Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[pigeonguy]

Good Morning Lisa!

So your husband gets 'dry hands'. Mmmmmmm, very interesting. My husband's hands seem to turn very arthritic if he gets near dish water. MEN!!!

(Texas) Lisa

When I am done eating I take the dishes used to the sink and wash them and put them in the strainer. I then go clean the bathroom wiping down the toilet, sink, bathtub and floor. The kids when done wash there individual dishes and put id strainer then clean there room.My wife when done takes hers and washes and then does pots and pans and puts all away. So see not all men are scared of dish water (this is probably going to get me in trouble) Just the ones that were not taught to clean what they use. Probably the same ones that fart in the house or in the store on purpose. Either one of my did that they got a lite cuff to the back of the head and told to respect others. That's just rude. Yes there were accidents but that was followed by an apologetic excuse me. If not they were given a time out for 30 minutes. You can tell the difference between on purpose and accident by the expression on there face. Yes we do live in the booneys but you should still have proper respect for others.

The fart thing was not directed directly to this post just all the post I read earlier about it.
I just wanted to say that some men know that if you dirty a dish you wash it. If you don't want to wash it don't dirty it. As goes with all aspects of living clean up after yourself man or woman no one else was put on earth to do it for you it is just proper manners.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Made an observation with my flock recently and wanted to know if anyone else had noticed this. Raised my first bunch of meat birds using FF this summer and the results were wonderful. We decided to do another batch in late fall and they should be ready to butcher end of December/first of January. HOWEVER - these birds stunk! This was really bothering me, since the last batch had no discernible odor. The odor was slightly different than pre FF, but it was still there and very unsatisfactory (Okay, the nose got spoiled!). These birds just smelled funky.

Last week, as I was walking out to the field to feed them, I was pondering this, and it suddenly hit me, they don't have green grass! We are in central Texas and the weather is so much milder than what most of you experience. We have only had a couple of freezes so far, but of course the freezes had killed the grass. So even though they are on the ground and cages moved daily they just were not getting much in the way of greens.

I immediately added alfalfa pellets to their FF bucket and within 48 hours the smell was gone!!!! The birds don't care for the pellets too much, but when broken down into the FF they don't have much choice. Have read on this thread about people using the alfalfa cubes, and may try this after this alfalfa bag is used up.

So, the question is - has anyone else noticed the difference in smell of their birds since the grass has died back, even though they are using FF? Also curious as to what others are giving their birds in the way of greens.

I have been growing sprouts and fodder for my birds. Sprouts are really easy to mix in with the ff while I'm dishing it up into my serving bucket (that and dry cat food) and the fodder is quite a pain to try to separate into individual servings (for the roosters in their individual pens) but the girls love to "graze" the fodder. I just toss it into their yard.

When I am done eating I take the dishes used to the sink and wash them and put them in the strainer. I then go clean the bathroom wiping down the toilet, sink, bathtub and floor. The kids when done wash there individual dishes and put id strainer then clean there room.My wife when done takes hers and washes and then does pots and pans and puts all away. So see not all men are scared of dish water (this is probably going to get me in trouble) Just the ones that were not taught to clean what they use. Probably the same ones that fart in the house or in the store on purpose. Either one of my did that they got a lite cuff to the back of the head and told to respect others. That's just rude. Yes there were accidents but that was followed by an apologetic excuse me. If not they were given a time out for 30 minutes. You can tell the difference between on purpose and accident by the expression on there face. Yes we do live in the booneys but you should still have proper respect for others.

The fart thing was not directed directly to this post just all the post I read earlier about it.
I just wanted to say that some men know that if you dirty a dish you wash it. If you don't want to wash it don't dirty it. As goes with all aspects of living clean up after yourself man or woman no one else was put on earth to do it for you it is just proper manners.

Hey... I LIKE YOU! You can come visit any time you want!

