Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Kilsharion]

I don't suppose that there are any books out there on the LAB, IMO and everything else, for dummies is there?

I would really like to do this but I just can't seem to wrap my head around all this information.

It's being worked on.

 

[swga]

I did some research, and LAB was the wild yeast that colonized my fermented feed. I had just left buckets of wheat seed out covered in water to soak in order to sprout it later, but I got sick and left it too long... serendipity, it turned out... It is the lactobacillus pellicle on top that is the white bubbles and layer

 

[swga]

My question is- if you leave fermented feed for quite a while, should you add some ACV to make sure excessive alcohol is taken care of a certain amount of time before it is fed to chickens? And if so, does that ACV need to be unpasteurized?
The feed in the bucket smells good, like sourdough or vaguely like beer brewing, but no obvious alcohol smell.

Another question, can I start another bucket fermenting by taking some of the liquid off the first bucket and starting the next? I have some cabbage I'm thinking of fermenting since the girls are not fans of it as-is.

 

[SunnysMama]

Does anyone remember the post number where the Natural Korean Farming LAB was typed up? I can't get youtube to work and remember someone typing it up, but I can't find it again.

Thanks,

Here is a written recipe for LAB

*Lactic acid bacteria recipe: Lactic acid bacteria are anaerobic microorganisms that have a low Ph of 2. They can survive with or without oxygen and withstand high temperatures. They are very effective in improving soil aeration and dissolve chelates or minerals in the soil, freeing them up for plants to absorb. When plants absorb lactic acid it increases their disease and rain tolerance.

To make lactic acid, first wash rice and save the water. Take this water and fill a jar 20 cm with it. Cover it with paper to keep bugs out and let it sit in a dark spot for a week, preferably in an opaque container. It will start to give off a sour smell when it’s done. Next, pour off the rice water and add the rice water to milk, ideally raw milk, at a 10:1 ratio The lactic acid bacteria will grow vigorously in the milk. In 5-7 days the milk will have separated into the milk solids and whey. Starch, protein and fat will float on the top of the liquid which remains at the bottom. Remove the floating substance and save the liquid: this is the lactic acid bacteria. It can be stored in a refrigerator or mixed with equal parts brown sugar and stored at room temperature.

This lactic acid bacteria (LAB, in Natural Farming parlance), is diluted 1,000 times. It can be combined with IMO’s, which are mostly aerobic, and sprayed on fields. Use less LAB in the later stages of fruiting It is also used in a 3% concentration in compost, livestock water and to water plants. It is an important component of natural farming and easy to make and have on hand.

 

[Kilsharion]

My question is- if you leave fermented feed for quite a while, should you add some ACV to make sure excessive alcohol is taken care of a certain amount of time before it is fed to chickens? And if so, does that ACV need to be unpasteurized?
The feed in the bucket smells good, like sourdough or vaguely like beer brewing, but no obvious alcohol smell.

Another question, can I start another bucket fermenting by taking some of the liquid off the first bucket and starting the next? I have some cabbage I'm thinking of fermenting since the girls are not fans of it as-is.

Not really. If you are concerned about it, refractometers are fairly cheap, now days, and very easy to use and read.

It does not need to be unpasteurized.

Yes, you can start a new bucket using the liquid in the bucket you currently have going.

 

[colburg]

Thanks Mama. I couldn't for the life of me find that post.

 

[PetRock]

I just harvested my FAB yesterday! I made it following the directions on the youtube video. I fed the "cheese" from the top to my dog and chickens and used some of the bacteria to start my new bucket of fermented feed. The animals loved the cheese! I have my bacteria culture in the refrigerator until I decide if I want to mix it with molasses or brown sugar. So far, so good!

 

[bbdal]

When trying to calculate what needs to go into ff, do you base protein/mixture off of dry grain/seed values? I understand that the availabilty of the nutrition increases in each ingredient, but do you create a 20% protein mixture for instance and then ferment and then figure out how much they want to eat? How do you know if they are getting too much or too little of something with ff? I would like to steer away from packaged feed because non-gmo near us is expensive. Would I add in fertrell and fish meal, etc prior to fermenting or after? I would like to feed them a combination of sprouts and ff. Thanks!

 

[Kilsharion]

Personally, if I had my druthers, I'd add the fish meal in after fermenting. Fermenting fish meal smells absolutely foul.

 

[countrygirl74]

Personally, if I had my druthers, I'd add the fish meal in after fermenting. Fermenting fish meal smells absolutely foul.

X2 - my starter feed for my brooder chicks has fish meal in it and it is my stinky ff, but my grower feed for my older birds does not and it smells great - can't wait to finish this starter bag and just do the grower!