Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[stone_family3]

Does anyone have a chart of the difference between Fermented feeding and commercially fed birds, weight wise?

 

[bruceh]

stone i can not give you a chart. however i raised both ways. i did notice it took about 3 weeks longer on ferment feed. broiler birds need at least 20% feed protein. i grow mine a little slower at 18.5 %. so that accounts for slower weight gain.i can tell you i never lost a bird from illness. i also noticed a much bigger breast. i use mt-di poultry. great birds.
fermenting feed is great for the birds.the meat turns out with a sweetness to it.

 

[Kjordanov]

Okay

This may not be the same one as Aoxa's but it has a lot about fermenting. Also google 'fermented veggies' and the net is full of recipes. hth.

http://www.culturesforhealth.com/cu...-recipes#fermentation_articles_videos_recipes

Okay thanks!! So how often/how much would I feed a day? I have 5 hens, 1 rooster

 

[Mikedero]

I talked to a guy that has been in the business for over 40 years and has had farms witrh over 1 miilion birds. He told me flat out that it is a waste of time. Not that it hurts anything but there is no benifit at all to it. So I plan on doing what I am currently doing feeding pellets. He also stated that crumbles there are more waste then pellets.

 

[stone_family3]

stone i can not give you a chart. however i raised both ways. i did notice it took about 3 weeks longer on ferment feed. broiler birds need at least 20% feed protein. i grow mine a little slower at 18.5 %. so that accounts for slower weight gain.i can tell you i never lost a bird from illness. i also noticed a much bigger breast. i use mt-di poultry. great birds.
fermenting feed is great for the birds.the meat turns out with a sweetness to it.

Thanks, I'm just looking for a way to bulk up production red roos. They're already 5 weeks old and going to the processor first week of june.

I talked to a guy that has been in the business for over 40 years and has had farms witrh over 1 miilion birds. He told me flat out that it is a waste of time. Not that it hurts anything but there is no benifit at all to it. So I plan on doing what I am currently doing feeding pellets. He also stated that crumbles there are more waste then pellets.

I could understand why someone with over a million birds would find it a waste of time. That's a lot of feed to ferment also he probably gets a better deal on feed since he's buying such a large amount. I'm considering it because I would like to stretch my feed bill and if it makes their poos smell not as bad then it is a win. Also looking at a way to fatten up the males.

 

[Costa Rica Art]

I talked to a guy that has been in the business for over 40 years and has had farms witrh over 1 miilion birds. He told me flat out that it is a waste of time. Not that it hurts anything but there is no benifit at all to it. So I plan on doing what I am currently doing feeding pellets. He also stated that crumbles there are more waste then pellets.

Are you saying that this farmer fed these chickens FF or just regular pellets? Does he raise meat birds or layers? What method did he use if he fermented feed? There have been reports from large farmers that feed FF and it not only produces a better quality eggs but with less feed. Not looking for an argument but depending on the actual process and equipment used on a large scale just how successful FF is.

 

[BlueMouse]

Ok, So granted I'm only on page 100 of 484, but I'm starting my new layers (just got them yesterday!!!) on FF. I'm using scratch mixed with whole oats (it was cheap at the feed store) I've had it going in a two bucket setup for two and a half days, and still no ferment. I rinsed it with hot water twice, covered it with warm, added maybe 1/4 C Braggs ACV (it's maybe erm... 2 quarts of feed?? Dry?? It's swollen some now of course) and covered it with an old towel. I've stirred it a couple times a day. Am I being impatient? Is it too cold? I'm keeping it in the laundry room which is at the back end of the house from the woodstove because it's away from possible cross contamination from the kitchen and safe from the toddlers/cat/dog/crawling infant.

Right now I'm just giving them the dry grains and table scraps, + free choice grit/oyster shell. They're shut up in the coop for a week or so until they figure out it's "Home" so no free range. I want to get the FF in there as soon as I can..... worried that I have someone managed to screw up what is essentially a very simple process....

 

[groverlvchx]

Your setup sounds fine. Make sure you don't had too hot of water, and give it about a week. They'll be fine. It just takes time.

 

[Mikedero]

He raised both and in fact stated that it was a waste of his time to do it and you lose some nutrients when you FF. He was a professor from West Virginia department of agriculture. I went to his seminar on Saturday and he said the biggest waste was in fact the feeders being too low

 

[Mikedero]

in fact I have to find his name he also works for Southern States. hey I am only stating what he said not my own feelings as I was getting ready to do FF myself. But I figured I would listen to someone 40 years in the poultry business as I am a newbie
http://www.southernstates.com/articles/poultry-guide.aspx