 

[Noncentzter]

Another man chiming in:

All six of us were taught at an early age to cook, clean and do dishes. I also did my own laundry. After getting married it was much easier for the household, once the kids came along, for me to be the chief cook and laundryman instead of my wife since we were both working. I also grew up in a house where it was impolite to pass gas in front of others, but then I got older and moved away and my MIL and I are always trying to gas each other out of the room! LOL

 

[notinoz2007]

i am getting my mom her own ff bucket today and thanks whoever posted about adding alfalfa pellets. i researched that a while back then completely forgot. i'm going to do that since my chickens have no grass anymore either.
also to those of you who gave opinions of my moms dead hen thank you all. she has decided that her hen was egg bound. it makes total sense to me, she was only getting 1 sometimes 2 eggs a day from 3 hens, and they all laid well at my house. i got her a container to use for a proper nesting box, chickens will lay eggs just about anywhere - but i guess there is that ONE hen who has to have a proper box, lol.
oh, and my mom is my neighbor so the move probably didnt shake her up but the change in flock dynamics probably did.
thanks again, i'm on my way out in the rain to feed my bucket

 

[Miss Lydia]

i am getting my mom her own ff bucket today and thanks whoever posted about adding alfalfa pellets. i researched that a while back then completely forgot. i'm going to do that since my chickens have no grass anymore either.
also to those of you who gave opinions of my moms dead hen thank you all. she has decided that her hen was egg bound. it makes total sense to me, she was only getting 1 sometimes 2 eggs a day from 3 hens, and they all laid well at my house. i got her a container to use for a proper nesting box, chickens will lay eggs just about anywhere - but i guess there is that ONE hen who has to have a proper box, lol.
oh, and my mom is my neighbor so the move probably didnt shake her up but the change in flock dynamics probably did.
thanks again, i'm on my way out in the rain to feed my bucket

 

[aoxa]

Ok, after hitting "quote" I see that Tilly and Rosa are geese? Geese don't scratch like chickens do, do they? I was going to suggest throwing their ff in your deep litter. That's what I'm thinking I'm going to do with my girls. I have some horse manure/straw in their yard and am thinking I will scatter their breakfast into this to get them outside in the sun and firming up for their health's sake. I think they'll have a blast tomorrow morning! Lots of chicken tv for me!

No geese don't scratch around. That would work if they did. They do like to find a goody like my mitten and run around with it in the bills trying to keep me from getting their new found treasure.. Silly things!

 

[Guccibirds423]

What kind of feed does everyone ferment for their meaties? I am new to meaties and I really wanna try this. I am just trying to figure out what to feed them. What all do I need to get it started? Someone told me Apple Cider Vinger works good.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

What kind of feed does everyone ferment for their meaties? I am new to meaties and I really wanna try this. I am just trying to figure out what to feed them. What all do I need to get it started? Someone told me Apple Cider Vinger works good.

How old are the meaties? The dry feed you are giving them now can be fermented. Yes, ACV unpasturized, with "mother" in it. Here's how bee does it, this is from page 1.
Quote Beekissed:

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Also, if you read that first page, there's several great links that explain a lot about the process. I ferment food for every animal i have and its made a huge difference. Even the barn cats and my little pug. Saves a ton of cash on the food bill also.

 

[mammaducky1]

What kind of feed does everyone ferment for their meaties? I am new to meaties and I really wanna try this. I am just trying to figure out what to feed them. What all do I need to get it started? Someone told me Apple Cider Vinger works good.

I use a chick starter when I first get them, then after 1-2 weeks, I switch over to a game bird feed for its high protein content. I was also told that the game bird feed did not have a lot of additives to it. I am also adding alfalfa pellets right now, since they have no green grass to eat. I was using layer feed (with 16% protein) from another store, but found this game bird feed at the same and sometimes slighter lower price at my current feed store, so I switched stores and am using the higher protein game bird feed. ACV is what I use to start my feed to fermenting and it works great. You can also use a little to their water. Do you have meaties now or are you getting them in the spring?