Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[mckenzy]

I've been doing the fermented feed thing for a couple weeks now. The girls are definitely eating less feed (it goes much further than the crumbles they were getting) pooping more consistent looking poops, and best of all, the wild birds aren't interested in the fermented stuff.

My "recipe":
I started with about 4 days worth of store bought 'lay pellet crumbles' in a 10x4x6 Tupperware container with a slightly broken lid.
About a tablespoon of brown sugar was my starter and it worked great.
Filled it with enough water to cover the feed plus about a quarter inch. Very similar to the ratio you'd use for rice.
Let it sit for about 5 minutes and the. Stirred with a plastic slotted spoon.
Once the water soaked up completely, I added more water, enough to cover the goop with a quarter inch of water again.
I live in Phoenix so fermentation was happened quickly, about 10 hours. Within a day I was happy with the smell of the feed and gave a few slotted spoonfuls to the birds. They happily ate it. It stinks. Be warned. I keep mine in the garage and my wife gets grossed out when she goes in there now. But I fear the heat and bugs outside would be too bad.
Cute bird bit, they're adorable when they clean off their beaks after eating the mush.

Hints:
Use a slotted spoon while serving and let some excess water drip away from the feed.
Leave the lid of the container on but not closed. Keeps bugs out.
Don't make more than a weeks worth. It gets really really nasty after a week (at least in 100+ degree weather).
When you're down to the last bits and a lot of icky looking water in the container, add more feed and water to the same ratio as before. This time without any sugar, the bacteria is already present and ready to go.

Hope this helps someone in my climate.

 

[skitzkle]

@AletaG & ChocolateMouse (and others!)... Y'all are working me to death! I need to start LAB, meal worms, rabbits and now sprouts!!! hahaha I have learned sooo much on this website and I sure do appreciate each and every one of you LOTS!

I tried sprouts, but it is just to humid here right now. I am going to wait till it cools down a little more and try again so I am not growing sprouts with mold! I so wish I had a basement, but we are too close to the ocean.

 

[Beekissed]

I've been doing the fermented feed thing for a couple weeks now. The girls are definitely eating less feed (it goes much further than the crumbles they were getting) pooping more consistent looking poops, and best of all, the wild birds aren't interested in the fermented stuff.

My "recipe":
I started with about 4 days worth of store bought 'lay pellet crumbles' in a 10x4x6 Tupperware container with a slightly broken lid.
About a tablespoon of brown sugar was my starter and it worked great.
Filled it with enough water to cover the feed plus about a quarter inch. Very similar to the ratio you'd use for rice.
Let it sit for about 5 minutes and the. Stirred with a plastic slotted spoon.
Once the water soaked up completely, I added more water, enough to cover the goop with a quarter inch of water again.
I live in Phoenix so fermentation was happened quickly, about 10 hours. Within a day I was happy with the smell of the feed and gave a few slotted spoonfuls to the birds. They happily ate it. It stinks. Be warned. I keep mine in the garage and my wife gets grossed out when she goes in there now. But I fear the heat and bugs outside would be too bad.
Cute bird bit, they're adorable when they clean off their beaks after eating the mush.

Hints:
Use a slotted spoon while serving and let some excess water drip away from the feed.
Leave the lid of the container on but not closed. Keeps bugs out.
Don't make more than a weeks worth. It gets really really nasty after a week (at least in 100+ degree weather).
When you're down to the last bits and a lot of icky looking water in the container, add more feed and water to the same ratio as before. This time without any sugar, the bacteria is already present and ready to go.

Hope this helps someone in my climate.

I'm wondering why you used brown sugar? The grains contain enough sugar/starch to feed the bacilli...easily...and the brown sugar is not really necessary.

 

[Beekissed]

I have a question for you guys... In the next couple months I will be building a new coop and run. I hope to do it as efficient for me, as functional for the birds and as economical as possible. Right now I am in the planning process. Today I am thinking about roosts and nests. I have a question about nests. Would the hens be just as happy with the nests at ground level? When you think about it, in the wild a chicken wouldn't be building a nest and laying eggs up in a tree. lol What do y'all think and what has been your experience with this? Thanks!

Just make sure they are lower than the roosts, that they have a deep enough lip on them to hold bedding and eggs, and it would help if they have a bar/roost in front of them on which to stand while they choose a nest, wait on a nest, fly up to a nest. The roosts don't need ladders or be in the shape of a ladder~unless of course you have birds that are not real chickens..like silkies

. Those not shaped like a ladder will take up less floor space in the coop and it will be easier access under the roosts.

