Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Jake was like that when I got him...all ribs and muscle. Couldn't seem to put weight on him, though I didn't try to feed him extra than I did the other dog. When I took him to the vet to be neutered I asked him about it and he said some dogs are just like that and they often grow out of it. And he was right! I fed Jake the same as I fed Lucy each day and he stayed ribby for a year or so and then started to slowly fill in and look just right. Muscles, skin and a little bit of cushion on the ribs now. Just takes patience, I guess.

 

[sarahsunshine]

I have a friend who has a husky like that, she had to get some super high calorie paste to add to her dog's diet just to keep a healthy weight.

Maybe I ought to try to ferment his dog food? Hmm... I wonder how that would work for him. Can you ferment protein and fat without it going rancid?

 

[Beekissed]

Maybe I ought to try to ferment his dog food? Hmm... I wonder how that would work for him. Can you ferment protein and fat without it going rancid?

We are doing it in the chicken feed with good results. There are others here who ferment their dog's food with good results, from the reports. I'd say fermentation would keep it from going rancid.

 

[Jipus5]

I am just NOT getting scratch grains to swell much at all. Its fermenting some, but just not good results. Just a poor country girl not able to afford the $20 bags of chicken feed. What all do you guys put in yours????

 

[Beekissed]

I am just NOT getting scratch grains to swell much at all. Its fermenting some, but just not good results. Just a poor country girl not able to afford the $20 bags of chicken feed. What all do you guys put in yours????

Whole grains can't swell as much as cracked grains due to the the tough husk on the outside layer...some grain's husk is more permeable than others. This is why some grains are rolled(oats, barley), crimped(oats) and steamed(oats and barley) to get past their husks. I had difficulty with fermenting wheat and so didn't get it any longer...it was just too hard and the chickens didn't seem to want to eat it, so maybe they too had a hard time digesting it.

Do you have a local feed mill or agricultural co-op in your area? If so, you might find your feeds much cheaper there. I can get a 50# bag of layer mash, fresh milled right there on location, for $10.50 and have never paid more then $13.50 per bag of this layer....right now it's the cheapest it has been for a long time.

Where I used to live I could get 100# fresh milled layer mash for $18-$22.

Mash is a loosely milled grind of cereal grains with other nutrients of fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins added.

Your whole grains won't be a complete ration anyway(especially now when laying is going into its highest level), so you might consider cutting them by 50% with a layer ration of some type. This will save you money still with the use of the whole grains.

Right now where I buy feed, the scratch is around $16 per 50# and barley is at $14, so the more balanced layer mash is the cheaper choice for me at $10.50.

 

[Coralietg]

How long is the fermented food usually good for? I made too much for my first batch, and it's on day 4.

The chicks are eating it, but man they get it all full of wood shavings. Drives me crazy. I gave the leftovers from yesterday to our laying hens, and they gobbled it right up.

 

[Kassaundra]

How long is the fermented food usually good for? I made too much for my first batch, and it's on day 4.

The chicks are eating it, but man they get it all full of wood shavings. Drives me crazy. I gave the leftovers from yesterday to our laying hens, and they gobbled it right up.

My fermented grains/food lasts at least a month or two between replentishing. I do large 30 gallon batches and replentish when I have about 5 gallons left.

 

[Beekissed]

How long is the fermented food usually good for? I made too much for my first batch, and it's on day 4.

The chicks are eating it, but man they get it all full of wood shavings. Drives me crazy. I gave the leftovers from yesterday to our laying hens, and they gobbled it right up.

Good for as long as you keep feeding it. I have the same scoby I've been using for over a year now. I feed it every other week or so with fresh grain.

You don't have to throw out the leftovers...just make them eat around the shavings if it's a lot of food and if it's just a dab, scrape it out right in the brooder and they will consume it later like it's something new and wonderful.

If you haven't already, elevating the feeder out of the shavings to chest height may keep some of the shavings out of it, but probably not all. This too shall pass!

 

[Coralietg]

My fermented grains/food lasts at least a month or two between replentishing. I do large 30 gallon batches and replentish when I have about 5 gallons left.

That's good to know!

Good for as long as you keep feeding it. I have the same scoby I've been using for over a year now. I feed it every other week or so with fresh grain.

You don't have to throw out the leftovers...just make them eat around the shavings if it's a lot of food and if it's just a dab, scrape it out right in the brooder and they will consume it later like it's something new and wonderful.

If you haven't already, elevating the feeder out of the shavings to chest height may keep some of the shavings out of it, but probably not all. This too shall pass!

I guess I need to re-read the fermenting guide. I just mixed the starter with ACV (with mother) and water. I didn't know I had to keep feeding it.

I will get the feeder elevated to help!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Ah well, I guess my animals must be special!

I haven't had a problem with fat animals, and I feed them as much as they want for the first month or so, and then adjust from there based on their body condition. In fact, I adopted too grossly overweight cats many years ago (19lbs and 16lbs) and brought them back to a healthy active weight (12lbs, 9lbs) despite the fact that they were already 9 years old when I got them and were pretty much couch potatoes.

Currently I have a dog that I can't get to gain weight despite him eating as much as he wants... I was originally feeding him what the package said for his weight and you could SEE (not just feel) all his ribs and vertebrae. The type of food I was feeding him is also known to be very high in protein and fat and cause a lot of dogs to be overweight feeding the package recommendation. I ended up feeding him 2x what they recommended! And no, he doesn't have worms, he just has a super fast metabolism (I actually took him to the vet because he just wouldn't gain any weight no matter how much I fed him). I am hoping that since he has just turned 18 months that he (or at least his metabolism!) will slow down... We clocked him at 55km/h last summer! All he wants to do is run and run and run some more!

You can slow your dog's digestion by adding a small amount of a good oil to his food (say olive oil?) and/or a bit of shredded cheese. The fats seem to slow digestion... unless you decide to wait it out. Just a suggestion.

How long is the fermented food usually good for? I made too much for my first batch, and it's on day 4.

The chicks are eating it, but man they get it all full of wood shavings. Drives me crazy. I gave the leftovers from yesterday to our laying hens, and they gobbled it right up.

I elevate my chicks' feed dish. The older/stronger they are, the higher it goes. If they're able to jump, raise it up. Put it on some sort of platform and start out with 2x4s on their sides underneath to raise it. Then turn them on their edge or use something heavier and wider that won't fall over on them, like bricks.