Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[bbsnooks]

Hello.. just chiming in with a ??

We have thought about it. In fact, Robert Blosl, over on the Heritage Thread, https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/400344/heritage-large-fowl-thread is helping sort some things out right now so that we can get some good birds. These will be true to SOP type birds that actually have meat on them. When we get that program up and running I'll put some more numbers up here to compare.

Colburg.. what breed of bird will you be lookin g at?



Bee - good to see you.. you helped me earlier.. this year.
thanks..

Allowed to free range or made to free range? There's a difference. When you offer them a constant buffet of grain feeds~FF or not, they aren't going to forage aggressively at all...they may take a stroll now and again but, primarily, they will only eat, drink and rest after a certain point in their lives. They are too heavy to do otherwise.

So, you don't supplement yours with feed at all when they forage? I should probably feed ours less so they will forage more. After they eat ff, they tend to be lazy for a little while.

just like me after Thanks giving dinner.. ; ) most ly dont need to forrage any more.. except for that 2nd piece of pie.. ; )

 

[Pent]

A little off topic, but none of the forms I've asked even know what I'm talking about. I've been fermenting feed for my chickens and its going very well, and while I was shoveling dry dog food into a bowl for my Bailey-girl, I got to thinking; could one ferment dry dog food with the same benefits as chicken feed, or would the meat/fish ingredients cause it to spoil rather than ferment? If it did spoil, how would I tell? I don't see why all the chicken benefits wouldn't carry over to a K-9?

 

[BlueMouse]

People have considered this, but had concerns over spoilage, and also the lack of dry food leading to tooth problems. If your dog getts a lot of raw bones, probably not a problem. What I've been doing is scooping some of the "juice" over my dog's food. that way I think they get the best of both worlds.

 

[Pent]

People have considered this, but had concerns over spoilage, and also the lack of dry food leading to tooth problems. If your dog getts a lot of raw bones, probably not a problem. What I've been doing is scooping some of the "juice" over my dog's food. that way I think they get the best of both worlds.

That's true, I didn't even think of the tooth decay issue. Thanks!

 

[Costa Rica Art]

People have considered this, but had concerns over spoilage, and also the lack of dry food leading to tooth problems. If your dog getts a lot of raw bones, probably not a problem. What I've been doing is scooping some of the "juice" over my dog's food. that way I think they get the best of both worlds.

I pour either the whey from raw milk yogurt or some of the drained liquid from the FF (that also contains the yogurt probiotics) over the dogs dry food which is gone in 30 seconds.

They really like that plus it is so good for them.

 

[RedRidge]

Fermenting containers... buckets? crocks? other options?
What are the various containers folks ferment in? I am using 5 gallon food grade buckets but will soon outgrow them and am really trying to come up with one or two large containers rather than four 5 gallon buckets.
What are other options folks have explored? Especially those who feed a large flock during the winter?

 

[armorfirelady]

Fermenting containers... buckets? crocks? other options?
What are the various containers folks ferment in? I am using 5 gallon food grade buckets but will soon outgrow them and am really trying to come up with one or two large containers rather than four 5 gallon buckets.
What are other options folks have explored? Especially those who feed a large flock during the winter?

I use a 5 gallon bucket also but I have far less hens than you.

I know some use a plastic garbage can & just found a long tool to stir it (or their hands) but I always thought one of those plastic round composters you could spin would be pretty cool as FF container if I had a large flock.

 

[BlueMouse]

Fermenting containers... buckets? crocks? other options?
What are the various containers folks ferment in? I am using 5 gallon food grade buckets but will soon outgrow them and am really trying to come up with one or two large containers rather than four 5 gallon buckets.
What are other options folks have explored? Especially those who feed a large flock during the winter?

I have a 15 gallon pickling crock. It's working out FABULOUSLY. Except, of course, it weighed a tone before it was full and now that is full I'm never moving it without a forklift (or my husband, which is the rough equivilant...) I am in the process of whittling a sort of long paddle so I can stir all the way to the bottom. It's a bit of a different deal because I'm only fermenting whole grains. I still have my ground feed in a 2 gallon bucket, I don't have that many chicks. But, now that the 15 guineas are on that feed ration, I think I'm going to have to upgrade to a 5 gallon bucket. I'm looking for another crock. The best part about having the HUGE VAT of fermenting whole grains is that I can always scoop some of the "juice" out into the other bucket(s) if I feel like the ferment is getting weak because the turnover of the food is at a higher rate. Right now I have three seperate feed rations going, which kind of sucks. Next year I'm hoping to be able to find fish meal locally so that I don't have to purchase game bird starter for the guineas and turkeys. Then I can have only two feeds going, and top dress the game bird feed with the extra protien by weight. which will be much easier than mixing and maintaining three seperate ferments. besides, I'm completely convinced that freshly ground whole (gmo free) grains top dressed w/protien and addititives are way more healthy that super processed crumbles.

 

[RedRidge]

Quote: I've considered large crocks, but they are so darn heavy... and narrow at the top... and I'm short.

Guineas do NOT get fed around here... their job is to eat bugs... we feed them nothing... even in the winter they will pick at grains left or dropped by other livestock, but we have found that feeding them is a waste of money.

I have two 5 gallon buckets going and feed from the one on the left each morning and the one on the right at night. They are identical grains mixes. I then have 2 different buckets for premix ingredients... one for chicks (less calcium, more protein, etc), and one for adults. This way my grains are the same for all ages of chickens and as I pull out the FF I simply add premix from the correct bucket of already combined premix ingredients.
No soy, no gmo.... ever... I grind and mix my own.

My biggest problem with FF is that I dislike feeding twice a day year round. This time of year the free ranging chickens don't get much anyway (if any). But I have a lot of growing chicks. I don't mind feeding chicks twice a day in the spring and summer as I like to check on them and see how they are doing anyway - and I monitor their intake a little closer that way too. But by fall I prefer to feed only once a day. I haven't tried this with ferment yet, but that's my plan for fall. By winter when there is no forage, they don't get out for several months... not just because there are no bugs and forage, but also because my maremma are quite busy since that's peak lambing season. In the past I have fed free choice, home ground rations that were dry... just fill it up every few days. For some reason I'm worried about confining everyone this winter and feeding FF only once a day... not sure why... will have to see how it goes. But I have too many other farming commitments with hundreds of lambs hitting the ground in the winter to try to feed twice daily.

 

[BlueMouse]

yeah, once the guineas go outside they're getting the same thing my free range chickens get, a little fermented grain at night to "sweeten the pot" for going into the coop. It means that I can shut them up early if I need to because they all come running into the coop as soon as they see the feed dish.

Right now the guineas a 5 weeks and the turkeys 2 weeks, so they're not outside yet. Guineas go outside this weekend, but have to be shut up for a few more weeks, which means they keep eating.... My crock is NOT narrow at the top. it's 19 inches high and 17 1/2 inches across the top. It's a great size. as for weight... well, I don't plan on moving it. I use a slotted spoon to dish out the food anyhow. I really want to find fish meal so I can do the same ration + different premix for game birds and chicks. I'll always have two different things going when I have chicks, because I only grind the grains for the chicks. I'm also grinding for the meat birds I think. I read a very interesting side by side study where the ones fed entirely ground & fermented grains were at a better processing weight still with no health issues than the ones fed identical amounts of whole and ground fermented grains. So, since the point is to get healthy birds to a good processing weight, I think I won't switch them over to the whole grains.