Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[jeepgirl13]

Morning everyone. I had a batch of eff go bad overnight. Its got a this white scummy on top and smells really yeasty. Like bad bread almost. I keep it under water and the accord didn't help. Anyone had this happen before? I even scooped the scum off and it grew back. Its kinda powdery looking? I'm sorry its hard to describe. Haha. Here's a picture

 

[RoseMarie1]

Morning everyone. I had a batch of eff go bad overnight. Its got a this white scummy on top and smells really yeasty. Like bad bread almost. I keep it under water and the accord didn't help. Anyone had this happen before? I even scooped the scum off and it grew back. Its kinda powdery looking? I'm sorry its hard to describe. Haha. Here's a picture

I think that's the mother on top. But not sure about that......Mine is smelling much stronger now as well due to this heat wave we're having.

 

[Beekissed]

That's why all the extra pain in labor when induced. They aren't inducing LABOR, just CONTRACTIONS. If the (pardon me, gentlemen) cervix isn't open, all you are doing is hitting a brick wall over and over. They 'induced' me at "10 days late", and ended up after 20hours having to strip the membranes anyway, which actually got the labor going, 4hrs later, son. 2nd child, flat ref'd chemical induction at "10 days late" (I'm pretty sure I just carry longer, that does happen) but allowed membrane stripping. 5hrs later, daughter. Wish there was some biological eq for chickens! Poor egg-bound chicken!

And how I know it!!! Had all three boys induced...if I only knew then what I know now it would never have happened...and the last one resulted in an emergency C-section after all that hard labor. All because they felt I was late. Like you say, some folks just go a little later and it doesn't hurt a thing, IMO. I think they do it for the doctor's convenience at being able to plan the delivery and not for the baby's benefit at all.

Morning everyone. I had a batch of eff go bad overnight. Its got a this white scummy on top and smells really yeasty. Like bad bread almost. I keep it under water and the accord didn't help. Anyone had this happen before? I even scooped the scum off and it grew back. Its kinda powdery looking? I'm sorry its hard to describe. Haha. Here's a picture

That's normal...mine has that whitish film on it every day, which gets stirred in and fed to the birds. No worries. That really yeasty smell? That's a good sign of the good bacilli going to work, fermenting that feed.

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

I've been using the ff for two days now and I can already see a difference. The layers' combs are bright red and they look awesome!

I'm excited to see how much better their feathers will look after this molt on the ff. I am using a milk jug with the top cut off and holes poked in the bottom in a 5 gallon bucket. It is the perfect amount for my 20 chickens and comes with a built in handle to boot.

 

[Loghousemom]

I've been using the ff for two days now and I can already see a difference. The layers' combs are bright red and they look awesome!

I'm excited to see how much better their feathers will look after this molt on the ff. I am using a milk jug with the top cut off and holes poked in the bottom in a 5 gallon bucket. It is the perfect amount for my 20 chickens and comes with a built in handle to boot.

I love this idea! Maybe I am feeding too much? I use the double bucket and it is about as full as it can get without overflowing. I feed half in the morning and the other half at night. Now, I am using mostly screenings, and I notice about 2-3 cups of that left, but its not the grains it is all the hulls and stems, I never find grains, and I toss all those hulls into the chicken compost and they scratch it up at their leisure. Bee, I too love learning from you, regularly used to read the OT thread till it was shutdown. I know that learning from you, Fred and the others gave me the confidence that I could turn my little flock of chickens into something bigger, and that I can respectfully remove the "bad eggs" from my flock to improve it. Just purchased my first pluckers from a friend who gave me a deal, and really looking forward to my in-laws coming over to teach me the ropes on butchering. I have watched tons of you tube on the concept, but learn so much better while actually doing. I didn't grow up on a farm, and had no plans to raise animals when we bought our 15 acres, but everyday I learn a bit more and become a bit more sure that I can do it! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with those of us who do want "the better life".

