Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Coralietg]

I have a quick question… I'm all out of the raw apple cider vinegar, just made my last 5 gallon batch of feed. Can I use buttermilk from the grocery store instead? I'm not sure if any local stores have the raw apple cider vinegar and I'm not going into the closest big town until Monday.

 

[Triple Willow]

I have a quick question… I'm all out of the raw apple cider vinegar, just made my last 5 gallon batch of feed. Can I use buttermilk from the grocery store instead? I'm not sure if any local stores have the raw apple cider vinegar and I'm not going into the closest big town until Monday.

If you left some feed from your last batch of feed in the bucket (you should do that each time) you don't need to add anything. Just stir the old feed into the new feed mix really well. The way I do it is I leave a couple of inches of the old feed in the bucket, add some warm water and stir that old feed up really well. Then I start adding my new feed and stir as I go until it is all mixed up. In about 8-12 hours you will have a new batch.

You don't have to use anything to start it, but it just takes longer. Some use ACV as a starter. I use buttermilk to give the first batch a quick start.

 

[Coralietg]

If you left some feed from your last batch of feed in the bucket (you should do that each time) you don't need to add anything. Just stir the old feed into the new feed mix really well. The way I do it is I leave a couple of inches of the old feed in the bucket, add some warm water and stir that old feed up really well. Then I start adding my new feed and stir as I go until it is all mixed up. In about 8-12 hours you will have a new batch.

You don't have to use anything to start it, but it just takes longer. Some use ACV as a starter. I use buttermilk to give the first batch a quick start.

That's good to know. I've been starting each bucket fresh, because I've been getting some whitish mould forming on the top sides of the bucket. I will use some of the old feed to start next time. Thank you!

 

[TexasLisa]

That's good to know. I've been starting each bucket fresh, because I've been getting some whitish mould forming on the top sides of the bucket. I will use some of the old feed to start next time. Thank you!

Just stir the whitish feed into the ff. You should stir once or twice a day.

Lisa

 

[Coralietg]

Just stir the whitish feed into the ff. You should stir once or twice a day.

Lisa

I stir once or twice a day, the mould forms on splatters at the top inside of the bucket. I thought it was a bad thing and would be careful not to knock it into the feed.

 

[Triple Willow]

That's good to know. I've been starting each bucket fresh, because I've been getting some whitish mould forming on the top sides of the bucket. I will use some of the old feed to start next time. Thank you!

That white film is fine, that is the good stuff!

 

[Triple Willow]

After I mix mine up and it expands I can't stir it anymore, too thick. After I mix it up all I do is dip it out to feed after that. It is like real thick oatmeal.

 

[Coralietg]

Go figure that the batch I am finishing now isn't too fuzzy at the top, lol.



Looks like tiny, threadlike mould.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Yeah, that is mold. Sometimes its easy to mistake scoby from mold but that is mold.

Actually you can add nothing to your FF and the scoby will grow anyhow. It just takes longer.

 

[Coralietg]

Yeah, that is mold. Sometimes its easy to mistake scoby from mold but that is mold.

Actually you can add nothing to your FF and the scoby will grow anyhow. It just takes longer.

I figured it was mould, that's why I've been restarting my batch each time. It's so humid here, things can get mouldy quick. It's never in the actual feed, just on the sides of the bucket.