Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[RachaelS]

Thank you everyone

I love the tips.

 

[OHhappychicks]

Gave my chicks the ff this afternoon. I only gave them just enough for all 6 of them. When we got home about 4 hrs later, they had ate every bit!! Do I feed them just enough once a day or keep it in their feeder or do I keep the dry in with them along with the ff?

 

[hogster160]

Peew, I bet that did stank! I read that they are now having a yearly balut eating contest in New York, so you don't want to go? LOL I bet if it was chopped up in a soup where you couldn't tell what it was and if the texture wasn't too bad, I bet it would be good, well fairly good.
I saw there was some restaurant now serving it, I think in NYC. I wonder what the animal rights people might do with that?

Um no thanks, that just means more for you! Seriously, If I don't know whats in it, I'm not eating it lol. Really NY is doing that? YUK there is no way, no way I'd try that. Weeeebies just thinking about it lol

 

[Beekissed]

Gave my chicks the ff this afternoon. I only gave them just enough for all 6 of them. When we got home about 4 hrs later, they had ate every bit!! Do I feed them just enough once a day or keep it in their feeder or do I keep the dry in with them along with the ff?

Take out the dry, only feed the FF. For chicks I feed twice a day and enough to last them a couple of hours. They will have several meals off it...if they have licked that feeder clean before the next meal, feed a little more. When you check in 2 hours and there is still just a skiff of feed in the bottom, you have it right. Same in the evening. They don't need to eat at night...chicks with a mama don't eat at night either.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
LOL.... BTW thanks for the welcome to the neighborhood... My this is a fast moving chatty thread.... Me Likey. I usually gloss through and answer posts that interest me or I have a question over and forgot completely to thank everyone for the welcome.

deb "who is doing a complete run though right now."

 

[OHhappychicks]

Take out the dry, only feed the FF. For chicks I feed twice a day and enough to last them a couple of hours. They will have several meals off it...if they have licked that feeder clean before the next meal, feed a little more. When you check in 2 hours and there is still just a skiff of feed in the bottom, you have it right. Same in the evening. They don't need to eat at night...chicks with a mama don't eat at night either.

Ok Beekissed! Thanks! I kinda thought that but just wanted to make sure.

 

[hogster160]

I have been reading about Wool Dryer Balls. Check this out:

http://www.diynatural.com/how-to-make-wool-dryer-balls/


TW: I bought the ingredients for the laundry soap. That is as far as I have gone for now.

Lisa

I have them and use them. I use 3-4 in my dryer that I made. I do notice no static as long as I don't over dry them. The clothes also tend to dry faster with the wool dry balls than without them.

The answer is in the question. The birds aren't weird, they have a high metabolism and when folks feed them like pigs, they grow like pigs so they die or get crippled by it. Treat them like chickens and they act like chickens, pure and simple. I know fast growth is the goal, but if they die you've already lost money. If you feed continuous feeds for 12 hours, you've lost money. What then has "quick" have to do with it? Losing money more quickly is then the goal, it would seem.

They say that you'll always have what you always had if you always do what you've always done. Now you are starting FF, it might also be time to start changing other things as well...like feeding restricted feeds instead of continuous feedings for 12 hours. Maybe providing free ranging opportunities instead of a tractor or pen...they get no benefit from the tractor at all because the grass is spoiled with feces and trampling within minutes of moving the tractor. The only benefit is you don't have to provide deep litter...but they are still walking in their own poop all day. These birds will free range better than any chicken you've ever seen if you put them on it at 2 wks and let them go...they will get exercise, they will be on clean soils, they will save you money by eating a lot of food out there and then you can feed them in the evening after they've filled their guts all day.

Long about 6-7 wks, start feeding them twice a day...this is the mistake that I made the last time, not increasing some feed after they were old enough and strong enough to handle the weight gain. Long about 10 wks, pen them and feed them twice a day. Keep them to 12 weeks on some good deep litter and they will be fat but not crippled, healthy from their early exercise and restricted feeds.

Feed them only what they can clean up in 15-30 min. If you want more fat on them at the end, feed more.

Helped a lady process hers this summer and they were around 12 wks, had free ranged the whole time, were each about 13- 15 lbs live weight, around 8-10 lbs processed. Healthy organs, healthy birds, no deaths or crippling. Biggest chickens I've ever seen in my life! Fermented feeds, restricted feeds, free ranged from 2 wks on. Big,healthy, no loss of money.

Throw that feeding/wt schedule out the window and try something new!

What she said!!

The force is strong in this one, Obi Wan.

