Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[armorfirelady]

Rosemarie I agree with bee I would use Nustock. That's what I use on my hens head that lost its feather from being picked. My hens love the taste of coconut oil

 

[cortner1195]

I can't believe my chicks are almost four weeks old already. It is still way to cold and wet to move them out to the outside pen. They are in the 4x8 utility trailer, in the garage. Heat lamp on either side so that they can utilize some of that space. I will get new pics this afternoon. It is so easy to tell pullet from roo with these guys.

Question: I found a source for whole grain. It is a couple hours away, so when I go I want to buy a fair amount. At $10 for 50# the price seems to be about right. He will custom blend if I call ahead for the same price. What grains am I looking to mix for the layers, and the nearly grown meaties? For instance I would choose from cracked, or whole corn, whole, or rolled oats, etc.

We have been toying with the idea of fermenting feed for the hogs as well. I would probably add dry peas for them. Can the chickens have that as well? We always feed the hogs a wet mash as they waste much less of the food.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Field peas are good way to up the protein I have heard.

 

[Beekissed]

I can't believe my chicks are almost four weeks old already. It is still way to cold and wet to move them out to the outside pen. They are in the 4x8 utility trailer, in the garage. Heat lamp on either side so that they can utilize some of that space. I will get new pics this afternoon. It is so easy to tell pullet from roo with these guys.

Question: I found a source for whole grain. It is a couple hours away, so when I go I want to buy a fair amount. At $10 for 50# the price seems to be about right. He will custom blend if I call ahead for the same price. What grains am I looking to mix for the layers, and the nearly grown meaties? For instance I would choose from cracked, or whole corn, whole, or rolled oats, etc.

We have been toying with the idea of fermenting feed for the hogs as well. I would probably add dry peas for them. Can the chickens have that as well? We always feed the hogs a wet mash as they waste much less of the food.

You can view the ingredients you like from the feeds you currently feed or those you can't afford to feed right here online in most cases and then just choose from that list of grains if you have trouble deciding. Or you can ask this fellow what others are using for the same types of birds.

Fermenting for hogs is a wonderful idea as they are monogastric like the chicken and would benefit greatly from the fermentation of the feed. Fermenting hog mash is as old as time and will save you so much money, improve the health of your pigs and cut down on the smells in their pen.

 

[Beekissed]

Here's pics of the almost week old meat chicks and I'll post a video of them as soon as I can get it uploaded to YT...doing that right now.







As you can see, they still walk over the feed but the wire keeps them from getting down into it so much...they normally just stay on the wire instead of putting their whole foot into it.

 

[LindaB220]

Ok my babies are doing alright. Still working to keep it from being too hot. in there.in the daylight. I have to turn the heat lamp totally off and just leave the overhead light on. Very dim but sufficient I had a few pasty butts today and know it was heat related. Keeping a watch on them. Today for the first time when I came in the door they screamed and ran to the feeder. 6 days old.

Loving my babies. Aimee said "I thought you would spend all day with them" No, not my thing. But they are happy and quietly chirping so I'm good. I went around the yard yesterday and dug up a bunch of weeds and transplanted to the future run. (And my knee is telling me to don't do that for a while) Learning what I have stamina for.

My 18 are going through about 1- 1 1/2 cups a day. Is this too much. Sometimes they don't eat it all and I stir it back in the batch. I feed 3or 4 times a day. II'm probably overestimating. I have white rocks and delawares plus six golden comets. Some of the little yellow ones have little gray feathers comeing in on their wings. I assume these are the delawares. Comets I can tell apart. Rust colored. No idea how to sex at this time. Not going to worry about it. I do know that the one that came doa was a pullet. I was just too tired to try and sex them the first day or two. Too late now.

And to top everything, our AC went out last night. You northerners are laughing I'll bet but it's 80 in the house today. Not too uncomfortable yet and hope to get it fixed tomorrow. It could have happened when it was 105 outside. I've lived through that also. Two weeks at 92 inside the house. Certainly didn't do much at that time. Lots of salads.

 

[Angelicisi]

Do organs need a resting period? I rigor is muscles but figured I'd check lil

 

[Beekissed]

Ok my babies are doing alright. Still working to keep it from being too hot. in there.in the daylight. I have to turn the heat lamp totally off and just leave the overhead light on. Very dim but sufficient I had a few pasty butts today and know it was heat related. Keeping a watch on them. Today for the first time when I came in the door they screamed and ran to the feeder. 6 days old.

Loving my babies. Aimee said "I thought you would spend all day with them" No, not my thing. But they are happy and quietly chirping so I'm good. I went around the yard yesterday and dug up a bunch of weeds and transplanted to the future run. (And my knee is telling me to don't do that for a while) Learning what I have stamina for.

My 18 are going through about 1- 1 1/2 cups a day. Is this too much. Sometimes they don't eat it all and I stir it back in the batch. I feed 3or 4 times a day. II'm probably overestimating. I have white rocks and delawares plus six golden comets. Some of the little yellow ones have little gray feathers comeing in on their wings. I assume these are the delawares. Comets I can tell apart. Rust colored. No idea how to sex at this time. Not going to worry about it. I do know that the one that came doa was a pullet. I was just too tired to try and sex them the first day or two. Too late now.

And to top everything, our AC went out last night. You northerners are laughing I'll bet but it's 80 in the house today. Not too uncomfortable yet and hope to get it fixed tomorrow. It could have happened when it was 105 outside. I've lived through that also. Two weeks at 92 inside the house. Certainly didn't do much at that time. Lots of salads.

Air conditioning? We had snow last night. We use fans for summer and even when it's 103* and 65* humidity we use fans....and it's uncomfortable in the house, so I can sympathize. But I don't think you need any heat at all to those chicks!

I'd try just feeding twice a day so you won't have to fuss with it that often and just feed them just enough to last almost until the next feeding and then feed them the same amount that evening...that way they have breakfast and you don't have to rush out there to feed first thing. Or, you can do what I do with these meaties....

I dish out enough for these meat birds~ of the same age as your DPs~ for them to eat on it all day....but it's empty by morning and I have no way of knowing how long they've been without. They are quite happy with that and are roaring to get fed each day, growing like weeds. One meal per day that is big enough for all day so that all birds get fed at the same time, big and little.

 

[LindaB220]

Air conditioning? We had snow last night. We use fans for summer and even when it's 103* and 65* humidity we use fans....and it's uncomfortable in the house, so I can sympathize. But I don't think you need any heat at all to those chicks!

I'd try just feeding twice a day so you won't have to fuss with it that often and just feed them just enough to last almost until the next feeding and then feed them the same amount that evening...that way they have breakfast and you don't have to rush out there to feed first thing. Or, you can do what I do with these meaties....

I dish out enough for these meat birds~ of the same age as your DPs~ for them to eat on it all day....but it's empty by morning and I have no way of knowing how long they've been without. They are quite happy with that and are roaring to get fed each day, growing like weeds. One meal per day that is big enough for all day so that all birds get fed at the same time, big and little.

Serious, Aimee and the guys were thinking of going to a motel tonight. It's 78 now inside and 75 outside. Low tonight 46. I looked it up and told them to open the windows and let the breeze in. So I guess we will stay here. I wouldn't have gone anyway. My room is always about 75. I like it that way.

That will simplify by not worrying about the brooder lamp. The hottest it got in there today with the lamp off was 85. And they did ok the first night when it was cold and inside temp was 56 with lamp. I have a little muffin tin with 6 holes that I will fill and see how that does. I should have put it in there before.

 

[Beekissed]

Do organs need a resting period? I rigor is muscles but figured I'd check lil

Just the heart!