Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Ashdoes]

I didn't mean back slopping goes bad. I meant someone said that if the same batch of feed ferments for more than four days, it will no longer be any good. I have no worries over making 2 days worth of feed, adding more feed the next day, mixing the old with the new, etc. It is more that if you go away for a week, the FF that has been sitting there will be no good.

I noticed that around the fifth day my FF gets really soupy, and gross. But, after more reading I figured out I need to feed it more dry on about the third day, then it thickens back up.

 

[texasmomma]

Traditionally, ferments just get more sour over time. They do not go bad. So, a 5 day ferment, compared to a 2 day ferment will be have a more sour smell and taste. It will also have more beneficial bacteria because it will have more time to ferment. The only way that a ferment can go bad is if it gets bad mold on it. This includes black mold.

 

[mrsamplias]

I ferment grains in a large trash can, and only add new every 3 ish weeks and have fed out of it for over 1.5 years no dead chickens yet.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So far we aren't freezing up, but next week will get us. I found cookie tins, and will be getting my heater bases made this weekend.
I am retired so i am going to feed 2x a day during the winter, morning and evening.
I was using a strainer at first, i let it drain 15-20 minutes and it was pretty pasty, like drywall mud.. But my geese really like it runnier. (so they can sling it everywhere)

They all really don't care, it gets ate so fast. Less runny is sure less messy. The chickens do like it thicker (at least mine do.)

Funny about the geese slinging everywhere, I just love to go out and see mine wearing ff bills. it's so cute.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ok so far I am fermenting grains because they drain better and I am looking to mix up what the birds eat so its a win win. Yesterday I started to ferment dry dog food. Thinking this could be nuts and waited for my wife to lock me on the funny farm over this experiment. But like she said with one gas power plant and one shedding machine lets try it for a week.

Let me know if it works we have 2 of those also.

 

[B J Hopkins]

This pretty Roo was designated for the soup pot. But both my husband & I felt he was just TOOOO good looking. So I set him down to join the flock. Sired by Blue Cochin/Hen was a Black Copper Maran. He has light copper streaks in his neck feathers.






His legs are not as feathered as a Cochin, but he sure is good looking (to us). He and the rest of the flock have been eating FF since the first of Oct.

 

[WalkingWolf1]

I ferment grains in a large trash can, and only add new every 3 ish weeks and have fed out of it for over 1.5 years no dead chickens yet.

Kass,
You seem to do the FF a bit different than what most folks have discussed. Would you mind giving us a rundown on what constitutes a load/ferment/feed/replenish cycle? Any tips and tricks you picked up along the way would be most welcome also.

thanks

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Ok, going to add 1/2 cup mealies to the FF for my birds. Thoughts, good, bad...am i crazy? (umm never mind don't answer that hehe

)
My indoor duckweed farm is slowing way down, must be because the house is cooler.
Our first snow hits tomorrow, and sharp temp drop tomorrow night. Got extra bedding to throw in tomorrow morning, and some cracked corn to add for fermenting grain bucket..
I think snow is pretty, don't get me wrong. I can live without it tho.
Can always "feel" a storm coming before I hear it on the news! joints get all stiff.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

This pretty Roo was designated for the soup pot. But both my husband & I felt he was just TOOOO good looking. So I set him down to join the flock. Sired by Blue Cochin/Hen was a Black Copper Maran. He has light copper streaks in his neck feathers.






His legs are not as feathered as a Cochin, but he sure is good looking (to us). He and the rest of the flock have been eating FF since the first of Oct.

He is a real looker! If his temperment is as handsome as he is, i would say he is a keeper. He certainly looks to be calm and sweet.

 

[Kassaundra]

Kass,
You seem to do the FF a bit different than what most folks have discussed. Would you mind giving us a rundown on what constitutes a load/ferment/feed/replenish cycle? Any tips and tricks you picked up along the way would be most welcome also.

thanks

I only ferment grains, not the actual chicken food. I started before this thread and only knew about grains when I started, after this thread I tried the feed for a short time, but we have a 24/7 food dispenser that holds a 50 lb sack so super simple put one bag in every month or two and we are good, so going to the fermented food was more cumbersome for us.

We usually ferment 2 types of grains at once (what ever I find at the feed store but usually wheat and oats sometimes bird seed or boss, but usually if I get boss I sprout that) we empty 1/2 a bag of each into the trash can that has the left overs from the previous months fermenting and add enough water to soak the grains and let it go, we add more water when it needs it we keep plenty of water in it (becomes ferment juice) and if we give bread treats or something like that we use the ferment juice to soak it up, we scoop it out w/ a shovel that allows for instant draining, we stir it w/ the shovel when we think about it, use a black plastic can place it in the sun in the winter and shade in the summer. We scoop it out until it looks like it's getting low and refill w/ water and grains. We just keep it very simple. We didn't even start it w/ acv, didn't know about it, we just started w/ water and grains, it is the same ferment we started w/ 1.5 years ago well not the same we've been feeding it out, but we never restarted any ferment.