Mine were outside again today. They loved it! walking, running, jumping trying out their wings. They are two weeks old tomorrow. So no where near feathered in yet, so I leave a lamp on for them if they need it they have it. Kind of cool here in the evening, so they are out during the hottest part of the day, a couple 3 or 4 hours max. But their brooder is 8' long, so when I do feed them its on the other side of the brooder. Make they work those little legs to eat lol. I will weigh them weekly starting tomorrow. Wasn't really sure if I needed to. Still on the first 50 lb bag of feed. But also feeding mama and her chicks out of it. Otherwise all is good with the chicks. They just love their ff! I just can't get over how there is so very little stink with the meat birds. All I've read says they are nasty and stinky. Mine are not. They have perfectly formed poos. And almost no stink. I can't wait to see how they turn out.

edited for spelling

 

[perchie.girl]

Hi Deb.......

Hi Deb and

So glad to see you!

LOL.... glad to be here....

Quote:

Quote: RoseMarie and Gelanie... your stories so mirror the ones I have read in many many places on the internet. I personally have about 250 to loose. Unfortunately I cannot afford to see a doctor. And I am very scared to find out what one has to say... And I should at least go to get a baseline.... But I refuse drugs of any kind for a multitude of reasons.

I may be a city girl but both sides of my family were born of country folk. Grandma is still kicking at 97 and still has every spark she was born with. on my dads side we were Share croppers.... so I grew up with country fried cuisine everything from Tripe to Mustard greens.... cooked in Bacon fat or lard.... and back when I was a normal weight my cholesterol was equal.... good and bad... I used to ride my horse out in the hills during spring and harvest mustard greens filling my jacket till it looked like an overstuffed scarecrow. Bring em home wash em up and chop em up and throw them in a pot that had had Salt pork fried in it...... Then when it cooked down added in the bits of salt pork..... OH yumm a great accompanyment to pork chops....

So Now I am in my late fifties suffering from a life that took me into the office space and cube farms.... too much coffee too much fast food too much sugar very little activity.... Sigh.

So.... Now... I want to do better In all aspects of my life.... It will be a slow process because of family influences but I hope to get there eventually.

deb

 

[RoseMarie1]

LOL.... glad to be here....



RoseMarie and Gelanie... your stories so mirror the ones I have read in many many places on the internet. I personally have about 250 to loose. Unfortunately I cannot afford to see a doctor. And I am very scared to find out what one has to say... And I should at least go to get a baseline.... But I refuse drugs of any kind for a multitude of reasons.

I may be a city girl but both sides of my family were born of country folk. Grandma is still kicking at 97 and still has every spark she was born with. on my dads side we were Share croppers.... so I grew up with country fried cuisine everything from Tripe to Mustard greens.... cooked in Bacon fat or lard.... and back when I was a normal weight my cholesterol was equal.... good and bad... I used to ride my horse out in the hills during spring and harvest mustard greens filling my jacket till it looked like an overstuffed scarecrow. Bring em home wash em up and chop em up and throw them in a pot that had had Salt pork fried in it...... Then when it cooked down added in the bits of salt pork..... OH yumm a great accompanyment to pork chops....

So Now I am in my late fifties suffering from a life that took me into the office space and cube farms.... too much coffee too much fast food too much sugar very little activity.... Sigh.

So.... Now... I want to do better In all aspects of my life.... It will be a slow process because of family influences but I hope to get there eventually.

deb

You will Deb but you wont if you don't keep trying.

I have yo yo-ed all my life in weight. The thing is with what we're doing now, this is our lifestyle from here on out. No more going back because we SEE how much better we feel now and no gaining lots of weight again for us. I had lost about 100 pounds the year I found out I was diabetic but had lost that BEFORE I found this out. Talk about discouraged, I was because I had JUST learned what I could and could not eat and then to find out I was diabetic. I got depressed and just do discouraged. I never did gain it all back but I did gain 30 or so pounds back.I now have only 30 pounds to be at my goal weight and you can also do it to. The thing is with what we are doing you don't feel deprived because you can eat some good stuff and still lose weight. I have thyroid issues is why it's been so slow for me but my daughter started out with us on Wheat Belly but is sort of doing paleo now which is kinda close to WB but they eat agave nectar and honey which is high in carbs that run the blood sugars up. We watch the carbs in foods to keep the blood sugars down and there is a lot you can eat and you don't starve yourself. My stomach never did hurt from being hungry.

 

[crazyaboutchickens]

 

Good idea Bee. I just hope you have an extra pen so yours don't get anything from them.

You know I don't worry about all that silliness!    Biosecurity...    I've got immune systems that will stand strong and that makes all the difference in the world. 

I totally agree with you. Too many people would rather rely on chemicals and over-complicated remedies for their birds rather than the simpler things like maintaining their immune systems. Recently I have switched my whole flock of ducks and chickens over to fermented feed, thanks to you, and the information in this thread. Also, I don't know if you ever decided to write a book or if it was just a random idea, but you should.