Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[aoxa]

Does anyone have experience feeding any type of fermented feed in cold weather? Cold enough weather that it is below freezing during the day as well as at night?

And do I understand correctly that a lot of you ferment formulated feed like pellets? Could mash be fermented?

Mash would be the best in a ferment. You'd see a heck of a lot more bubbles.

I made a closet for my FF for this kind of weather. Most just bring it inside the house, but that's a whole lot of buckets, and a decent distance to carry said buckets.

 

[armorfirelady]

Does anyone have experience feeding any type of fermented feed in cold weather? Cold enough weather that it is below freezing during the day as well as at night?

And do I understand correctly that a lot of you ferment formulated feed like pellets? Could mash be fermented?

I feed FF all year round. For the winter I have a heated dog dish that I use for the FF. I put a plastic bowl inside the heated dog bowl since its easier to keep clean that way. I have it plugged into a haeter outlet that turns off when the temps reach 32 degrees or higher.

Sometime the FF on the edge of the bowl frezes because its not warmed by the bowl but anything in the bowl does not freeze

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

Thanks. Would Brewer's yeast be a good culture?

 

[Arielle]

FYI just saw the notice go up for the 4th Easter hatch along!! a new section is being announced!! All because of Mahonrey's Easter hatch a thon!! WHoot.

Ok back to fermenting . . .

Braggs is the easiest way, I think, for me to start. I have one bucket with a hole in the bottom, about the size of a quarter. In stead of tossing out this bucket I'm trying to figure out how to cover the hole with a mesh. A couple layers of onion bags??? Other ideas welcome, and needed!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

FYI just saw the notice go up for the 4th Easter hatch along!! a new section is being announced!! All because of Mahonrey's Easter hatch a thon!! WHoot.

Ok back to fermenting . . .

Braggs is the easiest way, I think, for me to start. I have one bucket with a hole in the bottom, about the size of a quarter. In stead of tossing out this bucket I'm trying to figure out how to cover the hole with a mesh. A couple layers of onion bags??? Other ideas welcome, and needed!

 

[Pozees]

Does anyone have experience feeding any type of fermented feed in cold weather? Cold enough weather that it is below freezing during the day as well as at night?

And do I understand correctly that a lot of you ferment formulated feed like pellets? Could mash be fermented?

I put it out every morning in a shallow plastic container, I have to leave for work before sunup so if it isn't going to exceed freezing I put it in the coop, otherwise outside. Sometimes in very cold weather they don't finish it, but most days they clean their "plates" and beg for treats or scratch when I get home.

My mix is layer crumble 30-50% and the balance home mixed scratch (whole wheat and oats, cracked corn, BOSS, and wild bird seed).

This year I will start all chicks on FF chick starter with the hope I will see what others have - faster feathering.

 

[Lacy Blues]

FYI just saw the notice go up for the 4th Easter hatch along!! a new section is being announced!! All because of Mahonrey's Easter hatch a thon!! WHoot.

Ok back to fermenting . . .

Braggs is the easiest way, I think, for me to start. I have one bucket with a hole in the bottom, about the size of a quarter. In stead of tossing out this bucket I'm trying to figure out how to cover the hole with a mesh. A couple layers of onion bags??? Other ideas welcome, and needed!

You could hot glue some window screen in the bottom.

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

What does the culture live on from batch to batch in the liquid? Is it the sugar from the grain?

 

[tjbeckman]

Wow, lots of info here, I am trying to read but am only to page 28. We are raising CX to sell this spring. I am trying to estimate pricing and I am going to try this and see how it works for mine.

 

[countrygirl74]

Does anyone have experience feeding any type of fermented feed in cold weather? Cold enough weather that it is below freezing during the day as well as at night?

And do I understand correctly that a lot of you ferment formulated feed like pellets? Could mash be fermented?

I have done both crumbles and mash, not pellets...so someone else will have to comment on the pellets. I definitely prefer the mash. Seemed to drain easier than the crumbles and less food waste. Everyone in the house complained about the smell of the crumbles but didn't mind when I was fermenting the mash in the house. I use an organic mash and when I did the crumbles it was non-organic. Not certain that it would make a difference but probably worth mentioning just so you know what I tried and what I ended up preferring. Also, although the chickens ate both, they seemed to prefer the organic mash. Ducks refused the fermented crumbles altogether and cried until I gave it to them dry, but they like the ff mash just fine. I had less mess, less food waste, easier to drain, etc. with the mash. Just my experience....