Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[WildHarmony8]

Yes, I got the non-medicated starter food. Should I ferment it by itself, or add anything else to it? Thanks for the quick response

Cindy

 

[Toast n Jelly]

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[Kilsharion]

Can you start day old chicks on fermented feed? I've been using it for my adult layers, but will be getting chicks soon. Do you just ferment the starter feed, or add anything else into it?

Thanks!

Yes...I'd recommend mixing in dry food with it if it is pretty soupy for day olds. Just to make sure they don't drown themselves. I tend to do it even for my older ones since I don't really like is soupy because it winds up coating their feathers when they sling it around.

Yes, I got the non-medicated starter food. Should I ferment it by itself, or add anything else to it? Thanks for the quick response

Cindy

You can use just the starter by itself with the ACV with mother. It should ferment just fine. If, after a day or so sitting out at 70ish degrees, it doesn't start to ferment, then you may need to consider additives; but, it should be fine.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Yes, I got the non-medicated starter food. Should I ferment it by itself, or add anything else to it? Thanks for the quick response

Cindy

I would feed it by itself for a few weeks.

 

[colburg]

Can you start day old chicks on fermented feed? I've been using it for my adult layers, but will be getting chicks soon. Do you just ferment the starter feed, or add anything else into it?

Thanks!

A note of caution. I have 75 one-week old chicks and some are too small to get at the food in the bottom of the feeder when it has the lid on. So, we took it off and they'll stand in the FF while eating. It'll stick to their feet and it's a real bear to get off once it dries. We had one get a hard ball of dried FF about the size of the tip of my pinkie stuck on one toe. It took about 30 minutes to get it off.

Keep an eye on them or make it so that everyone can get food without standing in it.

Now that they're a week old, everyone can eat just fine with the lid on.

 

[Kilsharion]

A note of caution. I have 75 one-week old chicks and some are too small to get at the food in the bottom of the feeder when it has the lid on. So, we took it off and they'll stand in the FF while eating. It'll stick to their feet and it's a real bear to get off once it dries. We had one get a hard ball of dried FF about the size of the tip of my pinkie stuck on one toe. It took about 30 minutes to get it off.

Keep an eye on them or make it so that everyone can get food without standing in it.

Now that they're a week old, everyone can eat just fine with the lid on.

Huh...interesting. Mine pile on top of their feed before I can even get it out of the bowl. I had to fish one out of the bowl this morning because he dove right in, the little brat (glad I had mixed in dry with it or he'd have been swimming).

I have ~30 birds in the brooder, right now, so I use a large (30g) container top to hold the feed instead of a feeder since they don't like trying to eat the FF in a feeder trough with the lid on. They walk all over it and eat it down - clean that lid up so clean it looks like a dog licked it. Once they have it cleaned up, I remove it from the brooder and put the feeder in with their munchies for the rest of the day until dinner time.

I've not noticed any sticking to my chicks or keets feet. I'll have to take a looksee and make sure I'm not missing something

 

[WildHarmony8]

A note of caution. I have 75 one-week old chicks and some are too small to get at the food in the bottom of the feeder when it has the lid on. So, we took it off and they'll stand in the FF while eating. It'll stick to their feet and it's a real bear to get off once it dries. We had one get a hard ball of dried FF about the size of the tip of my pinkie stuck on one toe. It took about 30 minutes to get it off.

Keep an eye on them or make it so that everyone can get food without standing in it.

Now that they're a week old, everyone can eat just fine with the lid on.

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Thanks for these pointers

 

[3 NH reds]

Yep and besides it is usually, IMHO, "In My Humble Opinion" but then that was what I learned many years ago, your mileage may be different!

Besides I thought LAB was a dog. . . . .

Yep I am with you we have 2 labs and they will eat anything including fermented mash

. Mixed up my mash for the chicks using backslop for a starter going to feed it as a side still leaving the regular mash that they are used to eating.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Hello, I just wanted to chime in and say that I really appreciate the wealth of information in this thread. I don't think my husband was too convinced about the fermented feed at first, but now that we've been using it for about 2 weeks he is totally on board! The layers outside love the stuff, and while it took the buckeye chicks in the brooder about 5 days to come around they now seem to prefer it too. And my injured hen who is being kept in the house right now goes absolutely gaga over it! I have to admit, I am completely sold on it after seeing the difference in her droppings after switching to the mash.

Next week we're getting 25 day old broilers and the current plan is to start them on fermented feed. Does anyone have any pointers, or advice on what we absolutely should not do, for feeding fermented mash to day olds? For those who start their broilers on mash, do you feed mash alone or do you also still offer dry starter as well?

 

[Kilsharion]

Hello, I just wanted to chime in and say that I really appreciate the wealth of information in this thread. I don't think my husband was too convinced about the fermented feed at first, but now that we've been using it for about 2 weeks he is totally on board! The layers outside love the stuff, and while it took the buckeye chicks in the brooder about 5 days to come around they now seem to prefer it too. And my injured hen who is being kept in the house right now goes absolutely gaga over it! I have to admit, I am completely sold on it after seeing the difference in her droppings after switching to the mash.

Next week we're getting 25 day old broilers and the current plan is to start them on fermented feed. Does anyone have any pointers, or advice on what we absolutely should not do, for feeding fermented mash to day olds? For those who start their broilers on mash, do you feed mash alone or do you also still offer dry starter as well?

No broilers, btw...just randomly about day olds...

With my day olds, I mix dry in with the FF just to make sure it gets down to a nice, non-liquidy consistency. I can take photos when I feed tonight. Basically, I put it on a lid which makes it very clear if it's too wet because I have run off and it won't pile up. One reason I avoid letting it be too wet is because I'm wanting to avoid any potential drowning with them so young and...I have a mixed brooder, right now. Four week old keets, two week old Dorking chicks and 5 day old (now) keets. There are some interesting reasons to keep it thicker with four week old keets and an open food container..but, that's a tale for a different time.

Once they finish their feed, I put free choice dry in there just in case I'm late getting home from work that night or whatever. I feed FF to those in the brooder twice a day.


edited to add photos: