Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

BUD remembers...even dumb ol' BUD remembers.  He keeps a fair distance from me at all times.  One lesson, one good memory instilled. 

For sure! LOL

 

[beverly evans]

BUD remembers...even dumb ol' BUD remembers. He keeps a fair distance from me at all times. One lesson, one good memory instilled.

I thought I read BUD was dead here recently. Is there more than one BUD?

 

[Beekissed]

Had a good ol' rooster named Sue once that did that...once. I went to pick up a hen and he ran to the scene and started to fluff up and get excited. I reached over and cuffed him around the head a good one and he quickly exited the building. One other time I was taking a hen off the roost next to him one night and he reached over and pecked my hand....I reached over and cuffed his head. The next hen I reached for was on the other side of him and I found him with his head tucked under his wing that time...where it stayed until I was done doing what I needed to do. Smart guy.

 

[Beekissed]

I thought I read BUD was dead here recently. Is there more than one BUD?

Nope...one BUD. He lives..sorta. But he is on the list to die. We'll see how that goes.

 

[Ksane]

@Ksane... that's a bunch of chickens! What all are you doing with them, fill us in? I love to hear what other people are doing.

Just feeding them and laughing at them, that's about all. I love hatching and taking care of them, it's more a hobby or pastime. I don't show or breed to sell. I will be getting some Standard Cornish in December. I'm hoping to learn to caponize and process with them.

I prefer to ferment grains only, not the pellets or crumbles, I feed them either dry or soaked in ferment "juice". We attempted putting the pellets w/ the grains in the 33 gal bucket, but it was much more cumbersome.
If I were in your place feeding out that much I think I would keep 2 30gal buckets going at a time. That way you could feed out one per week, and when you start feeding out the second (next) one it will have been fermenting for a week already. Just be sure you have "juice" left to start your new batch.

That's a good idea. I can use the 55 gal barrel plus the 32 gal. One can be 'cooking' while I feed out of the other one ) I can even put 1 kind of grain in 1 and another kind in the next-perfect. Give the birds some variety. I saw your suggestion somewhere about using a shovel to stir with, that certainly made stirring easier today. I slopped a scoopful on everyone's feed today even though it's not done yet. I could almost hear the Araucana boy saying, "Ah! NOW I'm home!" lol I bet he's missed it from your place.
My husband heard about some Irish stew pot somewhere that the soup hasn't been changed out in like 300 yrs, they just keep adding to it every day as people eat it. It reminded me of Kass's ferment tub lol

 

[Kassaundra]

Just feeding them and laughing at them, that's about all. I love hatching and taking care of them, it's more a hobby or pastime. I don't show or breed to sell. I will be getting some Standard Cornish in December. I'm hoping to learn to caponize and process with them.


Ok, that makes sense to ferment the layer pellets also. I guess I was concerned about them eating it if it was just a mush pile of layer mash and oats or layer mash and corn. I know they won't eat dry corn or oats very well. I'll have to experiment and see which they take to better. Does fermentation make it smell or taste better to them? It'd certainly be cheaper to leave out the other various grains, although I buy them anyway for the rooster yards and the 2 Pigeons. Maybe I can add just 10 lbs of each to the barrel.
That's a good idea. I can use the 55 gal barrel plus the 32 gal. One can be 'cooking' while I feed out of the other one ) I can even put 1 kind of grain in 1 and another kind in the next-perfect. Give the birds some variety. I saw your suggestion somewhere about using a shovel to stir with, that certainly made stirring easier today. I slopped a scoopful on everyone's feed today even though it's not done yet. I could almost hear the Araucana boy saying, "Ah! NOW I'm home!" lol I bet he's missed it from your place.
My husband heard about some Irish stew pot somewhere that the soup hasn't been changed out in like 300 yrs, they just keep adding to it every day as people eat it. It reminded me of Kass's ferment tub lol

LOL LOL I bet Litt............. oh I mean Manny missed the ferment too. Now he has ferment, and his own adorring ladies, what more could a handsome little roo want???? lol

 

[Triple Willow]

@Ksane... that's about all I do plus eat one now and then and their eggs. I need to figure out a way to make some money on them.

 

[Triple Willow]

Had a good ol' rooster named Sue once that did that...once.  I went to pick up a hen and he ran to the scene and started to fluff up and get excited.  I reached over and cuffed him around the head a good one and he quickly exited the building.  One other time I was taking a hen off the roost next to him one night and he reached over and pecked my hand....I reached over and cuffed his head.  The next hen I reached for was on the other side of him and I found him with his head tucked under his wing that time...where it stayed until I was done doing what I needed to do.  Smart guy. 

Poor roo, "a boy named Sue". lol I'm afraid me and this roo have a little more of that sort of training to do.

 

[Beekissed]

He was a smaller RIR roo and we felt the name would help toughen him up...and he was a tough little guy. He would stand in the middle of the yard and challenge hawks that flew over after he had all the girls to safety. Funniest thing ever to see that little guy standing there screaming at the sky, just daring the red tails to take a dive.

Good roo...sweet ol' guy, the true southern gentleman to the ladies. Here is a pic of gnarly ol' Sue..standing next to, of all things, a ratty looking BO.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

I like your long thin stick method and maybe sometimes your BUD method. hahaha

My cane works wonders. I can guide all the chickens to where I'd like them to go, and if Bob starts to even look like he's thinking about putting up a fuss I simply put my cane down near him and he's right back to thinking I'm boss. No violence, no wing flappin' just simple walking out in the yard like everything was normal. And, every once in awhile I pick him up and feed him some meal worms.

Of course, he's still only about 7 months old. And I'm a newbie chicken keeper. AND he's an Orpingon, so, not a breed known for attitude. But so far, so good!