Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

speaking of Layena feed, I bought some layer crumbles the other day and I normally buy Wares Milling because it's made here in Ms. and I like their food and it's also cheaper but a good product. I don't do purina at all! Anyway when the layena crumbles fermented with the water they went to mush and I do mean mush. It'll take the chickens awhile to even be able to eat the stuff. I didn't add anymore water than I normally do either and this stuff is so sticky it sticks to my scoop. It went to pieces and you could suck it up with a straw.   

My mix right now has a large part of oats in it so it is just like oatmeal (9 parts of 1/2 and 1/2 oats and starter/grower and 1 part flax seeds for about 16% protein). Usually I add a scoop of scratch just for texture and because they like it. But really my feed is usually that texture - like dough. I'm fixing to switch to a winter ration with more corn.

 

[BCMaraniac]

I hope all the new folks starting fermented feed learn quicker than I do. Every time I do this I think to myself how I won't do that again! There was at least 6" space left at the top of the bucket but not enough! Note to self ...again, "DO NOT FILL YOUR BUCKET TOO FULL OR IT WILL OVERFLOW WHEN THE FEED SOAKS UP THE WATER AND THE FERMENT STARTS WORKING!"

That looks all too familiar. It's smells like bread dough and even deflates when you put a spoon in it. I had a lid loosely on mine once, and the lid held the feed in, but all the liquid percolated out around it into the floor. What a mess!

 

[armorfirelady]

I hope all the new folks starting fermented feed learn quicker than I do. Every time I do this I think to myself how I won't do that again! There was at least 6" space left at the top of the bucket but not enough! Note to self ...again, "DO NOT FILL YOUR BUCKET TOO FULL OR IT WILL OVERFLOW WHEN THE FEED SOAKS UP THE WATER AND THE FERMENT STARTS WORKING!"

I have been feeding FF for over a year & still do this on occasion. My girls don't mind at all. They just jump up on the shelf & start eating away

 

[Triple Willow]

I see one MAJOR downside......if all of that moisture stays in side, the all of those wonderful aromas in the kitchen will be reduced!!!!

True and that is one of the best parts of cooking! lol

 

[Triple Willow]

That looks all too familiar.  It's smells like bread dough and even deflates when you put a spoon in it.  I had a lid loosely on mine once, and the lid held the feed in, but all the liquid percolated out around it into the floor.  What a mess!

I did that when mine were babies and I was using a big jar with the lid loose on it. The liquid ran out all over my kitchen counter, yuck! After that I set the jar in a plastic bowl. lol

 

[Triple Willow]

I have been feeding FF for over a year & still do this on occasion.  My girls don't mind at all. They just jump up on the shelf & start eating away 

Mine is still in the garage. I could let the dog in to clean it up, he likes it so well. But he is in time-out! When I was feeding a pullet squoze out the door I left cracked and he went after her and refused to pay any attention whatsoever to me telling him to STOP! I am afraid he will get a shock collar for Christmas! The pullet made it safely to the honeysuckle thicket, thank goodness!

 

[RoseMarie1]

The bad thing is I have done it probably close to a dozen times! Maybe I need to mark my bucket...? LOL

What I did was get me a bigger bucket! Yep my nephew works for Pepsi and you can get the drums and this one is about the size of a 5 gallon bucket but much taller which is perfect. So I got hubby to cut the lid off for me and I just put a towel over it and rest the lid kind of off to the side on top. Haven't ran this one over yet!

 

[RoseMarie1]

I have been feeding FF for over a year & still do this on occasion. My girls don't mind at all. They just jump up on the shelf & start eating away

funny how they do that huh?

They do seem to love the stuff.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Mine is still in the garage. I could let the dog in to clean it up, he likes it so well. But he is in time-out! When I was feeding a pullet squoze out the door I left cracked and he went after her and refused to pay any attention whatsoever to me telling him to STOP! I am afraid he will get a shock collar for Christmas! The pullet made it safely to the honeysuckle thicket, thank goodness!

thank goodness she made it! UGHHHH that dog! IF he gets another one I think I'd smear it all over his face and head to see IF that would make him not do it again. ????

 

[OHhappychicks]

Mine is still in the garage. I could let the dog in to clean it up, he likes it so well. But he is in time-out! When I was feeding a pullet squoze out the door I left cracked and he went after her and refused to pay any attention whatsoever to me telling him to STOP! I am afraid he will get a shock collar for Christmas! The pullet made it safely to the honeysuckle thicket, thank goodness!

I think my little doggie is going to get a shock collar also!! But I don't think I'm going to wait until Christmas. I think my son has one for his hunting dogs, so I going to see if I can borrow it. Usually she just runs at the chickens to see them scatter, but twice in a week she has gotten hold of 2 of my hens. She didn't do any damage, but she had feathers in her mouth!!
I have 5 week old chicks in the tractor and she likes to sneak up and run at them to see them run! At first she would lay out there for about an hour and just watch them. I thought aaww, isn't that sweet! But I think if she could get hold of one, it would be a goner!! She usually minds if you are out with her, but she just can't resist just one little lunge at them. Reminds me of the Dennis the Menace movie where at the end he was sitting in his mother's office and was told not to touch the copy machine! You could see it in his face, the temptation was too great and he pushed copy and the lady that hated kids got the tie of her dress caught in it!! That is just how my Willow is!! You can see it in her eyes. She will look at me, then at the chickens,then back at me, then one lunge! Then she trots back in the house with me, and I swear with this little sassy look, "Gotcha!!"