Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Not a ff question but a meat bird question...
Also, I posted this in a couple of other places and some people thought I was asking about the fact he had eaten. My question is about the fact he was apparently impacted. Thanks!

Hi everyone! My husband has now processed chickens twice- one earlier this week and two yesterday (all were 8.5 months old). He had one yesterday who had a full crop, gizzard, and intestines and also a crusty butt. The rooster had been penned and withheld food but got loose this morning. He wasn't out long enough to get that full before slaughter. Any reason we should be worried about eating him with apparently some sort of blockage? Hubby said his meat looked slightly different than the other two (but that may be normal from chicken to chicken). I am still trying to figure out reasons to cull and not eat vs cull/eat or raise/slaughter. Thanks!

I just processed and I've found this on other processings as well....I feed once a day, towards evening around 4 pm. I don't even feed very much, about 1.5 cups of feed for all 14 chickens and 1/2 c. to the 6 penned birds(also being processed along with 2 of the free rangers). I processed around 8-9 the next morning and most of them had full crops, gizzards and intestines. Finished processing around 11 am...the last bird had a full crop, gizzard and intestines as well. As per usual and this is what I find each time I process because I feed in the evenings and not in the mornings. So, in all but one bird, 14-19 hrs after eating their supper and two had free ranged until dark, they had full digestive systems.

I wouldn't worry about it, as the birds digest at different rates, according to activity level, time of year, age and general health, even from breed to breed as in meaties vs. layer breeds. Eat the meat and no worries!

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:



Wait a bit. Yours is probably just lightly fermented and has not converted all the sugars found in the grains just yet...flies love those sugars and will come to it like a honey pot, particularly if it is wet. Let it get into a deeper ferment and you won't see many, if any, flies on it, nor on the poop produced by it.

I haven't seen a fly in my coop in two years, on feed or off the feed. And we suddenly have flies aplenty right now due to having many deer parts in the yard on which the dog is feeding.

 

[Beekissed]

Good Morning Fellow Fermenters!

My young flock is 20 weeks old!! (2 roos and 5 hens) My old flock is around 4 years old. (7 hens) So far I do not have eggs from the youngsters...waiting....waiting... My two roos are perfecting their crowing. I am loving every moment of it. Yesterday I saw one of the roos do a little dance around one of the young'uns (reminded me of a Mexican Hat Dance) The next thing I heard was a squawking and the other roo looked like it was being thrown. I started to go over when I saw 3 of the older girls chasing him. He had mounted one of them twice. The other two were pecking at him like crazy. I was dying laughing. Probably hurt his ego! So that was my day on the farm.

If this isn't normal behavior, let me know. Also my husband came in last night and said Tuco's (roo) legs were red. I believe I told him that was due to hormones. Right?

Lisa

Right! And that all sounds pretty normal to me!

 

[AletaG]

Update... my husband got all excited over feeding Tuna carcass to the chickens. Gave them an entire 7lb carcass to eat. The 20 or so of them demolished it over 24hrs. Piranhas! Anyway, approx one week later, all the eggs taste like they were cooked in fish oil. #lesson: Don't give them QUITE so much at one time. LOL. Partially defrosting the rest of the carcasses now, sending DH out with a hatchet, so we can feed maybe a pound or so at a time.

Here fishy fishy!

 

[Kassaundra]

Not a ff question but a meat bird question...
Also, I posted this in a couple of other places and some people thought I was asking about the fact he had eaten. My question is about the fact he was apparently impacted. Thanks!

Hi everyone! My husband has now processed chickens twice- one earlier this week and two yesterday (all were 8.5 months old). He had one yesterday who had a full crop, gizzard, and intestines and also a crusty butt. The rooster had been penned and withheld food but got loose this morning. He wasn't out long enough to get that full before slaughter. Any reason we should be worried about eating him with apparently some sort of blockage? Hubby said his meat looked slightly different than the other two (but that may be normal from chicken to chicken). I am still trying to figure out reasons to cull and not eat vs cull/eat or raise/slaughter. Thanks!

I would cull to eat him w/o hesitation.

The question in a more broad, general sense (when a culled bird can be eaten or not) is so individual, there are very few incidences when a person would be HARMED by eating a sick or injured bird, especially since chicken meat is cooked thourghly unlike beef that is often prepared rare or undercooked on purpose. It is almost always a matter of personal taste and what an individual finds unsavory.

 

[BCMaraniac]

Update... my husband got all excited over feeding Tuna carcass to the chickens. Gave them an entire 7lb carcass to eat. The 20 or so of them demolished it over 24hrs. Piranhas! Anyway, approx one week later, all the eggs taste like they were cooked in fish oil. #lesson: Don't give them QUITE so much at one time. LOL. Partially defrosting the rest of the carcasses now, sending DH out with a hatchet, so we can feed maybe a pound or so at a time.

Here fishy fishy!

During a recent visit with my physical therapist, the subject of eggs came up(surprise, surprise), and the Omega-3 enriched eggs from the store. She said those had a fishy aftertaste, which of course comes from their feed. Purina even has an Omega-3 enriched Layena.

I think I'll pass, since I am not a fan of "fishy" tasting fish.....LOL.

 

[SixFizzle]

Hi everyone! I am new to BYC and chicken raising. I have read this thread with great interest and am going to start a batch of fermented feed for my 3 New Hampshire hens. They are 21 weeks old and have yet to give up any eggs but I know they are coming soon!

Thank you for all the great info! Especially BeeKissed. Your knowledge has really helped this newbie to ensure I have happy, healthy chickens!

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

Hi everyone! I am new to BYC and chicken raising. I have read this thread with great interest and am going to start a batch of fermented feed for my 3 New Hampshire hens. They are 21 weeks old and have yet to give up any eggs but I know they are coming soon!

Thank you for all the great info! Especially BeeKissed. Your knowledge has really helped this newbie to ensure I have happy, healthy chickens!

 

[Triple Willow]

Oh, no-its a plastic folgers. Can you even still get metal coffee cans?! I need onefor leftover bacon grease!
Yeah, there is a brand at Dollar General called "Clover.." -something. It comes in a metal can. Pretty good coffee too. You know those old metal containers they had for grease that strained off the solids you didn't want in your grease? I saw one of those the other day in Walmart or our True Value store, can't remember which. I didn't get one and now wish I had!
Absolutely-here's Chewi two weeks ago (shes usually a multicolored blur)

And here's Black Thunder, who is 1/2 the size of the rest and her feathers look shabby. Hoping to see her grow.

You will love the results you see in your bird's feathers! And the crossbeak might surprise you too. Good luck!

 

[Triple Willow]

During a recent visit with my physical therapist, the subject of eggs came up(surprise, surprise), and the Omega-3 enriched eggs from the store.  She said those had a fishy aftertaste, which of course comes from their feed.  Purina even has an Omega-3 enriched Layena.

I think I'll pass, since I am not a fan of "fishy" tasting fish.....LOL.

I wonder if the fishy tasting eggs come from birds fed a feed with fishmeal in it...? I feed my birds 10% flax seeds and I can't tell any difference in the taste. Flax is really great for birds as well as people! It is a wonderful source of Omega-3's. I figure I am helping my birds out healthwise AND reaping the benefits myself from their eggs. I wish I knew of a place (university maybe) that would do comparative nutrient tests on things like eggs. I am going to get some other people to try my eggs and see if they taste anything different. I agree, fishy tasting eggs...YUCK! lol

Flax info... http://www.m.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed