Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[AuroraSprings]

Because I'm an impatient person and have too much scientific curiosity, I just added half a gallon of old refrigerated, but raw, goat's milk to half a bucket of feed wheat and popped a lid on top. It's not air-tight, it's mostly to keep the flies away from it. It's sitting at room temp in the kitchen.

Any ideas on what will happen? I can feed it to the birds right?

Did I just "open a can of worms"?

 

[Beekissed]

mine always have left overs at night time to and finish it for breakfast as well since I don't feed a heaping pile each day to them.


BEE someone asked me a question a couple days ago and I've been thinking about it ever since wondering IF I am doing right....... about the ff.......I put enough feed in my bucket to last probably 5 days or it may even last for 6 but I don't ever let it run out before I add fresh to it. I add fresh about every other day or every other second day. I feed out of it the very next evening that I have added fresh food to it. Is this right? I can feed from it the very next day after I added fresh food to the batch right? The probitics should still be there since I don't allow it to get too close to the bottom before I add more fresh food. But also wondering about this same approach in the wintertime and how that would work since it wont be AS warm in here because it would probably take it longer to really get to going so to speak on the new food that's put in there.


I've got several people asking me questions on the MS. facebook page we have for around here. I am telling them the good things it does for the chickens and how well mine love it etc. Also referring them to here because I just might miss something and just want them to read it for themselves to see just how they want to do theirs and just in case I miss something they will know just how to do it. Anyway several people are interested so I get a lot of questions.

It is probably still fermenting but doesn't go much further than a certain point as you are continually adding fresh feed, so you are cycling out the feed faster than it can ferment deeper, most likely. Some do that to keep the smell down because the deeper it ferments the deeper and stronger the smell. It doesn't hurt anything and it's still fermented, most likely...just creates more work for you is all.

I generally add a bucket of feed and almost a bucket of water, feed it the next day (24 hrs). But, I continue to feed out of that amount all week, so by the end of the week I'm feeding some mighty fermented feed. Then I fill it all back up and do it all over again. So the first day is lightly fermented, the next more so, and so on.

Everyone does it a little differently and it's all good as long as you've reached fermentation before you feed it, otherwise you are just feeding soaked grains that may or may not have the proteins/sugars converted to provide greater absorption of nutrients.

 

[RedRidge]

Quote: It's the best investment I ever made. I can move it easily to mow and move them around the yard. And I have no fears of 4 legged predators getting to them. Heck there were chicken bones in the run from wings I gave the hens and they were still there this morning. The coyote and coons didn't get to them
LOVE my electronetting... I have twenty 164' rolls... everyone rotationally grazes in netting and they are moved daily... cattle, sheep and chickens (along with the maremma).

 

[Triple Willow]

LOVE my electronetting... I have twenty 164' rolls... everyone rotationally grazes in netting and they are moved daily... cattle, sheep and chickens (along with the maremma).

That is a lot of netting! Sounds like you might be the expert spokeslady for it! Do you have to keep the grass cut down completely from underneath and around it?

 

[RoseMarie1]

They are full of antics and a lot of fun to watch! They also do a pretty good job of keeping the tall grasses around our pond mowed down. Just beware - they like to tap dance on vehicles. Ask me how I know...

oh no.....lol I got a feeling I know.

 

[RoseMarie1]

I forgot about that! Maybe I need to invest (or create) a little lady myself. I have several pieces of clothing that everybody is after me to throw away. lol I believe in getting every dime 's worth out of my work clothes so they get really holey before I'll toss them - to the point of I can't keep them on anymore or they are vulgar. LOL

LOL you sound like me. My sister calls me Miss Betty Bargain. LOL

 

[Peneliva]

Fruit flys are invading! I have lids on everything. How are they getting in?

Is it okay? They dont bother me.

 

[Beekissed]

LOL you sound like me. My sister calls me Miss Betty Bargain. LOL

My family are always suggesting that I buy more clothes and claim mine are just "rags".

The ol' Bat shops exclusively at Good Will and whenever I see her in a different cute outfit, I'll say, "That looks Good Willish! New?". And she will proudly proclaim she got if for a few bucks on "tag day"! She got a pair of tennies the other day that look like they'd never been worn, paid $2.50 for them...they are a brand that usually costs $300. Some kind of special orthopedic type shoe.... We LOVE a bargain!

 

[RoseMarie1]

It is probably still fermenting but doesn't go much further than a certain point as you are continually adding fresh feed, so you are cycling out the feed faster than it can ferment deeper, most likely. Some do that to keep the smell down because the deeper it ferments the deeper and stronger the smell. It doesn't hurt anything and it's still fermented, most likely...just creates more work for you is all.

I generally add a bucket of feed and almost a bucket of water, feed it the next day (24 hrs). But, I continue to feed out of that amount all week, so by the end of the week I'm feeding some mighty fermented feed. Then I fill it all back up and do it all over again. So the first day is lightly fermented, the next more so, and so on.

Everyone does it a little differently and it's all good as long as you've reached fermentation before you feed it, otherwise you are just feeding soaked grains that may or may not have the proteins/sugars converted to provide greater absorption of nutrients.

oh it's pretty strong in smell now. lol

 

[RoseMarie1]

My family are always suggesting that I buy more clothes and claim mine are just "rags".

The ol' Bat shops exclusively at Good Will and whenever I see her in a different cute outfit, I'll say, "That looks Good Willish! New?". And she will proudly proclaim she got if for a few bucks on "tag day"! She got a pair of tennies the other day that look like they'd never been worn, paid $2.50 for them...they are a brand that usually costs $300. Some kind of special orthopedic type shoe.... We LOVE a bargain!

oh I get stuff for .25 or .50 all the time. I hardly ever buy NEW clothes. I like the broken in kind.

and I never shop for clothes just when I come across something I like, I get it... in my thrift store shopping. WOW great bargain on those shoes!!!!

Yeah everyone wants us to be IN STYLE, well I am....MY style!

hee hee I'm not OF this world anyway so I don't have to fit IN it.
I don't know how people handle all that pressure to be IN style and trying to STAY fitting IN all the time. That'd drive me nutz.