Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[All4MrD8a]

The dollar store might have the oregano at a reasonable price. I am wondering though....oregano is being used in place of antibiotics to try and prevent resistent strains of bacteria. What then would prevent bacteria from becoming resistent to the oregano?

Antibiotics tend to have 1 or 2 active ingredients. Herbs can have hundreds. In order to become resistant to the bacteria, the bacteria would have to overcome all of the complex active ingredients.

 

[galefrances]

Quote: That certainly makes sense. Has anyone used the oregano to treat an active infection? In the article I read it was used as a prophylactic.

 

[aoxa]

That certainly makes sense. Has anyone used the oregano to treat an active infection? In the article I read it was used as a prophylactic.

 

[groverlvchx]

aoxa, may I please have some popcorn, too?

 

[aoxa]

aoxa, may I please have some popcorn, too?

 

[groverlvchx]

well, you make it look delicious.

 

[zinia8]

Question on grains to use. I have some all grain from TSC its corn barley oats and some molasses. Would the molasses be a problem or a bonus?

*sorry for the appearance of this quoted post haven't figured how to work the multi quote on mobile version

Quote: [COLOR=4B0082]I'm curious to see the replies that this question gets as well. Glad you posted it [/COLOR] [COLOR=4B0082]I've mixed wet COB/sweet feed into my FF since the day I started it, mid-Oct, 2012 and there seems to be no issue from it. So far so good.... for the birds, and for the FF. [/COLOR]I only add enough wet COB to make up about 20-25% of the entire grain/pellet mix that I ferment tho. [COLOR=4B0082] And I only feed my FF to Guineas, Turkeys and Quail... my Silkies (the only chickens I own) make too much of a mess and wear too much of it. Honestly, it seems to help my FF ferment really quick. I'm guessing because the extra sugar in the molasses feeds the mix better. The ferment liquid is dark and rich, almost like a thin syrup. I've processed at least a 1/2 dozen of my Guineas that had been eating FF 4-6 weeks prior to processing, and they were all perfectly healthy inside and out. Prior to starting FF my Guineas and Turkeys were eating a little wet COB as a treat every day, and still do.[/COLOR] [COLOR=4B0082]My opinion is that it's a bonus, based on how well my birds are doing with it in their FF, and how well my FF is doing. Chickens may not fair as well on so much molasses in their diet, I'm not sure tho. I have seen some people warn that too much molasses can be a bad thing... hopefully that's just a myth.[/COLOR]

Ok I tried the fed in question in the FF. Yes it ferments much faster.

Too much molasses can be bad, however, in the ferment, most of the molasses stays behind in the bucket. Molasses is used as a flush for some chicken maladies and a little bit on a regular basis is a good thing in my opinion. Works as a flush for toxins on a regular basis. I used to feed wet COB all the time. I don't anymore because I'm fairly certain that the grains used are GMO grains and I want none of it in my birds. I've gone to whole grains with protein supplements.

Molasses is sugar, fermenting it long enough you'll have molasses beer, then the probiotics give you lactic acid which is what you want. I don't think fermenting for 24 hours would be enough time for lots of molasses but should take care of most of it that was added to feed by the millers. I think in the process of making rum they ferment the molasses for two weeks. Fermenting the molasses also depends on how much yeast/mother you have going in your fermenter. I can get molasses right from the sugar cane mill which they sell for livestock and add it to my ferment to kick it up as I am fermenting for 3 and 4 days. I don't think I would add more than a few ounces. When I give it a try I will post back what happens in my fermenters and what it looks like at the end of 3 or 4 days.

Costa rica art Did you try this and what were your results? I just put a handful of COB in the bucket and it went crazy. Lots of bubbles but I really don't like the smell. Its sort of a funky feet odor. Fed some to the chooks in the morning and the ate it eagerly. The chooks quit eating the last batch of FF I started awhile ago. It got really strong smelling and they absoultely refused to eat it.

 

[3 NH reds]

I had a question in a pm asking me to clear up how I ferment dog food so I am posting here for every one to see.
I brew fermented dog food in the two bucket system. I start a batch using the old liquid left over in the bottom bucket and add enough water to cover the dry food, as you said the upper bucket juice gets absorbed by the dog food. I add what I would guess is 6 oz of acv to a batch using old liquid as a starter. If I were to start a batch from scratch I would use more acv like 12 oz and it would be slower to start, could be 4 days. I feed the ff out to 6 days after starting it.The only reason is the smell gets stronger but I do not think the batch goes bad.I do keep 2 batches going at once and I start a new batch when I think I am 2 days away from finishing the 1st. I am cheap so I make my own acv by taking a bottle of apple juice 94 oz drinking 6 oz and then adding4-6 oz of acv with the mother (live cultures). this brews up for a month or longer depending on the air temp. It gets the Grey skim layer on top that is great to add to the next batch.

 

[aoxa]

I had a question in a pm asking me to clear up how I ferment dog food so I am posting here for every one to see.
I brew fermented dog food in the two bucket system. I start a batch using the old liquid left over in the bottom bucket and add enough water to cover the dry food, as you said the upper bucket juice gets absorbed by the dog food. I add what I would guess is 6 oz of acv to a batch using old liquid as a starter. If I were to start a batch from scratch I would use more acv like 12 oz and it would be slower to start, could be 4 days. I feed the ff out to 6 days after starting it.The only reason is the smell gets stronger but I do not think the batch goes bad.I do keep 2 batches going at once and I start a new batch when I think I am 2 days away from finishing the 1st. I am cheap so I make my own acv by taking a bottle of apple juice 94 oz drinking 6 oz and then adding4-6 oz of acv with the mother (live cultures). this brews up for a month or longer depending on the air temp. It gets the Grey skim layer on top that is great to add to the next batch.

Everyone's talking about dog food, what about cat food?

 

[Costa Rica Art]

*sorry for the appearance of this quoted post haven't figured how to work the multi quote on mobile version
Ok I tried the fed in question in the FF. Yes it ferments much faster.

Costa rica art
Did you try this and what were your results?
I just put a handful of COB in the bucket and it went crazy. Lots of bubbles but I really don't like the smell. Its sort of a funky feet odor. Fed some to the chooks in the morning and the ate it eagerly.
The chooks quit eating the last batch of FF I started awhile ago. It got really strong smelling and they absoultely refused to eat it.

As of yet it is just fermenting, vigorously I might add, but I am giving it 4 days or more to see when it slows down fermenting. I'm giving that as an indication that it has fully fermented. It is in a separate container from my regular system so I can let it go as long as necessary but I'm hoping it will be mostly spent in 4 days as I only added 12 ounces to 2 gallons of fermenting feed. I will post when the time is up or when fermenting slows.