Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Good Morning Beekissed!!! Such a glorious morning!!! We have light fog with the sun shining through! A little cool, 41. I love fall!!! Me again!! 2 more questions, please

. I forgot my chick starter is medicated.

Will the fermentation counteract the meds? (I would prefer it did!) And is it ok to feed to layers?

Same here! Good morning to you, OhHappy!!!

I'm a morning and fall person too, so when the day is glorious I can't keep the name of the Lord off my lips all day as I go about my day, just being thankful for all the beauty around me. Of course, I was also thankful for the rainy, gloomy day yesterday because I had a wood stove making the whole house cozy, I have fire wood stored up, I have food in the pantry and freezer and life is just GOOD.

The FF should counteract what the amprollium in the med. chick starter will try to accomplish~inhibit thiamine uptake~which is a horrible thing to do to little chicks but hopefully the FF will increase thiamine and other essential nutrients so much that it may counteract that action. The LABs and acetobacter bacilli in the FF will inhibit the overgrowth of coccidia, so the medicated feed is entirely unnecessary. But, you are only feeding it for a short time, so it can't harm them too much. No worries. You don't even have to feed it if you don't wish to do so..the layer ration will be sufficient for their needs.

Smart lady there Lisa.

I have been out in the garage talking to mama and chicks... mama really. lol She is such a pretty Aussie. I think her chicks were one week old yesterday. One is showing quite a bit more tail feathers than the other two already so I suppose it will be a roo. I was hoping for a few more Aussie pullets but I suppose one roo would be okay. I'm sure somebody could use him if I don't.

I'm not sure what it is outside, probably lower 50's. It's 65 in the house, chilly! May have to turn a little heat on today. Oh yeah, the leaves changing is pretty.

Talk to you guys later...errand to run.

Uh....TW? Could be your chick with more tail is a pullet. Usually rooster chicks are the last to show any tail length. Could be you have one gal and two guys on your hands.

 

[OHhappychicks]

Same here! Good morning to you, OhHappy!!!

I'm a morning and fall person too, so when the day is glorious I can't keep the name of the Lord off my lips all day as I go about my day, just being thankful for all the beauty around me. Of course, I was also thankful for the rainy, gloomy day yesterday because I had a wood stove making the whole house cozy, I have fire wood stored up, I have food in the pantry and freezer and life is just GOOD.

The FF should counteract what the amprollium in the med. chick starter will try to accomplish~inhibit thiamine uptake~which is a horrible thing to do to little chicks but hopefully the FF will increase thiamine and other essential nutrients so much that it may counteract that action. The LABs and acetobacter bacilli in the FF will inhibit the overgrowth of coccidia, so the medicated feed is entirely unnecessary. But, you are only feeding it for a short time, so it can't harm them too much. No worries. You don't even have to feed it if you don't wish to do so..the layer ration will be sufficient for their needs.

Uh....TW? Could be your chick with more tail is a pullet. Usually rooster chicks are the last to show any tail length. Could be you have one gal and two guys on your hands.

We burn wood also and started it up yesterday! mmmm! And absolutely, the Lord is good, all the time! Life is good! I didn't want medicated feed, but for some reason the feed mill said that was all they had??!! I should have went to tsc and bought their chick starter.

I've already mixed it in with the layermash. I assume it will be ok for the layers and eggs?
Interesting about the tail feathers! I'm like TW. I would've thought it a roo also. Good to know!!

 

[LOVEIGEE]

Same here! Good morning to you, OhHappy!!!

I'm a morning and fall person too, so when the day is glorious I can't keep the name of the Lord off my lips all day as I go about my day, just being thankful for all the beauty around me. Of course, I was also thankful for the rainy, gloomy day yesterday because I had a wood stove making the whole house cozy, I have fire wood stored up, I have food in the pantry and freezer and life is just GOOD.

The FF should counteract what the amprollium in the med. chick starter will try to accomplish~inhibit thiamine uptake~which is a horrible thing to do to little chicks but hopefully the FF will increase thiamine and other essential nutrients so much that it may counteract that action. The LABs and acetobacter bacilli in the FF will inhibit the overgrowth of coccidia, so the medicated feed is entirely unnecessary. But, you are only feeding it for a short time, so it can't harm them too much. No worries. You don't even have to feed it if you don't wish to do so..the layer ration will be sufficient for their needs.

Uh....TW? Could be your chick with more tail is a pullet. Usually rooster chicks are the last to show any tail length. Could be you have one gal and two guys on your hands.

Good morning ladies! It's beautiful here too! Will be in the high 30's later next week......Too funny BF...I was gonna tell her that too....the one that is feathering out is a girly girl...

 

[LOVEIGEE]

BF....is it wing feathering or tail feathering for pullets? Or both?