 

[JoyfulPromise]

I have been asking the "how much feed?" question lately too. We have a flock of about 40 DP laying hens (BO, BA, EE, BCM, BR, & a few Delawares & mixes). I have been feeding them about 6lbs of our homemade soy-free Layer Feed, which is soaked/fermented for about 24 hrs. This is divided into two feedings in the morning and just after noon. Then in the evening about 1 hr before sunset they get about 3lbs of a dry Scratch mixture of Corn, Wheat, Oats, & Sunflowers. I calculate the average combined protein to be just over 16%. So a total daily feed weight of 9lbs (dry) for 40 birds is already less than 1/4 lb per bird which is the generally recommended amount. The flock is confined to a LARGE fenced run in the morning (with greenery and shrubs) and then let out to free range in our 1 acre fenced backyard from noon till sundown. They DO clean up all feeders by late afternoon, but some in my family was asking if we could reduce the feed a bit and encourage them to get more of what they need while foraging. They always act very eager and hungry when I bring the Scratch in the evening, but then, they are ALWAYS eager for Scratch...

I don't know if I should try and cut back or not since I can't KNOW how much bugs and other forage they are able to find and eat.

By the way, I also wanted to chime in and say how MUCH I appreciate this thread and all the interesting and helpful topics that are discussed! An especially BIG thank you to Bee for getting me started on the FF journey last year after discovering this thread and reading every one of her original posts on FF.

 

[RoseMarie1]

I am feeding mine about 2 1/2 gallons of the FF a day. They have some left over in their trough at night for the next morning. I have 38 chicks that are 3 months of age. I kept adding more food until they had left overs and then I knew that was enough. Yep they ALWAYS act like they are starving. lol I do let mine free range most days and they stay out for several hours. I can't let them free range when I'm not going to be home though, so this isn't every day but I do TRY to let them out right before dark to free range a little because they love to eat the grass. But they sure do love their ff.

 

[RedRidge]

I have been asking the "how much feed?" question lately too.

My production layers will consume about .56 lbs of FF/day.
My HRIR (who are considerably larger, bulkier birds) consume about .75 lbs of FF/day.

The amounts mentioned were for adults who did not free range, so will need to be adjusted for free ranging.
I feed mine very little or not at all when free ranging, but confinement numbers give folks a good basis for comparison.
I posted some info about how I calculate that amount a few days ago.

 

[wlhtx]

Just had a 15 minute conversation with a man in the parking lot of TSC re the benefits of FF. Started off with him looking at me like I'm a crazy woman, but he walked away with that quizzical look on his face that told me he was pondering it.

Also, quick note to all men who see a woman in the parking lot of a feed store: we very much appreciate the offers you sometimes extend to load our feed bags up for us - it really is very kind - but when a woman tells you that she's got it (even if she's wearing a dress and then proceeds to do her own loading), please refrain from looking at her like she's an alien that just landed on this planet and then offered you a million dollars. Surely such women cannot be that rare... I sit in an office most of the day. I need and enjoy the exercise! [end rant]

 

[Beekissed]

I love this idea!


Maybe I am feeding too much? I use the double bucket and it is about as full as it can get without overflowing. I feed half in the morning and the other half at night. Now, I am using mostly screenings, and I notice about 2-3 cups of that left, but its not the grains it is all the hulls and stems, I never find grains, and I toss all those hulls into the chicken compost and they scratch it up at their leisure.

Bee, I too love learning from you, regularly used to read the OT thread till it was shutdown. I know that learning from you, Fred and the others gave me the confidence that I could turn my little flock of chickens into something bigger, and that I can respectfully remove the "bad eggs" from my flock to improve it. Just purchased my first pluckers from a friend who gave me a deal, and really looking forward to my in-laws coming over to teach me the ropes on butchering. I have watched tons of you tube on the concept, but learn so much better while actually doing. I didn't grow up on a farm, and had no plans to raise animals when we bought our 15 acres, but everyday I learn a bit more and become a bit more sure that I can do it! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with those of us who do want "the better life".

Thank you for the warm words! It was and is very fun to pass along good things to people who really want them. Sometimes I grow discouraged when one offers good things and people have the audacity to look a gift horse in the mouth, but people like you, Rosemarie, and Joyfulpromise, who appreciate anything given makes it all worthwhile. Makes it feel like it's not all a total waste of time to type down the info, ya know? I love it!

