Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Leahs Mom]

I definitely wouldn't use yeast when fermenting feed. Yeast consumes sugars and produces alcohol. When I ferment I use Lacto-fermenting: Lactic Acid Bacteria consuming those carbs and producing lactic acid. Take a look at these articles on fermenting feed. The series explains the different kinds of fermenting and what's going on in a couple different kinds of fermenting processes. The articles are pretty short and basic, but will help you understand and figure out what you want to accomplish in your feed.

 

[PetRock]

I definitely wouldn't use yeast when fermenting feed. Yeast consumes sugars and produces alcohol. What you want to do is have Lactic Acid Bacteria consuming those carbs and producing lactic acid. Take a look at these articles on fermenting feed. The series explains the different kinds of fermenting and what's going on in a couple different kinds of fermenting processes. The articles are pretty short and basic, but will help you understand and figure out what you want to accomplish in your feed.

I am on Natural Chicken Keeping's email list. Today, I received part 3 of her series. In it, she says that it is not appropriate to use unpasteurized ACV as a starter culture. She recommends using juice from home fermented pickles or sauerkraut, a purchased starter culture, or buttermilk. Does anyone have any comments on this?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
ACV is not a bacteria - it is an acid: acetic acid. It's not that you couldn't use some ACV in your feed, but it is not a "starter".

Actually, no starter is needed at all unless you just want to speed up the process. One thing that ACV does is helps keep any natural yeast levels down as the acid kills bacteria and yeasts. The hope is that you would keep the Lactic Acid Bacteria proliferating and yeasts in check. Balance is the key.

If you read part 1 & 2 in that series, it explains how yeasts digest carbs and produce alcohol. Then specific bacteria (not lactic acid bacteria) digest the alcohol to produce acetic acid (another name for vinegar).

So, as a STARTER, acv isn't appropriate. But it can be used in the feed for other reasons in moderation.

You might want to read some of the comments at the end too.

In the research on fermented feed for chickens, it is referring to LACTIC ACID BACTERIA rather than yeasts that produce alcohol. Some of those studies are mentioned in part 1 of the series.

 

[yinepu]

I get a big annoying yellow block on page 2 and 3 of that series... so I can't even read what the comments are

 

[Leahs Mom]

Could be the browser you're using! Are you using firefox, explorer, chrome?

 

[yinepu]

Could be the browser you're using! Are you using firefox, explorer, chrome?

chrome.. page one is fine though.. just page two and three are messed up

 

[PetRock]

I get a big annoying yellow block on page 2 and 3 of that series... so I can't even read what the comments are

The same thing happened with me and I use chrome. But I am subscribed to her newsletter so I just went to my emails to read them.

 

[Leahs Mom]

You might try firefox and see if it works. Strangely enough, chrome is a google product and so is blogspot so you'd think they would work together!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Hmmm too bad ...you miss the comments that way and there's a lot of "clarifying" and question asking going on there. Google/Chrome/Blogspot...should work together

 

[PetRock]

ACV is not a bacteria - it is an acid: acetic acid. It's not that you couldn't use some ACV in your feed, but it is not a "starter".

Actually, no starter is needed at all unless you just want to speed up the process. One thing that ACV does is helps keep any natural yeast levels down as the acid kills bacteria and yeasts. The hope is that you would keep the Lactic Acid Bacteria proliferating and yeasts in check. Balance is the key.

If you read part 1 & 2 in that series, it explains how yeasts digest carbs and produce alcohol. Then specific bacteria (not lactic acid bacteria) digest the alcohol to produce acetic acid (another name for vinegar).

So, as a STARTER, acv isn't appropriate. But it can be used in the feed for other reasons in moderation.

You might want to read some of the comments at the end too.

In the research on fermented feed for chickens, it is referring to LACTIC ACID BACTERIA rather than yeasts that produce alcohol. Some of those studies are mentioned in part 1 of the series.

What about ACV with the mother? I thought that the bacteria is in the mother. I watched the video on natural Korean Farming and I'm thinking about growing my own LAB bacteria. There are so many things that it can be used for including fermented feed.