Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Lacy Blues]

Around here we have to repaint the walls....don't know how such a tiny woman can put off such a foul odor but it can bring tears to the eyes sometimes. (Referring to the Bat, my mama)

I spit out my water with that . . . wall thing
.

3 boys in this household with a boat load of friends, most who appear never to have been trained in using toilets properly in other's homes.​

If I had had ANYTHING in my mouth when I read that, it would be ALL OVER THE COMPUTER! Bee... that is just hilarious!

I have/had three boys to raise too...I know of which you speak. And it became a game to offend mom's sensitive nostrils. Walk up, hug Mom, fart. Bend over to ask Mom a question, fart. Call Mom into a room to ask her a question and the room is filled with a brown haze of at least a million farts.

To guys, this is love.

Yeah, I know about boys.... also had three brothers.

My son, while a baby, had to be changed IMMEDIATELY. Can you say "acid burns"

poor kid!

Love hu?

You're probably right!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I gave it a whirl, I have the good UP/ACV with Mother (been using it in their water since I found the info on the OT thread a week after getting chicks), have the buckets, some already with holes in them from starting tomato plants... I think the FF smells really nice, turned out just as you described Bee! and I had read that my older birds (8 months) might turn their beaks initially... well... you'd think I brought out a Sunday roast with all the trimmings! every single one of them dove right in and devoured all that I dished up.
I can see that I will easily cut my feed consumption by 1/3-1/2, which is excellent as I just received 15 chicks and doubled my flock size... nice to know that my feed costs will stay roughly the same. the chicks are on starter crumbles I began fermenting yesterday for their arrival today.

I still have a few hundred pages of this thread to catch up on... thanks Bee, you do us all a great service!

YAY Cheeka! glad to see you here!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

If I had had ANYTHING in my mouth when I read that, it would be ALL OVER THE COMPUTER! Bee... that is just hilarious!

My son, while a baby, had to be changed IMMEDIATELY. Can you say "acid burns"

poor kid!

Love hu?

You're probably right!

My husband... OMG! I have ran from the room so many times...you guys are killing me my sides hurt, still laughing

 

[Miss Lydia]

Was wondering where the post is on how Bee is going to get the fat off her flock? Now that I just switched my flock to all ff I am worried they are going to blimp out.

 

[aoxa]

Was wondering where the post is on how Bee is going to get the fat off her flock? Now that I just switched my flock to all ff I am worried they are going to blimp out. 

It's not everyone's experience. Mine have not added weight.

 

[leenie]

FWIW, My layers haven't added weight, at least nothing noticeable. 3 weeks into FF now.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have an EE hen who is quite large and was hoping with the ff and not using dry feed she would slim down, so I guess I'll just play it by ear since they have been on nothing but ff for just a couple of days now. I was so happy to take the dry away I'm going to be disappointed if i have to go back to it. They have been on ff for a couple of months mostly but did have a tray of dry out for them too. Okay so I am using 2 heated dog dishes and a blk rubber bowl right now till it turns cold again, they are going through all 3 bowls before 10:am so do I refill or just let them continue to forage for the rest?this is 32 total flock members. Thats my biggest problem now is figuring out how much to give them, The only ones foraging right now are my chickens the rest are pretty much just eating ff.

 

[aoxa]

I have an EE hen who is quite large and was hoping with the ff and not using dry feed she would slim down, so I guess I'll just play it by ear since they have been on nothing but ff for just a couple of days now. I was so happy to take the dry away I'm going to be disappointed if i have to go back to it. They have been on ff for a couple of months mostly but did have a tray of dry out for them too. Okay so I am using 2 heated dog dishes and a blk rubber bowl right now till it turns cold again, they are going through all 3 bowls before 10:am so do I refill or just let them continue to forage for the rest?this is 32 total flock members. Thats my biggest problem now is figuring out how much to give them, The only ones foraging right now are my chickens the rest are pretty much just eating ff.

See the bowl there? I go through 4 of these every 24 hours for 140 birds. No one is starving

 

[Miss Lydia]

See the bowl there? I go through 4 of these every 24 hours for 140 birds.
No one is starving

So I maybe over feeding? since I am feeding 32 including the geese 3 of these bowls and having to refill them too. Sure wish I had exact science on this ff.

 

[aoxa]

See the bowl there? I go through 4 of these every 24 hours for 140 birds.

No one is starving

So I maybe over feeding?  since I am feeding 32 including the geese 3 of these bowls and having to refill them too. Sure wish I had exact science on this ff. 

You must be.

I guess it's not really every 24 hours. I fill these to capacity in the morning before work and when I get home I will put more down if it isn't freezing out (because they freeze solid overnight).

I'll leave the light on 1 hour after it gets dark so they can eat before roosting. In the morning usually half of each bowl is consumed, so I top it off.

They may eat 6 bowls total in 24 hours.

Does that make sense?