Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[SunnysMama]

I used a 50# bag of feed in almost 2 weeks for 87 CX and 7 americauna chicks. They were started on FF from day one and will be 2 weeks old tomorrow.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Is 50 pounds of feed/week for 20 five week old chicks a lot? I'm feeding about half and half - dry feed and FF (plus a little grass). These chicks are really pretty big but it seems to me that they are eating like hogs! I'm careful not to waste much feed at all. I think I am going to start a worm/compost bin to put the small amout of feed in that does get messed up and not ate.

Are you sure that ONLY your 20 chicks are eating this stuff?

 

[kacklinkelly]

Thanks again for the information - My FF is on day 4 and still no bubbling so today I added some of the
yeast I had. I am not measuring anything. I wonder if that is my issue (among many others

)
I scooped approx 2 cups of feed, put enough water in the lower bucket to rise above the soaked feed by
about 1/2 inch. Poured in approx 1/4 cup of ACV with mother and added approx 2 tsp of the
yeast (oops did it before I caught up on the posts). Will see what happens soon.

Just moved the meaties outside in their "playpen" for the day. They are still not fully feathered at week 3.
They sure have plumped up though and their feet look freakishly large. There is not much "playing" going
on in the pen even with the added space they have. Just walking between the waterer and the feeder which
I spaced approx 4 feet from each other just to encourage them to move around some.

My poor DH is unable to even look at these birds and can't believe that I am serious
about raising our own meat chickens. He is very much a so called "macho" appearing man that works in the
construction trade. It just cracks me up. Depending on how this goes, I will space my batches of chicks out every
few weeks in order to keep our freezer full as well as my adult children's freezers.

 

[Triple Willow]

Thanks very much for the replies! Yes I'm sure that it is only the 20 eating the feed. They are in a swimming pool brooder with a screen top. I plan on them going out permanantly this week so they will be doing a lot of foraging then. I guess I have been feeding them way too much. They are pretty big! I am going to have to check things out tomorrow and have a talk with them. lol Thanks again!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Anyone ferment feed for 200+ birds?

 

[oldrooster]

Anyone ferment feed for 200+ birds?

Did someone get the rooster special from a hatchery?

 

[SunnysMama]

Anyone ferment feed for 200+ birds?

Starting tomorrow I will be fermenting for 143 (50 new due tomorrow) chicks, 53 hens and 2 roosters. The baby chicks are getting fermented starter and the big girls and roos are getting fermented grain with free choice dry crumbles. I currently have 2 five gallon grain bucket ferments going and a 5 gallon starter feed with a That's a bowl filled to supplement. We are going to be setting up about 5 more systems for when the meatbirds go outside and start getting fermented grain, too.

It keeps me hoppin'!!

 

[BirdbyGavin1103]

I started my chicks' FF this morning around 1000 (it is now 2340 here) and it is bubbling and smells like sour dough, as was described by Beekissed at the beginning of this thread. I'll see if my kiddos like it in the morning. Something for those who can not find Bragg's in their local stores, I bought Heinz ACV with mother intact at my grocery and (so far

) everything seems to be working as planned.

 

[kacklinkelly]

I started my chicks' FF this morning around 1000 (it is now 2340 here) and it is bubbling and smells like sour dough, as was described by Beekissed at the beginning of this thread. I'll see if my kiddos like it in the morning. Something for those who can not find Bragg's in their local stores, I bought Heinz ACV with mother intact at my grocery and (so far

) everything seems to be working as planned.

OK, how much ACV did you use in what size bucket? I am using the same type of ACV as you and mine has been sitting for 4 days with nothing visible happening. Today I added yeast as recommended. So waiting to see what that does.

 

[BirdbyGavin1103]

OK, how much ACV did you use in what size bucket? I am using the same type of ACV as you and mine has been sitting for 4 days with nothing visible happening. Today I added yeast as recommended. So waiting to see what that does.

I didn't really measure, but I hardly ever do when baking/cooking so I feel fairly confident in my measurements. I used maybe a 1/8 cup ACV in a 1.5 gallon container with about 2.5-3 cups of food and enough water to cover & I added a more water to cover around the 8 hr mark. Although my container is clear, I have it in my brooding room (a bathroom that needed some repairs to begin with) in a cabinet, so it's been sitting in 90 + degrees. Other than the temp, the only other thing I could think of is what others have mentioned, and I don't know if you have well or town water. I have well that is (surprisingly) low in contaminants. I honestly don't know if that will effect it or not (I stunk at chem in HS), but if you live in town or the city I would try getting water at the grocery from one of the dispensers that are often outside (I think it's maybe $1 for a gallon, but is probably much less). I hope the yeast works for you, it stinks when feed needs to be wasted, and I hope this helps if the yeast doesn't. I'll cross my toes for ya, since my fingers are crossed for my batch.