Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[kian]

Thank you!

 

[Miss Lydia]

So update on my crusty bucket. Lol
I scimmed off the mold and then mixed the liquid. It was the best smelling i have ever smelled it before.
I even put a little for my girls.and they started slurping it up. It smells like straight up beer.

Glad you didn't have to toss it all out, yep one time I lifted the inner bucket out and wow smelled like a liquor store in there. I bet the girls slept good last night. lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

Excellent! I'll have to do some pricing at the feed store and see what they've got.

Spirulina is an algae with a ton of nutrition in it. I buy it in powder form, and it could be sprinkled on wet sprouts or fodder before feeding.

Here's some more info for anyone interested:
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/spirulina-000327.htm

I take Spirulina everyday as a supplement. Great stuff.

 

[groverlvchx]

I am way overfeeding FF! They just don't need as much. They like it fine, though. Still learning the ropes but liking this whole FF process so far. I truly appreciate this thread and the ability to ask questions and learn from your experience. You guys ROCK!

 

[texasmomma]

I hatched out two chicks this last week and decided I wanted to brood a couple more with them. The ones I hatched out were roos, and I am really trying to increase our pullets/hens. So, I picked up four more today. I didn't even think to look at their butts. Two were a couple days old and the other two were 1-2 weeks old. On the way home, I could tell when one had pooped. It was very stinky. Then, when I got them home, 3/4 of them had poop on their behinds or had pasty butt. I put them in some warm water baths and cleaned them up. They stink quite a bit as well, in the brooder.

I am looking forward to having them on FF so they don't stink and don't get pasty butt. The last chicks I brooded never stunk and never had pasty butt. They were fed FF from the beginning.

These chicks are awful cute, despite the smell. I hope at least two of them are pullets. I don't want/need roosters.

 

[armorfirelady]

ok ... did my first clean out of my 5 gal bucket system ... what is that white / beige pasty stuff on the bottom ? Do we save that stuff ? I put a couple scoops of it in the new starter ... I also went with 6 gal buckets ...much easier .

Its just the crumbs & Mother mixed together. When I get to the bottom of my bucket I scoop all that stuff out of the bottom of the bucket & mix into the newly added layer pellets, BOSS, scratch & corn & add some water and its good to go !!! I havent added ACV with mother in a loooog time. I started the FF in August. All I add is water when I add fresh grains & pellets. The fermenting is still going strong.

Today I rehydrated some timothy hay cubes and mixed that into the FF batch. Looks & smells wonderful. Lets see how the hens like it in the morning.

I feed once a day. A big bowl that fits in a heated dog bowl. If they eat that all before the afternoon I give them some more so that there is a little left at night. That way I know their crops are full at roosting time plus it gives them a little snack till I get out there in the morning.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I am way overfeeding FF! They just don't need as much. They like it fine, though. Still learning the ropes but liking this whole FF process so far. I truly appreciate this thread and the ability to ask questions and learn from your experience. You guys ROCK!

you will be an "old timer" before you know it!

Its great to see so many others benefit from FF, its so healthy for our babies

 

[erinszoo]

Okay, so our first experience with fermented feed and our meat birds did not work very well and we gave up with no intentions of trying again. But then we got the oppurtunity to raise two sets of birds side by side so we gave in and tried one more time. This time the birds did so well that we moved all the birds onto it. Not sure what went wrong the first time around but glad it seems to be working better this time through. Food costs are way down and water usage too.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Okay, so our first experience with fermented feed and our meat birds did not work very well and we gave up with no intentions of trying again. But then we got the oppurtunity to raise two sets of birds side by side so we gave in and tried one more time. This time the birds did so well that we moved all the birds onto it. Not sure what went wrong the first time around but glad it seems to be working better this time through. Food costs are way down and water usage too.

So glad to hear it! Its really helped to keep my costs down. it may be a dozen different reasons, just finding what works for you is the key.

 

[Pozees]

Okay, so our first experience with fermented feed and our meat birds did not work very well and we gave up with no intentions of trying again. But then we got the oppurtunity to raise two sets of birds side by side so we gave in and tried one more time. This time the birds did so well that we moved all the birds onto it. Not sure what went wrong the first time around but glad it seems to be working better this time through. Food costs are way down and water usage too.

I'm just curious, what breed were they?