Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[camilleathome]

Our feed store has grit specifically made for chicks. It's very fine, but no tthis fine. I have considered this, but it was so pricey!

I COMPLETELY forgot to get grit. Gonna have to go get some this friday!

 

[B J Hopkins]

Thank you everyone who replied to my question on fermenting the egg layer & or scratch seperate or together. I haven't been back on since I posted the question. Having internet connection problems.

ChickChickChicky, AOXA, Mumsy, colburg - - -

Appreciated all your comments.

I don't THINK my birds have worms. I try to keep a watch on their poo and see no problems there (yes I read you can't always SEE the problem).I was worried about something RED I saw in my Silky coop, but closer examination showed it to be an Undigested red round seed. My flock LOOKS healthy. They are plump and have very glossy feathers and are laying LARGE eggs, (7.75 doz last week). I would prefer to use natural means to treat my flock for everything, that's why I like the FF. Where is a good place to get a goodly amount of raw pumpking seed? I already put cyanne pepper in their food. I was told several years ago it's good to put in their water in the winter to warm up their innards. Haven't used garlic but have plenty of garlic powder available.

I also use a "dolly" to carry my FF out to the chicken houses daily. Am I "overfeeding"? I use a 5 gal bucket in the morning and it's up to about 2" below the top and the chickens eat it ALL. They get about 1/4 of that in the evening. The only ones who have food in their feeders the next morning are my Silkies/Showgirls (they are in seperate coop). Like many others have stateed, the chickens RUN to me (even when I don't have feed) and nearly trip me up. They love their food, I was just concerned about the quantity they seem to want. (if they do have worms, I don't think it's "out of balanced")

 

[aoxa]

I COMPLETELY forgot to get grit. Gonna have to go get some this friday!

You won't need it unless they are having treats

Wait. Don't get any. I'll just give you a ziplock bag. It's like $1.50 for 10 pounds, and you only have 2 chicks, so not really worth a feed store trip.

 

[camilleathome]

You won't need it unless they are having treats

Wait. Don't get any. I'll just give you a ziplock bag. It's like $1.50 for 10 pounds, and you only have 2 chicks, so not really worth a feed store trip.

Sounds good. Yeah deffinetly wont need 10 pounds lol. With the feed I can adleast give some to the feeder bugs we breed for the lizards(Mix it in with the substrate they eat)

 

[Mumsy]

Our feed store has grit specifically made for chicks. It's very fine, but no tthis fine. I have considered this, but it was so pricey!

Normally I wouldn't bother purchasing special grit but a local visit to a two feed stores here had these two outcomes. One store only sold 80 pound bags of large gravel grit and one store didn't even know what grit was or was used for. It's nothing but mud in my garden or I would have searched out some regular garden sand. As it was that box of parakeet/pet bird grit was a couple bucks and will last until these guys go out on free range this Spring. I opted to spend the couple bucks.

 

[Kassaundra]

I always brood on sand so I don't worry about grit.

 

[aoxa]

Normally I wouldn't bother purchasing special grit but a local visit to a two feed stores here had these two outcomes. One store only sold 80 pound bags of large gravel grit and one store didn't even know what grit was or was used for. It's nothing but mud in my garden or I would have searched out some regular garden sand. As it was that box of parakeet/pet bird grit was a couple bucks and will last until these guys go out on free range this Spring. I opted to spend the couple bucks.

Better than nothing!

I also like to give my babies treats. Greens. Eggs. Whatever. They have grit available. The broody raised babies never do. There is rocks in the deep litter, as the ground was dirt and gravel to start with.

 

[Mumsy]

Better than nothing!

I also like to give my babies treats. Greens. Eggs. Whatever. They have grit available. The broody raised babies never do. There is rocks in the deep litter, as the ground was dirt and gravel to start with.

Agreed. When I get a broody out in the main barn, grit will be no concern. All ground floor pens are dirt based under the DL and I keep a can of free choice grit and shell in the upper breeder pens. Once grown, everybody get access to the great outdoors to scratch up their own grit. The less special needs I have to purchase for raising chickens the better.

 

[camilleathome]

Agreed. When I get a broody out in the main barn, grit will be no concern. All ground floor pens are dirt based under the DL and I keep a can of free choice grit and shell in the upper breeder pens. Once grown, everybody get access to the great outdoors to scratch up their own grit. The less special needs I have to purchase for raising chickens the better.

Im going to need it for now because my two silkies are going to be house chickens untill I move out to our farm in four months or longer depending on how long it takes to close

 

[Mumsy]

Im going to need it for now because my two silkies are going to be house chickens untill I move out to our farm in four months or longer depending on how long it takes to close

Yes. They will need it. Grit will help them digest all that roughage.