Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

Fuzzy whiteish grey stuff. I scraped the top off earlier and added more water. When I went back to check on it there was a nicer looking "foamy" covering.  Smell, I try not to get to close to be honest. It's very humid here, and hot.

You feed sounds fine. That whitish film is the good stuff. Just stir it back in if you want to.

 

[Bethel3330]

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[aatx]

Please excuse this question, as I am sure a version of it has been asked numerous times in this thread, but it's huge and I can't seem to come up with a unique enough search term to find what I am looking for.

I've had a very hard time deciding between medicated and non-medicated chick starter, but even though I do not feel good about it (weighing all the pros and cons I could not get one side win by a large margin) I think I have finally decided to go with non-medicated chick started and attempt to ferment it. If I have trouble with the FF, I would switch to medicated chick starter.

My chicks are supposed to ship out tomorrow and I estimate I will get them on Friday, so if I want to start them on FF from the start, it seems like now is the time to get going. I'll need to purchase a container (or more than one) and just looking for some guidance on how much feed I should expect to be using per day so I will know which container.

I have 25 chicks coming, all bantams, straight run - 7 silkies, 6 easter egger bantams, 6 dominique bantams, and 6 buff orpington bantams. I have no other birds.

Any idea on approximately how much feed I will go through a day for the first few months? (Long term plan is to end up with around 10 hens). I've been eyeing a 2 gallon glass container at Wal-Mart that I could keep in the kitchen. Is one enough? Do I need 2?

Thank you in advance for any guidance.

 

[lazy gardener]

I can tell you that my 5 LF girls go through a quart of FF/ day. (more or less, usually less) I have 27 chicks that are a bit over 3 weeks old, all LF, and including 9 meat birds. They started at 2 cups, and are now eating almost 3 qts/day. It will take you a couple of days to get a good ferment going. (I used ACV with the mother to start the ferment, and have not added any ACV since the initial start.) All I do is pour the FF out of the 1 qt yogurt carton that I ferment in. Then I add more crumble to the carton, add water and give it a good stir. There will be enough culture left in the carton from the stuff left sticking to the sides and bottom of the carton. It will be bubbly and ready to feed the next day. I rotate 3 cartons. FF is not an exact science. I'd suggest that you start with a small batch, about a quart, and then, as your chicks grow, you can increase your subsequent batches. I do offer dry crumble to my chicks as well. They seem to prefer the FF. I find it easier to use multiple smaller containers so I can rotate them, and just carry the container to the feed bowl. When the chicks are weaned out of the brooder, I may graduate to a 1 - 2 gal. bucket.

 

[TexasLisa]

Please excuse this question, as I am sure a version of it has been asked numerous times in this thread, but it's huge and I can't seem to come up with a unique enough search term to find what I am looking for.

I've had a very hard time deciding between medicated and non-medicated chick starter, but even though I do not feel good about it (weighing all the pros and cons I could not get one side win by a large margin) I think I have finally decided to go with non-medicated chick started and attempt to ferment it. If I have trouble with the FF, I would switch to medicated chick starter.

My chicks are supposed to ship out tomorrow and I estimate I will get them on Friday, so if I want to start them on FF from the start, it seems like now is the time to get going. I'll need to purchase a container (or more than one) and just looking for some guidance on how much feed I should expect to be using per day so I will know which container.

I have 25 chicks coming, all bantams, straight run - 7 silkies, 6 easter egger bantams, 6 dominique bantams, and 6 buff orpington bantams. I have no other birds.

Any idea on approximately how much feed I will go through a day for the first few months? (Long term plan is to end up with around 10 hens). I've been eyeing a 2 gallon glass container at Wal-Mart that I could keep in the kitchen. Is one enough? Do I need 2?

Thank you in advance for any guidance.

Congratulations on getting your chicks! You are in for some fun! You can use a 2 gallon jar to start out with, but you could easily have a big mess on your hands. Some of us (if not all) have at one time or another put too much feed in the container along with the water and it overflows when it expands. I use a 5 gallon bucket with holes inside another bucket.

Lisa

 

[LindaB220]

I use a 2 gallon container (bucket) and originally my 16 chicks would finish it in 4-5 days. Now at 5 weeks they eat it in 1.5 days. Next I'll start it in a 5 gallon bucket and it'll last 3-4 days. Start small and increase as you go along. Don't waste a lot of money on fancy glass bowls. They will outgrow it in days.

Another thing, I really screwed up. I bought a big bag of whole oats (triple washed) It's for racehorses. I have a track in Bossier City. I bought it for sprouting and planting in the run later. But I thought why not just throw a bunch in with the FF and SURELY it will soften up. Wrong. Still hard as rocks. So when they eat they very patiently pick them out and leave at the bottom of the container. Only one batch but I won't make that mistake again.

 

[butch vb]

I started my chicks on non med ground up in coffee grinder mixed a runny paste with plain yougart acv in one waterer and plain water in other be sure to clean and use room temp water for first few days

 

[aatx]

Thanks. I would be replacing some of the food daily to keep it going, so it sounds like maybe the 2 gallon glass container will get me started and then switch to a 5 gallon bucket.

I'd start in a 5 gallon bucket, but no where to put it inside except for the front closet. I'd like to start the process in the kitchen where I can monitor it and see what's going on. Not enough room in there for a bucket. Once I get comfortable with it, I can switch to the bucket and I already have several things I could use the glass container for, so it won't go to waste.

Another question - I had planned on grinding up the chick starter at first (when I was not thinking about FF). Would that still be a good idea or will it no longer be necessary since it will be moistened?

 

[calliescluckers]

if it takes like a week for your chicks to go through the fermented feed, will it go bad...? say if i made too much?

 

[armorfirelady]

Thanks.  I would be replacing some of the food daily to keep it going, so it sounds like maybe the 2 gallon glass container will get me started and then switch to a 5 gallon bucket.

I'd start in a 5 gallon bucket, but no where to put it inside except for the front closet.  I'd like to start the process in the kitchen where I can monitor it and see what's going on.  Not enough room in there for a bucket.  Once I get comfortable with it, I can switch to the bucket and I already have several things I could use the glass container for, so it won't go to waste.

Another question - I had planned on grinding up the chick starter at first (when I was not thinking about FF).  Would that still be a good idea or will it no longer be necessary since it will be moistened?

You don't need to grind it. It will soften up as it ferments. If your chicks will be free ranging when they get older their consumption of food will lessen also. Now that the snow is gone I feed 4'cups of ff to 8 hens in the evening. It makes them go out & find food all day if their hungry I use whole grains and a 50# batch last me many months