Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[armorfirelady]

I don't have ducks but I know of several people who do feed their ducks ff

 

[Zootopia]

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

Thats all the littles get around here and I dont have any ducks missing meals. The adult birds, chickens, ducks, turkeys and what ever guineas fly into the yards have feeders with lay pellets which they mostly ignore. I worked late yesterday so I didnt dish FF, one yard has pellets scattered everywhere but of course they are all Starving! I considered taking up the dry feeders but there are going to be a couple of days every month that I am either not in town or work too late to do more than check waters and collect eggs. The feeders mean I can be Ok with that. They can choose to eat or not, but its there.

 

[RoseMarie1]

No, I mean like this....takes just seconds to drain out enough to feed:

Every time I try to see one of your videos it tells me it's private.

I wanna seeeeeeee!

 

[Zootopia]

Every time I try to see one of your videos it tells me it's private.

I wanna seeeeeeee!

X 2

 

[Zootopia]

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. 

 

You are right, this batch was actually in the old quail cage, so they were on wire. I have used it often in the past but of course that was before I used FF. I can easily take the wire floor out and leave them in the tray w/ shavings. Now that I know.

 

[Beekissed]

Every time I try to see one of your videos it tells me it's private.

I wanna seeeeeeee!

I unlocked it...but nothing much to see!

This was back when I was first doing FF and still draining off the fluid so I could feed with less slopping...but now I don't do that. I just use less fluid now and mix a thicker consistency and so no longer drain off.

 

[RoseMarie1]

I am using 2 buckets also and it takes about 5-7 days too, haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary with mine still looks and smells fine.

Opps I guess I am doing mine wrong then. I was wondering HOW it could be getting all those good vitamins and stuff in it just over night with me the way I am going it. So I guess I better find me some more buckets! I only have 1 five gallon bucket going and I take out about 3 qts. or more at a time and then add that amount back to it twice a day. It's nice and bubbly and isn't as dark as it was when I put the dry food in there and everything. So I thought it was doing good. So to get better for them I guess I need 2 buckets going since I almost use ALL the contents out of the bucket by days end. I also don't use the ACV in mine but it's doing great so far.
So I got a ?........ how long does it take to get the good stuff going with the vitamins and stuff? Does anyone know?

It JUST dawned on doe doe bird here......lol I was racking my brain trying to figure out how I could use TWO buckets in my already crowded utility room when it hit me.... my nephew brought me a small drum from the cola place he works at. It has to be food grade since they use them with the cola's. It's about 2 five gallon buckets in size and not any bigger round than the 5 gallon buckets are. So I think I just figured out which one I can use. Although I'm still not sure if I can use food out of it and then add more food back to it each time and it ferment and have the vit.s it should have. That's confusing to me. So would I still need to use 2 vessels and feed out of one and ferment the other one for a few days?

 

[RoseMarie1]

I unlocked it...but nothing much to see!

This was back when I was first doing FF and still draining off the fluid so I could feed with less slopping...but now I don't do that. I just use less fluid now and mix a thicker consistency and so no longer drain off.

OK thanx Bee, but I would worry about it ruining with no water covering the food. ??? That's scary to me with this stuff costing so much. lol Mine are devouring the stuff but I have some that have slowed down on eating it. Although I am feeding them a nice bowl of BOSS to. I went out there awhile ago and there was not one seed left to be found out there in their run. Man speak of the run, it's wet and a mess right now with all this rain. I worry about them getting sick because they still go in it when it's sprinkling. I broke a couple vit. A's this morning and put it in their food because I could have sworn I saw one of the pullets sling out water but she and I were close to the water bowl. I was putting food in their bowls and had my back to the water so not sure it wasn't water I saw. ??? so since I wasn't sure I put some vit. A in their food this morning just in case. Also added some vit. and elect. to their water and I have 1-2 waterers out there with ACV in it. So that way they have all the stuff in their water to hopefully keep them healthy.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Very good info, I'm thinking good ole warm oatmeal over winter may be good for them. I also use ACV in my waterers. I was noticing the ff I put out this morning didn't get gulped down like it had on other mornings, it's cold and rainy here today. I'm hoping we'll have some warm up and i'll be able to finish off my 2 buckets before real cold sets in for good.

I noticed some of mine didn't pig out this morning like they usually do to. It's rainy here as well but not cold but not as hot as it's been being either. They acted like they wanted something else because they kept following me around. Maybe they could taste the vit. A I added to their feed today? Some of them still pigged out but some didn't. BUT they did have a huge bowl of cucumbers and a nice size bowl of BOSS they had just polished off as well. So they may have just been full. ??

 

[Beekissed]

OK thanx Bee, but I would worry about it ruining with no water covering the food. ??? That's scary to me with this stuff costing so much. lol Mine are devouring the stuff but I have some that have slowed down on eating it. Although I am feeding them a nice bowl of BOSS to. I went out there awhile ago and there was not one seed left to be found out there in their run. Man speak of the run, it's wet and a mess right now with all this rain. I worry about them getting sick because they still go in it when it's sprinkling. I broke a couple vit. A's this morning and put it in their food because I could have sworn I saw one of the pullets sling out water but she and I were close to the water bowl. I was putting food in their bowls and had my back to the water so not sure it wasn't water I saw. ??? so since I wasn't sure I put some vit. A in their food this morning just in case. Also added some vit. and elect. to their water and I have 1-2 waterers out there with ACV in it. So that way they have all the stuff in their water to hopefully keep them healthy.

I wouldn't worry about the water covering the food...my water hasn't covered the food in all the time I've used the FF and my bucket sits for days in 80-90 degree heat without freshening up and it is just fine. It won't ruin...stir it every day when you feed and don't worry. Worry is like a rocking chair...lots of back and forth motion but it never really gets you anywhere!

Rosemarie, look up the thread about deep litter and see about starting one in your run...it will help your flock from becoming sick in wet weather, will eliminate the barren and sick soils underfoot and will help you have cleaner, healthier birds. No need for vitamins,medicines and such....just a self cleaning coop and run that helps keep your birds healthier.