Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[pipemum]

I picked up 8 broiler chicks this weekend and have had them on fermented chick feed for 2 days now. This is my first time raising broiler chicks, they sure are different than regular chickens. Even on probiotics and vitamins (added to the waters) and fermented feed, their poop is still not solid. Just blends right in with the pine pellet litter. This is normal? They seem healthy and active, so I'm guessing it's normal poo for these broilers.

Oh, LOVE, my layer feed has fish meal in it--super stinky when fermented. Almost bad enough that I'm not sure I'm going to continue to ferment it, but my chickens have been on it a while and haven't poisoned them yet!

 

[Beekissed]

I picked up 8 broiler chicks this weekend and have had them on fermented chick feed for 2 days now. This is my first time raising broiler chicks, they sure are different than regular chickens. Even on probiotics and vitamins (added to the waters) and fermented feed, their poop is still not solid. Just blends right in with the pine pellet litter. This is normal? They seem healthy and active, so I'm guessing it's normal poo for these broilers.

Oh, LOVE, my layer feed has fish meal in it--super stinky when fermented. Almost bad enough that I'm not sure I'm going to continue to ferment it, but my chickens have been on it a while and haven't poisoned them yet!

Give it time...their stool will slowly firm up and turn darker like normal stool. Just takes a bit to reculture their bowels. From what I've read, their parents are given medication to keep them alive in a hatchery style setting and the chicks are born with no natural bacteria cultures in their bowel but the FF will start to establish it and soon it will look like natural poop and have less smell. Mine took about 2-3 days to start showing better poops.

 

[LOVEIGEE]

I picked up 8 broiler chicks this weekend and have had them on fermented chick feed for 2 days now. This is my first time raising broiler chicks, they sure are different than regular chickens. Even on probiotics and vitamins (added to the waters) and fermented feed, their poop is still not solid. Just blends right in with the pine pellet litter. This is normal? They seem healthy and active, so I'm guessing it's normal poo for these broilers.

Oh, LOVE, my layer feed has fish meal in it--super stinky when fermented. Almost bad enough that I'm not sure I'm going to continue to ferment it, but my chickens have been on it a while and haven't poisoned them yet!

Really, don't stop......I figure if they don't mind, I won't.....it's so healthy for them.............funny, it is strong in the bucket, but when you scoop out, it doesn't smell that bad.

 

[mlowen]

Lowe's has food-grade 5 gal buckets, as well as the regular plastic ones. Food grade is white. I've had no staining, but also no fish meal. I'm a one-bucket gal.

 

[LOVEIGEE]

Could just be mold growth or staining of the bucket. I've been using these same two buckets since last year and I've seen not many changes.... this is my inner, or top, bucket. You can see a little of the darkening on the right side there, which is probably what you are seeing on your bucket. I scrubbed it well and couldn't remove it, so it could be staining and even corrosion..not sure...but I'm still not worried much. I don't get too bent out of shape about it.

This is mine.....scary, huh?

 

[AletaG]

Wow. Have you thought of testing the pH of the feed? Just wondering if the fish meal fermenting dials it up *just enough*? I am using a food grade bucket for mine, but use those HD buckets for LOTS of other things, never seen anything like that. And it doesn't scrub off? If you scratch the surface with something, is there orange underneath, or black clean through? W-eird.

 

[LOVEIGEE]

Lowe's has food-grade 5 gal buckets, as well as the regular plastic ones. Food grade is white. I've had no staining, but also no fish meal. I'm a one-bucket gal.

Got them today.....thank you.....

 

[LOVEIGEE]

Wow. Have you thought of testing the pH of the feed? Just wondering if the fish meal fermenting dials it up *just enough*? I am using a food grade bucket for mine, but use those HD buckets for LOTS of other things, never seen anything like that. And it doesn't scrub off? If you scratch the surface with something, is there orange underneath, or black clean through? W-eird.

No..haven't tested the PH..with fish meal in it, I'm worried about it altering the nutrition somehow........I hope someone on here can pipe in.......The discoloration can't be scrapped off....

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: Quick answer.... Recycling number 1-7 is food grade. Color has no effect.

If its food grade it will have a number on the bottom of it to specify food grade.... numbers between 1 and 7. It has been my experience that colorants in the plastic have little to no effect except for the amount of heat the plastic needs to become formable,

What may be happening with the bucket that is stained is it has micro-fissures in the walls of the plastic. Could be a result of too fast of production (making the plastic bucket) or too slow. If it doesnt get clean repurpose it for a garbage pail. Even food grade can harbor microorganisms if it has places where they can reside.

Being food grade simply means its not reactive to Biologic reactions..... Acids.... Bases... It wont give off part of itself into the media that is stored in it. But Scratches and micro-fissures could possibly allow microorganisms to reside and set up residence.

Only heat or bleach can reach in there.... For example I regularly sanitize my food grade cutting boards in the dishwasher.


deb

 

[LOVEIGEE]

Quick answer.... Recycling number 1-7 is food grade. Color has no effect.

If its food grade it will have a number on the bottom of it to specify food grade.... numbers between 1 and 7. It has been my experience that colorants in the plastic have little to no effect except for the amount of heat the plastic needs to become formable,

What may be happening with the bucket that is stained is it has micro-fissures in the walls of the plastic. Could be a result of too fast of production (making the plastic bucket) or too slow. If it doesnt get clean repurpose it for a garbage pail. Even food grade can harbor microorganisms if it has places where they can reside.

Being food grade simply means its not reactive to Biologic reactions..... Acids.... Bases... It wont give off part of itself into the media that is stored in it. But Scratches and micro-fissures could possibly allow microorganisms to reside and set up residence.

Only heat or bleach can reach in there.... For example I regularly sanitize my food grade cutting boards in the dishwasher.


deb

Deb....bleach wouldn't even touch this..........we tried that too......rinse, rinse, and rinse and let it sit out in the sun....