Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

I like idea of these cooling towers; http://www.i4at.org/lib2/aircool.htm

 

[LindaB220]

When it gets hot and the humidity get on up there my birds do pant a lot and hold their wings out to cool. High humidity makes it miserable - like sucking in air and still can't breathe! I don't look too forward to it but this weather hasn't been too wonderful either. lol

The humidity is what's causing the difficulty. They say that snowing up north is so much better than snowing down south because the humidity and wind chill makes it seem to be colder. I know that NW La. is cold right now and very humid. But I've been to South La before and NEVER have I had a more wretched time with the heat. In the summer of course. Our humidity in just a few hundred miles is so different from the coast. I guess I have the best of both worlds.

 

[Triple Willow]

@ LindaB... The weather this winter makes me wonder what summer will be like. lol

 

[dolfi]

Many rabbits come in red eyed white. Dozens of breeds. If it is a big bunnywl with no black or grey it is probably a new zealand white. The cage size is good... Are they housed indoors or out? Do they habe good shelter? Also, more about the food. For example I feed two types of pellets, one for my pet mini lop and one for my meat breeding does. The difference in nutrients is staggering. Both can be found in the same store and are two of the biggest brands of rabbit feed out there.
The pet food has 12% protein, 0.8% calcium, something less than 1% fat...
The meat rabbit food has 18% protein (half again as much) 2% calcium (more than double) and like 2% fat (double).

The first food would never support a breeding rabbit.

Hay has a similar issue. If you have Brome hay it may only have 6-8% protein in it. If you have alfalfa hay it could have 22% protein! Bromegrass would not support a breeding meat rabbit, alfalfa tends to be too fatty and rich and too much calcium.

It is important to know what you are feeding.

I'll do some research on feed . Me and my DH are going to start our horses on alfalfa hay next week, lol I'll get some from them.

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: I don't know about that. Most of our snow has been that heavy wet stuff which means lots of moisture/humidity in it. Which means it weighs a ton .....ok maybe a ton but it sure feels like it when it snows

 

[dolfi]

So I'll start fermenting again. First time around not so good. But now I got the acv with mothers and buttermilk. I do ten scoops a day for them of dry feed. How much scoops do I ferment at a time?

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, I don't know what I will do if this keeps up.....she skipped a day and then laid an 84 gram egg. I sure can't incubate those. The first big one was a double, so I am sure this one will be as well.....poor girl.

Not much you can do...just let her live out her life of big eggs and be prepared to take care of business if she ever has trouble. She may live her life just fine as a big egg layer and retire without any incidents. Are your yolks in the doubles very large? If so, I don't know why those cannot be incubated...they say they shouldn't be incubated due to lack of nutrition from small yolks but if the yolks are big, what's the hold up, I wonder?

So I'll start fermenting again. First time around not so good. But now I got the acv with mothers and buttermilk. I do ten scoops a day for them of dry feed. How much scoops do I ferment at a time?

If you are using tap water it may slow down or hinder your ferment, so let it sit out and aerate the chlorine a bit before adding it to your feed. If your scoops are 10/ 2 c. sized scoops you might want to ferment a 5 gal. bucket of feed. Don't fill it clear to the top or you will have some volcano activity of feed over the edge of the bucket and you will have difficulty stirring it. Just fill 3/4 full with dry feed and then add your water.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: There is a woman here on BYC that hatches Double yolkers.... Its a project.... I forget who she is.

deb

 

[RachaelS]

Wow, great tips on the heat! Ours varies from hot and humid to hot and dry, I prefer dry in a way, except when the fires start, then it gets pretty scary. Last summer had the least 100+ days in a row, in a long time. It was a nice break. Still lost one girl from it, it was on a super hot/humid day. She was one that had a heat stroke last year and never really seemed the same after it, but she did live a good life.

 

[dolfi]

Not much you can do...just let her live out her life of big eggs and be prepared to take care of business if she ever has trouble.  She may live her life just fine as a big egg layer and retire without any incidents.  Are your yolks in the doubles very large?  If so, I don't know why those cannot be incubated...they say they shouldn't be incubated due to lack of nutrition from small yolks but if the yolks are big, what's the hold up, I wonder? 


If you are using tap water it may slow down or hinder your ferment, so let it sit out and aerate the chlorine a bit before adding it to your feed.  If your scoops are 10/ 2 c. sized scoops you might want to ferment a 5 gal. bucket of feed.  Don't fill it clear to the top or you will have some volcano activity of feed over the edge of the bucket and you will have difficulty stirring it.  Just fill 3/4 full with dry feed and then add your water. 

will do.
Lol I was reading bcmara saying about her hen and I have one that lays really big eggs. I do try to incubate yet not successful. I took one and weight a few and they range from 86 to 74 grams.i guess we will eat her eggs