The only way to know if you are feeding too much is to cut back and see how the birds do without as much as they normally have. I know I am always tweaking the amounts given on a daily basis as I see them waddling too much or if they seem too slender, but that is the same when one is feeding dry.

I'm of the opinion that many people overfeed their chickens the same as they overfeed their dogs...this makes for a shortened life span, just like it does in humans. We do it out of love and affection, I know, but it does them no favors in the end and so I try to curb my natural mothering instincts that if a little is good, more is better, and I try to watch the birds. Chickens are like pigs or dogs...you can never really give them so much food that they will just walk away and say, "No, thank you, no more for me please...I'm watching my figure." They will pretty much consume what they are given and still act like they have been starved for months...it's just their nature.

Because of that, folks can feel guilty and think they aren't getting enough food but it's simply not true..it's just what they do as opportunistic eaters~take advantage of the opportunity.

I have been asking the "how much feed?" question lately too. We have a flock of about 40 DP laying hens (BO, BA, EE, BCM, BR, & a few Delawares & mixes). I have been feeding them about 6lbs of our homemade soy-free Layer Feed, which is soaked/fermented for about 24 hrs. This is divided into two feedings in the morning and just after noon. Then in the evening about 1 hr before sunset they get about 3lbs of a dry Scratch mixture of Corn, Wheat, Oats, & Sunflowers. I calculate the average combined protein to be just over 16%. So a total daily feed weight of 9lbs (dry) for 40 birds is already less than 1/4 lb per bird which is the generally recommended amount. The flock is confined to a LARGE fenced run in the morning (with greenery and shrubs) and then let out to free range in our 1 acre fenced backyard from noon till sundown. They DO clean up all feeders by late afternoon, but some in my family was asking if we could reduce the feed a bit and encourage them to get more of what they need while foraging. They always act very eager and hungry when I bring the Scratch in the evening, but then, they are ALWAYS eager for Scratch...

I don't know if I should try and cut back or not since I can't KNOW how much bugs and other forage they are able to find and eat.

By the way, I also wanted to chime in and say how MUCH I appreciate this thread and all the interesting and helpful topics that are discussed! An especially BIG thank you to Bee for getting me started on the FF journey last year after discovering this thread and reading every one of her original posts on FF.

YW! And thank you for the kind words!

WOW! I was feeding 2.5 gal. of FF to 54 CX that were on free range all day, so I'm not sure how to compare....but I know you are dishing out more feed for less birds and less hungry breeds (except the Dels and BOs) than I was. And my feed was 16% layer cut 50/50 with some lesser whole grains, so the total protein would have been even less.


Since we are on the topic of saving on feeds and on feed amounts, here's a pondering:

Here's a question for everyone on feed amounts....in peak laying season, does the egg return and sell of the eggs justify their feed? If not, you are likely either keeping the wrong breeds or feeding wayyyyy too much. If this is okay for your budget and you don't mind paying out money to keep birds that would be okay I guess...but in today's economy, how can one afford to feed an animal that isn't paying for itself in production or meat?

Since the question of "Am I feeding too much?" seems to stem from a desire to save money on feeding, as well as the savings from fermenting the feeds, I'm thinking you all want to at least break even on these birds? If so, I'd be taking some hard looks at cost vs. worth in your chicken projects and seeing if there are other ways to make keeping chickens something you don't lose money on and even profit from in some peak laying months.

One way to save money is to eliminate breeds that eat too much for the amount of eggs they lay. That is a big savings right there and something I've paid close attention to over the years. Feed thrift is important and one needs to ask themselves, "If a BA can outlay and eat less than a BO or Delaware, why am I keeping a BO or Delaware when I can replace her with a BA?". Pennies add up to dollars in the long term livestock business, so cutting even that amount of feed costs out of the budget can really make your flock pay for you instead of the other way around, if one really wants to get down to brass tacks.

I just had to make this decision recently for my own budgeting and let go some really fine birds that were eating me out of house and home...I could have never afforded to feed them long term. Who can? Non producers. heavy eaters, old retainers, etc. can all be cut from the flock when times are hard...and in today's economy, times are not looking like they will be getting any easier.

Just a thought for the day....

Edited by staff