 

[Beekissed]

We burn wood also and started it up yesterday! mmmm! And absolutely, the Lord is good, all the time! Life is good! I didn't want medicated feed, but for some reason the feed mill said that was all they had??!! I should have went to tsc and bought their chick starter.

I've already mixed it in with the layermash. I assume it will be ok for the layers and eggs?
Interesting about the tail feathers! I'm like TW. I would've thought it a roo also. Good to know!!

No worries...it's only temporary and won't kill 'em.

That's all that matters anyway, huh?

BF....is it wing feathering or tail feathering for pullets? Or both?

The most marked difference between the two are the tail feathering past the first few days...the first few days you can tell by the wing feathers. After that age it gets a little more murky until those tail feathers start to show up...the pullets will have a long, tapered tail and the roos will have a short, flat tail that is more even across the tips.

Ugly BUD still doesn't have a tail...maybe it was pulled out as a youngster and hasn't grown back in, but he sure looks derpy with no tail going on and those long legs. I'll try to get pics of the poor thing today. BTW, he is doing great and has fought his way to a good roost site, is foraging well and seems to be pushing his way into this flock whether they like it or not. What a character!

LOVE!!!! Good to see you!!!!

How's my fine, southern friend today?

 

[LOVEIGEE]

No worries...it's only temporary and won't kill 'em.

That's all that matters anyway, huh?


The most marked difference between the two are the tail feathering past the first few days...the first few days you can tell by the wing feathers. After that age it gets a little more murky until those tail feathers start to show up...the pullets will have a long, tapered tail and the roos will have a short, flat tail that is more even across the tips.

Ugly BUD still doesn't have a tail...maybe it was pulled out as a youngster and hasn't grown back in, but he sure looks derpy with no tail going on and those long legs. I'll try to get pics of the poor thing today. BTW, he is doing great and has fought his way to a good roost site, is foraging well and seems to be pushing his way into this flock whether they like it or not. What a character!

LOVE!!!! Good to see you!!!!

How's my fine, southern friend today?

I'm good BF! Been busy at work and all 4 dogs have fleas we can't get rid of this year......getting cooler next week...trying to cozy up the coop in the hour it's still light when we get home....I remember last year you had a time with Jake and fleas.....what did you come up with to finally get rid of them.......IS IT NOT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TIME OF THE YEAR (well, I love Spring too)? Cool and crisp......Miss you BF

Our hearts are always together though! Lordy....I was getting a complex....ya'll were all talking and having fun and I had a break here at work.....posted.....and all ya'll scrammed.....

I thought wow....where did everyone go all at once...just my luck........

 

[LOVEIGEE]

Oh BF, do you have pictures of your hoop coop all winterized.....I want to see....want to get some ideas using the hay..........

 

[LOVEIGEE]

Shoot......have to go again.......hope to be back soon.........

 

[Beekissed]

I'm good BF! Been busy at work and all 4 dogs have fleas we can't get rid of this year......getting cooler next week...trying to cozy up the coop in the hour it's still light when we get home....I remember last year you had a time with Jake and fleas.....what did you come up with to finally get rid of them.......IS IT NOT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TIME OF THE YEAR (well, I love Spring too)? Cool and crisp......Miss you BF

Our hearts are always together though! Lordy....I was getting a complex....ya'll were all talking and having fun and I had a break here at work.....posted.....and all ya'll scrammed.....

I thought wow....where did everyone go all at once...just my luck........

We finally broke down and got the Advantix II...but it still didn't work the way it used to. We used that and a combination of Pyrethrin powder and it seemed to kick the fleas. Now I just use the powder and it keeps things to a dull roar. Haven't seen a flea all this summer but will occasionally see him dig his stomach..but can't see a flea when I examine him right after, nor any flea bites. I think we are dealing with regular ol' fleas this year and not the super fleas of last year. The cat digs occasionally and then he gets dusted too.

I think time and the environment took care of the infestation.

Oh BF, so you have pictures of your hoop coop all winterized.....I want to see....want to get some ideas using the hay..........

Don't have it winterized just yet...too early. But will be adding some features today and will take some pics of that when I'm done. You don't even get winter where you are, do you?

If you don't get temps any lower than 40s, I'd not do a thing but block the wind and rain and leave the rest alone. Cold temps kill germs and the fresh air blows them away. I'll be buckling the coop down WAY less than I did last year, even though I anticipate a worse winter. Learned my lesson last year on this hoop coop..the design keeps it more snug than a traditional wooden coop, I'm thinking, as the coop seems to absorb the sunlight more and block the wind more than my old, leaky and ancient wooden coops in the past.

 

[Triple Willow]

@Bee... I don't know for sure. I was just going by when I hatched out the mama and her bros and sistas. The roos had long tail feathers and their comb pretty early. I HOPE I'm right! LOL I did this for PULLETS not roos! LOL