even my 6 week old meaties go through cycles of eating 3+ lbs a day then they won't even make it through 3lbs the next. It's all trial and error and being observant. Good luck with your chicks!

 

[Costa Rica Art]

So, my chicks arrived today. Most of them really like the FF (chick starter right now). My fermenting bucket does not look as impressive as the photos on the previous page though! I started quite bit more this afternoon and innoculated it with what was leftover from the first feeding. I am hoping to figure out how much these guys are going to eat, I think I put WAY to much in the feeder earlier today so I am going to clean that out in a bit so it doesn't go off.

How long can you leave the FF with chick starter before it goes bad? Mine just kind of looks like oatmeal, no weird top layer or anything. In fact, I wasn't sure if it was doing anything at all. With the bigger batch my kitchen kind of smells like bread dough so I guess that's a good sign.

Add just a little yeast of any kind to your FF along with a heaping tablespoon or two of sugar, that will give you a kick start and really get the process of fermentation happing. I've have had a batch of FF going for 4 days which was just fine. As long as there is good action going in your fermenter I wouldn't worry about the FF. The only thing that would mess it up, I think, would be contamination. I had a batch go weird from the cracked corn that looked like it had some kind of mold where the tip of the corn had been broken off. When it smells like bread dough, mainly sourdough, then you have the process working. Being in your kitchen where it is warm should get your fermentation working real well. HTH

 

[MyTDogs]

Hey trifecta! I'm also fermenting chick feed which really dosent react the fermentation process as well as the layer feed does. It's still fermented. I've left the feed in the tray all day pretty much. If its not contaminated by poop and shavings, ill just top it off with more feed. (not saying this is correct just sharing my experience)

Is your chick feed medicated? If so, I wonder if the meds kill off many of the good fermentation bugs too?

 

[jrsckn]

Is your chick feed medicated? If so, I wonder if the meds kill off many of the good fermentation bugs too?

Actually, medicated feed ferments very well; I used it for my meaties for weeks without problems.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I would think it's like making pickles in a way, you don't want to introduce any bacteria even though it's not a real hospitable environment. I have found a fly or two in mine, but when i think of where their feet have been I'd think it's best to keep them out. So I keep a smaller operation going in case I have to chuck it....I also moved my com poster a little farther away...

 

[JoyfulPromise]

Well, it has been 4 days for our new batch of meaties and they are all doing great, not ONE pasty butt yet!!! That is a record! They love the FF, but my one problem right now is with the type of feeders we are currently using (the red 20inch without tops), they all hop up and walk in the food, and end up tracking a good amount of wood shavings into the food. At first I tried to scrape off the shavings every so often, but lately I have just started leaving it and they seem to be able to pick around the shavings and clean it up pretty well! But I wish I could figure out something where they couldn't walk in the food - maybe when they are a little bigger. Since they are not eating much at one time yet, if I put the tops with holes on the red feeders, they would have trouble reaching to the bottom of the feeder since they are still so small. Anyway, I am VERY pleased with how they are doing so far! Thank you to everyone on here for all the suggestions and advice! Here are some pictures of our setup...




Here is an overview of one side of the brooder boxes. Two water bottles, one red feeder, and one plastic gallon bucket top.



Here you can see the chicks climbing all over the feeder, and the bedding in the FF...



Here is one of the Top feeders - almost picked clean!

Thanks to burnyourmoney for their post on pg 86 with all the great pictures! I got some good ideas from you, including giving the chicks some dirt to play in and eat...
I gave each side a bucket top piled with nice dirt yesterday, and this morning it looked like this...



I have been putting ACV in their water as well since day one, and I have mixed some old goat milk kefir (like yogurt) into their food for several feedings.
I still don't like all the bedding in their food though, any other suggestions on keeping it, and the chicks out of the feeders?

I am really excited to see how these guys grow compared to our last two batches!

 

[MonsterClucker]

I do use the cover for my red trough feeder. They were walkiing and tracking way too much in the food. I also set the feeder up on a piece of wood and that really is helping keep shaving out of the food. It hasn't been too much were they can't pick around it and clean the feeder

 

[burnyourmoney]

As an update, we've lost 3 birds so far, not sure what from. I'd assume flip. That plus 2 other deaths due to getting items placed on top of them brings the casualties to 5. They are 3 weeks old on Monday. I now make it habit to cover the lid on the feed bucket. We came out one day and my mom found a bird up to it's neck in FF. She washed it off and put it under the heatlamp. It was definitely in shock and just stood there dazed. The next day we lost a bird, not sure if it was this guy or not. I'm also at the point where a single 5 gallon bucket is not enough. They eat about that much food every day so it's not fermenting long enough. I think tomorrow I will make 2 more buckets and rotate them. I'm planning on drilling a lot of holes all the way up the sides on one of them and seeing how that works. Or I will just use a single bucket system. I'm also thinking of adding whole grains into their food as I've been throwing scratch on the ground for them to keep them busy and they've been enjoying that. That will probably help the FF drain.
We also put them outside during the day now. Well, we open the door and they swarm out. It's a big chore putting them all back in each night since they haven't figured out that bed time means it's time to go back in the coop yet, but we figure it's worth it to have them on the grass.
We also lost 3 of our big birds to a fox. They now live in a cage until we get some shells for the shotgun

 

[Lacy Blues]

Well, it has been 4 days for our new batch of meaties and they are all doing great, not ONE pasty butt yet!!! That is a record! They love the FF, but my one problem right now is with the type of feeders we are currently using (the red 20inch without tops), they all hop up and walk in the food, and end up tracking a good amount of wood shavings into the food. At first I tried to scrape off the shavings every so often, but lately I have just started leaving it and they seem to be able to pick around the shavings and clean it up pretty well! But I wish I could figure out something where they couldn't walk in the food - maybe when they are a little bigger. Since they are not eating much at one time yet, if I put the tops with holes on the red feeders, they would have trouble reaching to the bottom of the feeder since they are still so small. Anyway, I am VERY pleased with how they are doing so far! Thank you to everyone on here for all the suggestions and advice! Here are some pictures of our setup...

I still don't like all the bedding in their food though, any other suggestions on keeping it, and the chicks out of the feeders?

I am really excited to see how these guys grow compared to our last two batches!

The red feeders are made for new borns. Believe it or not, they CAN reach the bottom. They just stretch their little necks out and they'll clean it up very well.

I always put my feeders up on a board that has plenty of room on both sides for the chicks to stand. That way its up out of the shavings and everybody has room to eat. They'll still walk all over the feeder but at least there won't be so many shavings in the feed.

Even at this point, they can jump up 4" or 6" and then as they grow, move it up some more. You'll also have to get a wider board for them to stand on.

 

[Baybrio]

Finally something I can contribute to! I can't remember if I came up with this myself or if someone else gave me the idea.

I use the red feeders but I cut off every other "brace" (the plastic between each hole) so the holes are 2x the normal size, then I attach the feeder to a scrap piece of wood (currently a piece of 1 x 10) that is just a bit longer and a few inches wider than the feeder. This way they can get to the feed even when they are a little older, and they cannot tip it over. I even use this setup if I have to isolate an adult in a dog crate for any reason.

You folks are the best. I've learned SOOOOO much.