Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Windy Bay Farm]

I have a lid on my buckets but it is only snapped down on one side...this causes it to tilt upwards in the air a little allowing airflow into the mix. this seems to have been sufficient airflow for the process. You can't see it in this pic but the uplifted side of the lid actually gaps open about 1/8 of an inch.

Thank you for all your info and help Beekissed

 

[Demosthine]

Do you have to cover it in between stirs ?

I picked up a pillow case from Goodwill for 49¢. It fits snuggly over my buckets and is extremely easy to wash. I ended up with a bit of mold when I tried the lid like Bee, so it will depend on your environment. Just throwing out another cheap, easy alternative.

 

[wlhtx]

Also, they sell these 5 gallon size paint strainers at stores like Home Depot. Basically big mesh bags that have an elastic opening. They are meant to fit down IN the bucket, but I've found the work pretty well when you work them down OVER the bucket... That's what I use.

 

[RedRidge]

I change my mix ratio according to the seasons and their current nutritional needs and all of it is fermented.  I don't change it much, just cut the protein consumption in the winter months by adding lower nutrient whole grains as needed. 

 

One more thing I forgot to ask, what is the ratio of dry feed to FF ?  Is there anyway to figure this out ?  If I have 2 cups of dry feed, what would that equal in FF ?

I'm very literal. (Ok... Hubby would say anal). My ratio dry to wet grains is 2.25. This is just the grains which get fermented. I do not ferment the premix which gets added to it each day because fish meal, limestone, and nutribalancer do not benefit from being fermented and just stink and make a pasty mess.
I keep a ratio chart so I know exactly how much wet FF plus premix I need for each management group each day. Its all calculated automatically in an excel spreadsheet.
So... If you have production layers who normally eat .25 lb/day dry when in confinement then you can calculate accordingly. Same with big heritage breeds... .33 lb/day of dry as adults - just convert.
Mine is a little more complicated because mine free range so I adjust seasonally. I also feed BSF over the winter (which I raise and freeze during the summer).
One last helpful note... If the vary your premix according to management group (layers vs chicks) while balancing both rations with the same exact fermented grains, then you don't need to ferment two different things, only maintain two different premix buckets.
Hope that helps.

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

I'm very literal. (Ok... Hubby would say anal). My ratio dry to wet grains is 2.25. This is just the grains which get fermented. I do not ferment the premix which gets added to it each day because fish meal, limestone, and nutribalancer do not benefit from being fermented and just stink and make a pasty mess.
I keep a ratio chart so I know exactly how much wet FF plus premix I need for each management group each day. Its all calculated automatically in an excel spreadsheet.
So... If you have production layers who normally eat .25 lb/day dry when in confinement then you can calculate accordingly. Same with big heritage breeds... .33 lb/day of dry as adults - just convert.
Mine is a little more complicated because mine free range so I adjust seasonally. I also feed BSF over the winter (which I raise and freeze during the summer).
One last helpful note... If the vary your premix according to management group (layers vs chicks) while balancing both rations with the same exact fermented grains, then you don't need to ferment two different things, only maintain two different premix buckets.
Hope that helps.

Thank you for your information, RedRidge !

 

[RoseMarie1]

 

[swirler]

I have a big glass lid from an old stockpot placed loosely over my bucket. In winter (ie now...) it's placed where it catches the morning sun, heating up and re-kickstarting the ferment.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Deserthomestead... your spreadsheet has been sent...
Keep in mind that too much wheat can create several problems, so lean heavier towards the oats than the wheat and you should be ok...
Have fun!

Too much wheat can create problems? Would you enlighten me in regard to this please? I feed wheat and I'm curious as to what is considered "too much" and what kind of problems might I be causing in my flock?

I would love be be able to get a spread sheet like you're talking about here but I think I first need to secure a steady supply of organ meat (heart would be more than acceptable but I assumed it would be more expensive than liver. Is this not the case?) as well as some nutribalancer of some sort before actually making a request.

 

[RedRidge]

Quote: Wheat... several problems arise with wheat which can be overcome if you are diligent. The max fed in any poultry diet should be no more than 50% due to being extremely deficient in amino acids. It should be noted it is also extremely inconsistent and difficult to analyze... so protein content will vary a lot. If you are going to add it to FF, do not grind it fine, it becomes very sticky when wet and can cause beak impaction.
Firmer stools can also be an effect... this could be good or bad... too much wheat could cause constipation.
I suspect many photos you see of chicks who have been eating FF and have messy faces have wheat in them. Cute as they are, I don't believe the reason behind those messy faces (even for chicks) is a good idea.
I personally like wheat and use a little at times. Make sure you know what you are looking for... hard winter being more desirable than soft.
So... like any ingredient... balance is required... most ingredients have a percentage limit for various reasons... fish meal and kelp is the most common due to fishy eggs.

To do a spreadsheet for someone I need a list of all ingredients they use - the list should be broken down into two parts... grains and premix. If it's something uncommon or not consistent I need the protein of that ingredient.

I love heart... yes it's better than liver for many reasons. I don't feed it to the chickens but I feed a lot of raw beef heart to my maremma - especially when nursing a litter. We have our own beef and sheep heart, but if we run out and have to purchase they are very inexpensive... $.75/ea for one 5-7 lb heart.
I really like the BSF for animal protein for layers (way to much calcium for chicks). However, I now only feed BSF in the winter since they free range all summer.
The problem I run into with heart and other meat is keeping the ration consistent... I can weigh the BSF and know how many lbs I need per day for the flock to keep my ration balanced. I have never attempted to balance in raw meat, but suppose it could be done. Everything I do I do by weight... if I don't and someone else has to feed on a given day, there is too much inconsistency with "a scoop of this and two scoops of that". I feed hundreds of head of livestock... I have to make what I do each day easy for someone else to duplicate in an emergency.

Hope that helps.

 

[3 NH reds]

I am with Bee I use the two bucket system, there is a constant white slurry on the bottom so the fermentation happens quickly. This time of the year I do it all in the open with no lid so they get all the wild yeasts not to mention the bugs, slugs or rodents that pop in. I am fermenting cracked corn for all the birds and I just make sure any layers get oyster shell. I do not measure amounts I just toss in what they can eat in 10 min or so. never have measured the savings in regular feed but I can tell it is huge. Would be nice to free range but out here thats a no go.