Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[RoseMarie1]

Quote:
OH MY GOSH Bee that is horrible horrible! I can't stand to see an animal suffer! We had a Boston Terrier dog we'd had for 12 years. He was the runt of the bunch and the owners were breeders. Our daughter worked with a vet and he was going to do surgery on the dog because he had an elongated pallet. Daughter talked the vet out of the dog because she got attached to him. Vet tells her, don't get attached he might not make it through the surgery, I've never done this kind of surgery before. TOO late, already attached. lol anyway he did make it and we had him for 12 good years before he got cancer in his lungs and in his eyes. Another vet tells us, he might live awhile longer but I turn to hubby and say, well I can't stand it seeing him not being able to get his breath and it scaring him so you could see the white of his eyes. Bless his heart. Because we loved the dog to death but I just couldn't handle that and told hubby when he says you want to take him on home and I said no, he needs to give him the shot because we get him home and he wont be able to breath and then he'd probably go blind because of the cancers in his eyes. Anyway I just can't stand something to suffer!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have been doing my FF in my feed room since the days have turned warm [finally got it out of my bathroom] but can it get too warm to do ff? it's been getting around 80 in there even keeping a fan running. I'll bring it back in if I have too but thought I'd ask first. Thanks.

 

[colburg]

Quote:
I've had my FF in the shop since day 1. It's been 107 degrees outside, so I would say over 100 in the shop on several occasions. It just seems to ferment faster without problems. 24 hrs and the FF smells like it's been fermenting a week in the colder months.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I've had my FF in the shop since day 1. It's been 107 degrees outside, so I would say over 100 in the shop on several occasions. It just seems to ferment faster without problems. 24 hrs and the FF smells like it's been fermenting a week in the colder months.

Okay thanks I didn't really think it would go bad with the ACV in it but this is my first summer doing ff so wanted to be sure. Gosh 107* .

 

[RoseMarie1]

x4

 

[RoseMarie1]

Oh, heaven help me if life has just begun...I don't think I have the strength to do this for another 46 years!

I've done a lot of livin' in that time and I'm 'bout worn down to a nub.

Oh I hear ya Bee! I told someone the other day I felt like a 90 year old woman and I'm only 56.

 

[RoseMarie1]

It's really not necessary to supplement a 17% protein ration. Upping the proteins to that degree can cause problems down the road if you are not careful.

Bee my chick starter grower that I am fermenting has 23% crude protein,min in it. Don't know WHAT the min. stands for, maybe minimum? And then I am also giving them a cereal bowl of BOSS. So this is too much protein? They are about 2-3 months old now.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Bet that's going to get dirty inside pretty fast! Wouldn't want to be cleaning poop off of those walls and pictures.

oh honey if they have that kind of money to be putting into a place like that, they have that kind of money to hire someone or SOMEONES...... full time to keep it nice and shiny.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Not all the time. When you stir it you may see a few, if you let it sit and the grains soak up the excess water, you may find holes in the top of the grain the next day....looks like perfect little bug holes where the bubbles have risen to the surface and came out. It doesn't foam and bubble all the time it ferments like yeast does to a bread sponge, particularly if it's not all that warm. During the warmer months I saw much more gas bubbles in my FF.

Bet that's going to get dirty inside pretty fast! Wouldn't want to be cleaning poop off of those walls and pictures.

oh honey if they have that kind of money to be putting into a place like that, they have that kind of money to hire someone or SOMEONES...... full time to keep it nice and shiny.

that's the way mine is now with the holes on the top. And man is sure is easier to scoop out to when it's peanut butter consistancy! LOVE that! Doesn't take as long to get it fixed for the lil pigs. I have 38 of the little boogers by the way! ;-)

 

[Beekissed]

Rosemarie, they really can't use all that protein, especially since they aren't producing anything...my layer mash is 16% and chick starter is usually 18%. Anything beyond that can cause increased uric crystals in the blood because their kidneys cannot handle the protein. Uric crystals settle into distal joints like toes, ankles and knees in poultry and cause joint pain, inflammation and bumble foot if left on this level of protein too long. That's called gout and then infectious gout when it gets infected into bumble foot.

A lot of people blame rocks in their run or free range as causing foot injury that leads to bumble foot, but if flocks are having recurring bouts of bumble foot it most likely is the high protein feeds they are selling now at places like TSC and such.

A farm/ag feed mill mixes for commercial poultry businesses and so they usually mix the minimum protein needed to keep the birds producing well...and the commercial guys are in it to make money, so they feed the minimal amount of protein that will give the maximum amount of yield for layers. I would advise you seek out the local feed mill/store in the area that grinds their own feeds or has them done locally for the freshest feeds with the correct protein percentage.

If 16% is sufficient for high production layers, it is sufficient for our backyard flocks as well because they aren't even laying at high production levels like the battery hens are, nor are they usually high production breeds.

I would find a feed that is no higher than 16-18% and, by fermenting it, it is likely they are actually absorbing most of that percentage...more so than feeding it dry. At 23% plus feeding BOSS, you are giving your birds too much nutrition...it will actually cause the opposite effect of what folks are trying to get. They feed this because they think more protein and fats will make for healthier birds, but feeding that much can actually shorten their lives due to cardiac, liver and kidney issues, cause too much fat deposited around reproductive organs which results in laying issues, and even cause poor ovulation due to the abnormalities in hormone production due to the overweight status.

Just as in humans, if they are lean and fit, they will be healthier, lay better and longer and live longer.

BTW, I LOVE your run...if a bird has to be kept in a run, that would be the one to be kept in! Plenty of room, air, light and low stocking rate is the perfect combination in a coop/run environment. I didn't see if you had shade cloth on it, but if so..even more perfect!