Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Scratch is good and many are using the wild bird feed with good success...it has a good protein percentage. The whole grain mix I got recently could be considered scratch grains and it's the usual stuff I add for winter feeding...barley, wheat, oats, cracked corn, BOSS.

They eat even less when this is added to the FF and seem more content, always did and this is one of the reasons I add a variety of whole grains in the winter. The other reasons are variety and cost effectiveness. Birds that are not laying do not need 100% layer mash/ration, so the mixed grains keeps them going in the winter. Now that I am fermenting, it should boost the protein absorption even more, thus getting more bang for the little bit of buck.

 

[armorfirelady]

Though FF + Silkie chicks...

Yeah.. It's a mess

No its just not silkies......My Partridge Rock tends to get covered as well.........she is a sloppy eater or really gets into her food

 

[Beekissed]

Y'all's mix must be pretty soupy...my birds only have a little on their beaks and they politely wipe it off on the bedding before they take a drink out of the waterer.

 

[aoxa]

Y'all's mix must be pretty soupy...my birds only have a little on their beaks and they politely wipe it off on the bedding before they take a drink out of the waterer. 

 

Mine isn't now and they are still sloppy

I have been keeping it just right. Not soupy at all. I'll take a picture in a minute.

 

[armorfirelady]

Y'all's mix must be pretty soupy...my birds only have a little on their beaks and they politely wipe it off on the bedding before they take a drink out of the waterer.

Nope mine is not soupy eiter, Nice & thick like crunchy oeanut butter,. Bossy hen is just a slob eater . THe others only het a little on their beaks & wipe it off. I swear she dunks for FF lol

 

[WRVgirl]

Just added some more water to my feed. I didn't realize how much would absorb.

Can't wait to see what it looks like tomorrow when I stir it!

 

[aoxa]

Pictures as promised... The only two bucket system I have going - it's for the chicks. I am thinking of doing this for my adults in multiples because it is working so well. I am just not looking forward to lugging feed from house to barn during the winter... Will have to take the tractor down with it.

Total system. The lid is cracked, but that's because I had just stirred it.

I have holes in the top for breathing.

You can see where it's juicy around the edges. When I stir the water from the bottom bucket will mix with the feed, but it's usually a very thick PB consistency.

Closeup of the juices from the sides.

I have wild bird feed + scratch + chick starter fermenting. In the wild bird feed there is Millet, Sunflower seeds, BOSS, Safflowers and peanuts. In the scratch there is Barley, Oats and Cracked Corn. They pick out millet first.

 

[Beekissed]

Looks good to me! No slop noted. Good looking bucket system there.....

Isn't it easy when you use the buckets like that to get the consistency and fermentation right? And it takes up no space and makes no mess...I've got mine in my bedroom!

 

[aoxa]

Looks good to me!  No slop noted.  Good looking bucket system there.....    Isn't it easy when you use the buckets like that to get the consistency and fermentation right?  And it takes up no space and makes no mess...I've got mine in my bedroom! 

 

You were right! As always

It's so much easier.. Less messy.. Perfect..

I just wish I could do it on a large scale!!

What I need is a tiny heated room in the barn to keep this FF from freezing. Yep.. That's on my to do list.

Also - Never, ever have to drain it. Mixing is all it takes to get it all moist, and not moist enough to need draining.

 

[Beekissed]

How many pounds of feed do you feed daily, Aoxa?