Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[WalkingWolf1]

I I'll have to bottle the public water and let it sit.

Just run it in 5 gallons buckets and let it sit out 24+ hours. The chlorine will gas off.

 

[B J Hopkins]

Make it way less soupy. Not even a little soupy. It will help it from freezing. Do two feedings, one in the morning where they will eat everything up before it does freeze 1-4 hours.. base it on the temp for the day, and then again late afternoon.

My FF only starts to freeze under 15 degrees F.

I keep my FF in a large plastic trash can on the stoop of one of my chicken houses. At 20F there was no freezing at all. At 15F there was about 1/8" ring next to the inside wall of the container that was slushy, but the majority of the FF was not froze at all.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

I've been confused all along. Everyone is raving about the FF, but every time I try my flock on FF, they get loose stools, very watery. I've tried the 2 bucket system, and let it drain 30min or more. I've also tried mixing it very dry, but then I'm not sure it's fermenting (no bubbles). No matter what mix I use, it's too wet. After I stop the FF their stools go back to normal again. I've tried the FF 3 times now and have been unsuccessful each time. What am I doing wrong?

X2 Same problem.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Don't know if it's okay to post this here, just let me know if it isn't.

Found these 2 odd pieces in the litter of 2 bovans (sex-link layers) that I took in from my neighbor due to their non laying and not looking good to use as an experiment with FF. After just 2.5 weeks on FF they are looking incredible and layed 2 eggs in that time.

The one on the left seems harder, more rubbery than the one on the right that is fresher, softer. Anyone know or have seen this before?

 

[galefrances]

Just run it in 5 gallons buckets and let it sit out 24+ hours. The chlorine will gas off.

Thanks. I'll give it a try....one last time.

 

[aoxa]

Very good suggestion about the chlorine..

I wonder if it would ring true for hard water... I have terrible hard water.

 

[aoxa]

Very good suggestion about the chlorine..

Whoops double post! That has never happened to me before.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Today was my herd's first time trying FF. They attacked it! But they didn't get it all eaten before it froze. Tonight they were SO hungry that they came down off their roosts after dark in hopes of food. Does anyone else have trouble with their FF freezing solid? I'm considering getting a birdbath heater for the bottom of the dish. It's just in a big rubber bowl. I'm glad they liked it so much. I wish I had time to watch them enjoy it. Can't wait for the weekend!
About the freezing question--anyone else dealing with that? I have their waterers (2) each on a heated dogfood dish filled with sand. It's working very well so far. My FF is much soupier than I'd like so I'm going to thicken it up tomorrow with more mash and scratch. Maybe that will help. Moisture freezes, though. No way around that. Any thoughts?

Heated dog bowls work real well, thats what I am using. a little pricey but I have been using these for about 4 yrs. Not for ff till just recently but for water.

 

[aoxa]

Don't know if it's okay to post this here, just let me know if it isn't.

Found these 2 odd pieces in the litter of 2 bovans (sex-link layers) that I took in from my neighbor due to their non laying and not looking good to use as an experiment with FF. After just 2.5 weeks on FF they are looking incredible and layed 2 eggs in that time.

The one on the left seems harder, more rubbery than the one on the right that is fresher, softer. Anyone know or have seen this before?

I've seen worse.

These oddities can happen..
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/ChristmasAlienEgg/ChristmasAlienEgg.html

 

[groverlvchx]

Thank you all for your advice! I'm going to give it a few more days to make sure the ferment is strong enough and feed less but twice daily so they can eat it up faster. If that doesn't work, I'll get a heated doggie bowl or birdbath heater. You guys are awesome!