Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[CrunchyMeatEatr]

Lol :/ well as for being a dunder head I can count on the fact that I PROBABLY won't come home to any dead birds but other than mowing his lawn every day of the week he is pretty lazy. Anything more complicated than topping off a dry feeder, water dishes, draining and refilling the duck pool and collecting eggs is asking too much. So I guess I'll use up all the feed in the bucket. You said I can save the liquid? Do I need to put the lid tight on the bucket or let it continue to get fresh air? Do I also need to empty all the solid matter out of the bottom of the bottom bucket?

 

[AletaG]

Lol

well as for being a dunder head I can count on the fact that I PROBABLY won't come home to any dead birds but other than mowing his lawn every day of the week he is pretty lazy. Anything more complicated than topping off a dry feeder, water dishes, draining and refilling the duck pool and collecting eggs is asking too much. So I guess I'll use up all the feed in the bucket. You said I can save the liquid? Do I need to put the lid tight on the bucket or let it continue to get fresh air? Do I also need to empty all the solid matter out of the bottom of the bottom bucket?

Just a suggestion, worked to get my original batch started, get a cheap air pump for a fish tank and weight the tubing down to the bottom. No stirring needed...
Update:
Calculated as dry feed, my adult birds eat 1oz per day per chicken out of the "free feed" feeder, and about half that (dry weight) in FF each day. Will probably go up as the weather gets worse? Or not... it is WA... we only get snow max of 2wks/year where we are. So really, I'm not going to worry too much about protein intake 'cause, well, who knows what they are eating, but not much of what I'm feeding . So basically we're snack and treat providers. I'm sure feed will increase during 'breeding' season, since they'll be caged more often than not... but so far, happy!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Got a question...anyone with a cross beak being fed on FF notice any changes? Someone on another forum had a cross beak and started on the FF and now that bird no longer has a cross beak! It was not born with one but developed one...and now has UN-developed one. Could cross beak be a nutritional defect in these birds that is corrected by the FF?

Here's a little info that may explain why FF could help with cross beak that wasn't present at birth...not conclusive, by all means, but it still may hold a clue:

One of my daughter's Golden Campine chicks was hatched with a normal beak. By the time she was a couple weeks old, we noticed her beak was crooked. She had had ff from day one. We trimmed it short to try to help it straighten. It's been several weeks since that and just a few days ago, I caught her up and checked out her beak and it is almost totally straightened back out. I trimmed it again and if you didn't know it was crooked, you probably wouldn't see it at all. I did notice that on the side of her beak up where it grows out from on the side that it turned to was soft. This is good information Bee, thanks for sharing it. Since she has never had anything but ff, I wonder what made it go that way to begin with?

 

[Triple Willow]

Anyone know a good source for barley grain? my local grain mills don't carry it.

Hi Skitzkle. You might try looking for barley on your state thread because shipping will be very high. You might even find some other chicken folks to go in with you on buying or ordering some. Good luck to you!

 

[Beekissed]

Lol

well as for being a dunder head I can count on the fact that I PROBABLY won't come home to any dead birds but other than mowing his lawn every day of the week he is pretty lazy. Anything more complicated than topping off a dry feeder, water dishes, draining and refilling the duck pool and collecting eggs is asking too much. So I guess I'll use up all the feed in the bucket. You said I can save the liquid? Do I need to put the lid tight on the bucket or let it continue to get fresh air? Do I also need to empty all the solid matter out of the bottom of the bottom bucket?

I wouldn't put the lid on tight and I wouldn't empty any of the solids out of the bottom of the fluid. Just wait and see what's there when you get back...unless that fluid has turned dark, you'll be in fine shape, I'm thinking. Just skim off most of the scummy lookin' stuff on the top and use it as previously and you'll be fine.

One of my daughter's Golden Campine chicks was hatched with a normal beak. By the time she was a couple weeks old, we noticed her beak was crooked. She had had ff from day one. We trimmed it short to try to help it straighten. It's been several weeks since that and just a few days ago, I caught her up and checked out her beak and it is almost totally straightened back out. I trimmed it again and if you didn't know it was crooked, you probably wouldn't see it at all. I did notice that on the side of her beak up where it grows out from on the side that it turned to was soft. This is good information Bee, thanks for sharing it. Since she has never had anything but ff, I wonder what made it go that way to begin with?

Maybe she was born with the deficiency and it takes a bit for it to show...and also to correct? The person who reported the information to me also had the bird's beak fine at hatch but within a couple of weeks it had started to cross..quite a bit, a whole beak's width. They didn't trim it or anything but a couple of weeks after starting the FF they noticed that bird could no longer be identified in the flock any longer...no cross beaks showing. Maybe those kinds of nutrient deficiencies go a little deeper than mere vitamin deficiencies and take a bit to build up in the body? I'm not sure....

Does this look like normal stool ?

Yep! Gonna give you some OT (old-timer) advice on the FF thread...buckle down....waaaaaaaaiiiiiiittttt for it........."You'll do a lot better in this chicken keeping thingy if ya stop lookin' at poop."

 

[TexasLisa]

Yep! Gonna give you some OT (old-timer) advice on the FF thread...buckle down....waaaaaaaaiiiiiiittttt for it........."You'll do a lot better in this chicken keeping thingy if ya stop lookin' at poop."

 

[ChocolateMouse]

To be fair, for most animal keepers their poop is VERY important. If my dogs or rabbits get runny poop it means something is actually wrong. For just about anything but chickens it seems that keeping a close eye on the poo is one of the most important things you can do... My chickens sometimes have runny poos. I just ignore it unless they look sick.

 

[Triple Willow]

To be fair, for most animal keepers their poop is VERY important. If my dogs or rabbits get runny poop it means something is actually wrong. For just about anything but chickens it seems that keeping a close eye on the poo is one of the most important things you can do... My chickens sometimes have runny poos. I just ignore it unless they look sick.

I just try harder not to step in the runny stuff. lol They always seem to deposit it right by the door for me!

 

[TexasLisa]

I just try harder not to step in the runny stuff. lol They always seem to deposit it right by the door for me!

Same here. That is right along with your cat/dog leaving a partially-eaten animal on the doorstep: SEE WHAT I DID!!!

Lisa

 

[Triple Willow]

Same here.  That is right along with your cat/dog leaving a partially-eaten animal on the doorstep:  SEE WHAT I DID!!!

Lisa

I think it's a plot to make me fall so they can eat me! LOL