Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Kassaundra]

Oh shootz, this thread is for meaties only? :whistle
I'm feeding ff to my laying hens. We will one day have a small flock of meaties for the hubby, but right now it's just the girls back there.
I don't see what the problem is...to each their own.
Plus, I've been screaming ff to the mountains since I found out about this stuff. My friend made me stop talking about it the other day. She said "Nicole, I know you're excited but I don't own any chickens...I've got no freaking idea what you're talking about."

This thread started as for meaties, but it has evolved to include all the chickens. (and a few other farm animals) lol

 

[Beekissed]

Yep. It was started here because feeding out meat birds is the most costly chicken project anyone can undertake and the cost and the mess/smell is a deterrent for people trying the CX, so I looked for ways to make feed conversion efficacy and to reculture these meaties bowels.

I had a theory that, in order for the hatcheries to breed these CX, they would probably be giving the breeding adults some pretty strong broad spectrum antibiotics in order to keep them alive long enough to become sexually mature in hatchery conditions. I found some info that confirmed that and that the chicks are born with those antibiotics in their systems at hatching.

Take a young chick and add strong antibiotics and you have a chick with the runs, with dehydration and with no natural immunities. So, I thought to restore healthy intestinal flora with the fermented feeds, while restoring the lost electrolytes and helping with immune system health. Just because they only live for a 2-3 months doesn't mean they can't be healthy while doing so....and who wants to eat unhealthy birds?

It worked! Much cheaper on feeds, much healthier and more active birds, zero mortality due to death from health or unknown health reasons.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh shootz, this thread is for meaties only? :whistle
I'm feeding ff to my laying hens. We will one day have a small flock of meaties for the hubby, but right now it's just the girls back there.
I don't see what the problem is...to each their own.
Plus, I've been screaming ff to the mountains since I found out about this stuff. My friend made me stop talking about it the other day. She said "Nicole, I know you're excited but I don't own any chickens...I've got no freaking idea what you're talking about."

 

[Mountain Momma]

I'll agree that it's a sharper word but I find no dishonor in killing to keep an animal from suffering or so that my family can eat~never even called that culling until I came to BYC and found out that folks here couldn't stomach the K word and would get all spiky when I used it. I don't even find dishonor in dispatching a potential/or actual predator.

No offense to you, Miss Lisa and this is not directed to you, but in my experience, I find it is those who have rarely ever had to kill, or cannot find the nerve to kill, who believe it has dishonor. For every morsel of meat, dairy, or eggs that goes into the world's mouth, an animal is being killed. Because people do not actually do their own killing anymore, they find it distasteful and somehow lacking in honor.

I believe just the opposite. Those who won't kill their own food but will eat that same food with much enjoyment and without a second's thought for the life that lived before it was on their plate and for the people who have to kill every day, several times a day, just so they can eat. It's not a pleasant job and it's real easy for those who do not do it to somehow think those who can and will are in some way hard-hearted or cruel, and thus have no honor.

Enjoy your breakfast, everyone.

I was just talking about the words, not the acts. I agree with you there is no dishonor in killing for the reasons you mention. I also agree you have to have some backbone and be able to get it done reasonably and efficiently. I further agree that people who eat the meat but are offended by those who kill their own meat are lame.

Anybody watching Syria this morning? Speaking about enjoying your breakfast.

Catch ya'll later
L

 

[3 NH reds]

I actually used Braggs with the mother. Guess I need to be patient.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Oh shootz, this thread is for meaties only? :whistle
I'm feeding ff to my laying hens. We will one day have a small flock of meaties for the hubby, but right now it's just the girls back there.
I don't see what the problem is...to each their own.
Plus, I've been screaming ff to the mountains since I found out about this stuff. My friend made me stop talking about it the other day. She said "Nicole, I know you're excited but I don't own any chickens...I've got no freaking idea what you're talking about."

LOL i love it

I make my relatives crazy on holidays. No, definitely not just meaties anymore, I feed FF to almost every critter I own, even the alpacas. Glad you joined us!

 

[notinoz2007]

Quote: this white layer of mother that you speak ok. is it kinda crystalized?? i got home today and checked my feed and i had a crystal layer at top, when i stirred it the film chunked up but didnt "dissolve" i'm afraid its some sort of mold

 

[Beekissed]

I can honestly say that I've never seen crystallized mold...of any kind. The white layer of mother should be more a whitish/gray in color...no crystals. Does your feed mix have a high salt content or is your water real hard?

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

I am looking at starting my girls on some fermented feed but there is SO MUCH info here I am on overload trying to figure it all out. Do I need to use chick starter for my first culture? Or would water and AVC work ok with just barley, wheat grains and cracked corn? Maybe some layer crumble added in for calcium?

 

[Beekissed]

It will. You can ferment any grain with success. It's rather simple, really. You just put your feed ration~no matter what it may be~into a bucket, add water and UP/ACV, stir it up real well and leave the lid cracked a bit. Stir the next day and add a little water if all your water has been absorbed. It doesn't have to be drowned in water but you should be able to see a little water showing through the top of that first batch. Stir it every day and when you smell it start to smell like sourdough bread mix or a very faint sour/sweet smell, it has started to ferment. Shouldn't take more than a couple of days if you added enough ACV and are going this in temps above 50*.