Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[RoseMarie1]

My recuperating layer flock got their first good dose of fermented feed this morning and they licked their plates clean. It definitely seems to have put a pep in their step already...more active today and moving well, foraging well and singing like they should.

That's awesome Bee!

 

[RoseMarie1]

Thank you, Jeanette, for this very well written article link! I am posting the link on my webpage and I found it really summarized all the research I had found about this method of feeding awhile back.



I'm currently using a 50/50 mix of fresh milled layer mash and barley grains. Barley is a cheap grain here and the birds all like it, so no picking through going on. It has a great protein percentage compared to other similar grains. I have a lot of flax seed lying around here from my bread making supplies and I might add some flax seed to this first batch of ferment because this poor flock needs some additional nutrition right now.

Bee would you share your webpage with us? I would love to have the link.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Thanks for the vid! You are on the right track! Now...I'll give you another tip you might enjoy.....deep litter in the run!

Start a deep litter in there to eliminate the barren, hard packed soil and the slimy, muddiness that comes with the rain on a barren run. You'll be glad you did and the chooks will too. It's a big run so just start adding any ol' yard debris like weed cuttings, sawdust/shavings, leaves, leaves, leaves, twigs, pine needles, lawn clippings, straw, etc. Keep adding until they have 6-8 in of carbonaceous material underfoot at all times. You can't go wrong with it...it will grow the beneficial bacteria that your birds need underfoot and the predatory bugs that will prey on lice and mite larvae will find a home there. It will also give your birds something to do every day, moving that bedding from one end of the run to another.

It will smell nicer, be healthier and will make your birds happier in a more natural environment of forest floor type footing underground.

PS: I'm so tickled you are reading through this thread and mining out the good info to be found there....shows a dedication to learning about your animals and I commend you for it! Not many take the time to really learn and love the learning like you seem to do. Blessings upon you, girl!

ah thank you Bee that was so sweet of you to say. Oh yes I LOVE learning! You know I was like I sure wish I'd known about this deep litter method before I did the sand in their roosting area but hubby sifted that stuff in mega hot weather and I can't for the life of me say we need to do this now. BUT I hadn't even thought about that run! Thank you soooo much for the idea, We have treated boards along the bottom of the run do you think the deep litter would make that rot though in this humid climate we live in here in the south? The wire is nailed to the boards along the bottom and I worry about those rotting and something being able to get into their pen. In fact the boards that are there now have rotted with grass growing up against them and we've got to replace two of them before we can put up anymore of the hardware cloth on the pen.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Thank you for all the wonderful information. I'm not even half way reading through the thread.

I'll be getting my red broilers on Friday and since feed has gone up $5 since spring I needed more bang for my buck. I have never done meat bird before so I'll be documenting pretty closely how this goes for me. I've only ever done culls or rooster reduction so will see how this project goes for me.

I started fermenting feed 3 days ago for my layers and also for my 4 week old layer pullets. I only did the water and feed no other ingredient. Every morning I gave my big girls layer crumble mash so they were already use to the texture. They took to the FF very quickly and I haven't seen any difference in water and feed consumption. No difference in egg production either. But I'm still hopeful since its only Day 3.

BUT...

Day 3 for my 4 week old layer pullets has been a different matter. Today I was so pleasantly surprised to go to the basement and for once it didn't smell like little chickens aka chicken poop. In all 3 brooders 50% less water consumption and 25% less food consumption and it looked like 50% less poop. I've also noticed all but 3 have lost all their downy fluff on their heads and have the more "adult" look which in the past its taken at least 5 weeks to get to this point.

Its ok that there is less water consumption right because they are essentially getting it from the "wet" FF?

I'm very thankful for everyone's expertise and look forward to learning more as I continue reading the thread.

mine to, they love the stuff. In fact yesterday we were going to be gone all day and I knew I might not get back before dark to feed them again so I added more food to their trough and their bowls AND I added some dry in their hanging feeders in their roosting area. Do you know that feed is STILL in those hanging feeders? From yesterday now! So that lets me know just how much they're really liking the ff.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Depends on how low my bucket is or if taking any solids out makes the mix look too soupy. I try to keep my FF at a thick, peanut butter or mortar consistency for ease of feeding. This means that, though I keep the fluids near the top of the mix, it is not swimming in fluid. When stirred, you can see the fluid in pockets near the top and all the feed stays very moist but are not submerged totally under the water.

Right now I add feed every other day and maybe just a little more water, depending on the need for it. Each time I feed, I stir the mix well to see how it all looks and smells and to see if I need to add more dry or more wet to the mix.

So when you take feed out, you're not adding new feed each time to your bucket? I've been adding new feed twice a day when I take it out and feed them.

 

[Beekissed]

No...it just depends on how quickly you empty your bucket as to how often you add fresh feed. Right now it takes me several days to empty my bucket of feed, so I add fresh feed and water when I can just see some of the bottom of the bucket.

 

[Zootopia]

I have been feeding all my youngsters FF every since I first found this thread, around the middle of last year. I now have 2 half barrels for my layer flock and a 5 gallon bucket for the littles.
Everyone loves it of course. Some too much. I had a brooder with about 20 birds that are now a month old. I started noticing some of the chicks had what I can only describe as beak rot, wounds and cracks. I read everything I could find, took 2 to my Vet. Disinfected everything twice!! Wracked my brain!! Then one day I sat and watched them eat. I had 7 guineas in the brooder with the chicks and the guineas were "cleaning" everyones face. I know they can be aggressive, I cant brood them with the ducks cause they pick on their feet. Well apparently I cant brood them with Anybody when they. are eating FF!! Poor chicks, Im hoping their beaks will recover, tho I have one I think I'll have to watch as his top beak is now a little short.

 

[Beekissed]

If you aren't currently using deep litter, it may help you with this problem. My birds will immediately wipe their beaks off after eating wet, sticky foods and they use the grass or deep litter on which to do so. Barren soil/earth would not be quite as effective as something with texture for doing this maneuver...like the difference between wiping on the wall~ or the towel~ when done washing one's hands.

 

[Demosthine]

If you aren't currently using deep litter, it may help you with this problem. My birds will immediately wipe their beaks off after eating wet, sticky foods and they use the grass or deep litter on which to do so. Barren soil/earth would not be quite as effective as something with texture for doing this maneuver...like the difference between wiping on the wall~ or the towel~ when done washing one's hands.

Wow, now their behavior makes sense. I watch my clan doing that all the time after they eat and it never dawned on me that they might be wiping off the wet feed using the grass! The only ones I've noticed that have food stuck to them at all is the Ameraucanas and that's because of their bearded tufts. Amazing! You are an encyclopedia of knowledge!

 

[deserthomestead]

does anyone feed FF to ducks? My week old babies gobble it up, but the 2 month olds won't touch it! -