I've never really placed nests on the ground level except after a bird goes broody and I move her to a new location...then she gets a ground nest for the chick's sake.

Once fed to the chickens in their bowls how do you keep ff from freezing?

Only feed enough that they clean it up before it can freeze. If you live in constant subzero temps, it might behoove you to have a heated receptacle. If you just live where it gets below freezing quite often but doesn't stay there for extended periods of time, you can just feed what they can eat before it freezes.

 

[Triple Willow]

All of mine lay in the higher nesting box. They are the exact same size, one above the other. I have never seen an egg or even a nest in the bottom one. They even chose it over the more accessible nesting box that is in the brooders, located on the porch.

I have yet to find a nest or egg on the ground. Well, let me take that back, I did find one oopsie egg in the middle of the coop, from a brand new layer. But that doesn't count!

Hmm... thanks Demosthine. That is something to think about.

 

[Triple Willow]

I tried sprouts, but it is just to humid here right now. I am going to wait till it cools down a little more and try again so I am not growing sprouts with mold! I so wish I had a basement, but we are too close to the ocean.

It is humid here too so I don't know how well it will work. I suppose I could just do it and see. Wish I lived by the ocean - minus tsunamis and hurricanes. ha

 

[Triple Willow]

I've been doing the fermented feed thing for a couple weeks now. The girls are definitely eating less feed (it goes much further than the crumbles they were getting) pooping more consistent looking poops, and best of all, the wild birds aren't interested in the fermented stuff.

My "recipe":
I started with about 4 days worth of store bought 'lay pellet crumbles' in a 10x4x6 Tupperware container with a slightly broken lid.
About a tablespoon of brown sugar was my starter and it worked great.
Filled it with enough water to cover the feed plus about a quarter inch. Very similar to the ratio you'd use for rice.
Let it sit for about 5 minutes and the. Stirred with a plastic slotted spoon.
Once the water soaked up completely, I added more water, enough to cover the goop with a quarter inch of water again.
I live in Phoenix so fermentation was happened quickly, about 10 hours. Within a day I was happy with the smell of the feed and gave a few slotted spoonfuls to the birds. They happily ate it. It stinks. Be warned. I keep mine in the garage and my wife gets grossed out when she goes in there now. But I fear the heat and bugs outside would be too bad.
Cute bird bit, they're adorable when they clean off their beaks after eating the mush.

Hints:
Use a slotted spoon while serving and let some excess water drip away from the feed.
Leave the lid of the container on but not closed. Keeps bugs out.
Don't make more than a weeks worth. It gets really really nasty after a week (at least in 100+ degree weather).
When you're down to the last bits and a lot of icky looking water in the container, add more feed and water to the same ratio as before. This time without any sugar, the bacteria is already present and ready to go.

Hope this helps someone in my climate.

Hi Mckenzy! Welcome to the FF Club!

 

[Triple Willow]

Just make sure they are  lower than the roosts, that they have a deep enough lip on them to hold bedding and eggs, and it would help if they have a bar/roost in front of them on which to stand while they choose a nest, wait on a nest, fly up to a nest.   The roosts don't need ladders or be in the shape of a ladder~unless of course you have birds that are not real chickens..like silkies  .  Those not shaped like a ladder will take up less floor space in the coop and it will be easier access under the roosts. 

I've never really placed nests on the ground level except after a bird goes broody and I move her to a new location...then she gets a ground nest for the chick's sake. 

Ohhh you insult the beauitful silkies! I was thinking about getting a silkie and putting in a little solar powered escalator for her up to the roost! LOL I will definitely keep in mind to keep the roosts higher than the nests. Years ago we had a roost that was attached to the wall in the back and the front had legs and you could raise it up to get underneath it for whatever reason. Thanks for the info Bee.

 

[Triple Willow]

Check out this other kind of fermentation: http://bokashidubai.com/

 

[Demosthine]

Ohhh you insult the beauitful silkies! I was thinking about getting a silkie and putting in a little solar powered escalator for her up to the roost! LOL I will definitely keep in mind to keep the roosts higher than the nests. Years ago we had a roost that was attached to the wall in the back and the front had legs and you could raise it up to get underneath it for whatever reason. Thanks for the info Bee.

Both our Silkies get up to the main roost, which is about three feet up. I'm sure they probably use the two lower roosts to get there, but never assume they are happy on the ground.

Lmao! A Silkie escalator...