Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[aoxa]

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

 

I don't know the wet feed weight, but we go through 17 pounds or so of dry a day. 1/3 of a bag a day is added to the FF.

 

[Beekissed]

Wow! Wouldn't want your feed bill!

You could do a 4 bucket rolling feed system and just keep them going. I would be no different than your single bucket but just four of them. By the time you worked your way to the end, the first bucket would be well fermented and waiting, and so on and so forth.

You just need to find a way to keep them right at the barn and stay just warm enough to not freeze and to still ferment...what if you built a simple insulated box for all 4 buckets and mounted a light bulb in the lid to keep it warm inside the insulated area? Would be real simple to construct one of plywood, foam board insulation and a cheap light fixture.

 

[aoxa]

Wow!  Wouldn't want your feed bill! 

You could do a 4 bucket rolling feed system and just keep them going.  I would be no different than your single bucket but just four of them.  By the time you worked your way to the end, the first bucket would be well fermented and waiting, and so on and so forth. 

You just need to find a way to keep them right at the barn and stay just warm enough to not freeze and to still ferment...what if you built a simple insulated box for all 4 buckets and mounted a light bulb in the lid to keep it warm inside the insulated area?  Would be real simple to construct one of plywood, foam board insulation and a cheap light fixture. 

 

That's exactly what our plan is

Hey, I was feeding one bag of feed a day in dry. I think it's a vast improvement.

They are eating less than a pound of food a week each. According to Nutrena, they should eat 1.5 pounds a week. Think we are doing pretty good, don't you?

 

[Beekissed]

Absolutely!!! You know what? I think you could generate some money by offering educational school and group tours to see your variety of heritage animals. The property is rustic enough to pull it off and you have some amazing stock to show. You could do a talk about the care and keeping of the different birds and animals you keep, a brief history of the breeds, a talk about Clem and her training and job and her breed.... and charge a group rate.

Or would that violate your biosecurity methods? I don't have any biosecurity methods, so this is something I'd do in a heartbeat.

You could always make them wear the little disposable booties over their shoes...they don't cost a whole lot when you buy in bulk.

 

[aoxa]

Absolutely!!!  You know what?  I think you could generate some money by offering educational school and group tours to see your variety of heritage animals.  The property is rustic enough to pull it off and you have some amazing stock to show.  You could do a talk about the care and keeping of the different birds and animals you keep, a brief history of the breeds, a talk about Clem and her training and job and her breed.... and charge a group rate.

Or would that violate your biosecurity methods?  I don't have any biosecurity methods, so this is something I'd do in a heartbeat. 

You could always make them wear the little disposable booties over their shoes...they don't cost a whole lot when you buy in bulk. 

 

We've actually discussed that. Our community has an open farm day every September, and we just may do it next year.

We always wanted to do a bed and breakfast, life on a farm feel. It's my fiance's dream, and her cooking is to die for. I could do the tours/classes. I think that would be a lot of fun

As for biosecurity, we could do it for people wanting to get into it, and if they already had birds - we could do a bootie thing.

That sounds like a lot of fun! I'd go to it if someone offered it lol.

 

[Beekissed]

Lots of city folks looking for something different to do on pretty spring and fall days. They are also much less likely to have birds of their own and they will pay just about anything to see a "real" farm....just ask Joel Salatin.

 

[aoxa]

Lots of city folks looking for something different to do on pretty spring and fall days. They are also much less likely to have birds of their own and they will pay just about anything to see a "real" farm....just ask Joel Salatin.

I don't know why, but that name sent me back to the documentary on the natural history of the chicken. Watch at least the guy imitating a rooster. We laughed so hard we cried. This documentary was a waste of time, but we laughed the entire time. It was just too much. Natural? History?

 

[nyanamia]

oh my goodness, I watched that on Netflix hoping it had something to do with natural history, or even chickens, for that matter. It didn't....AT ALL

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I don't know why, but that name sent me back to the documentary on the natural history of the chicken.

Watch at least the guy imitating a rooster. We laughed so hard we cried. This documentary was a waste of time, but we laughed the entire time. It was just too much. Natural? History?

WOW.. i watched that twice.

after rolling on the floor and gasping for breath from the human chicken mating dance

thank you, i am still laughing!
Poor birds. tethers are just cruel, that's horrible.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a question about the inner bucket, do you put holes in the bottom too? My outer bucket has no liquid in it at all, and I have alot of holes in the inner bucket around the sides. I used a cordless drill and a 1" wood screw to make my holes. I keep my ff very thick but thought at least some liquid would drain through.