Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[LindaB220]

I have been lurking on your thread for months and haven't caught up. I hope someone,can give me a simple fermented recipe for my meat birds that are just 1 week old. I am feeding Scratch n Peck Starter and it's fairly finely ground. It says it's actually a mash mixture. How do I mix up a batch with such fine particles, then get it drained for them to eat? I will start by using about a gallon of grain in my ceramic crock. How much brags apple cider vinegar should I add and how much water to start the first batch?

Get a bucket. Fill it half full of feed. Add water, stir and wait a few minutes. If you need to add more water do so until it's like thick oatmeal. You can add ACV or not, it only speeds it up a little. Cover with a towel or something loose and sit. Stir daily for 4 days. It should be ready. Feed until 1/4 from bottom and do the feed and water again. Add the water first and stir up the sludge. It ferments faster that way. I do this at night and it's ready the next morning. It will not spoil so just keep adding and don't worry about washing the bucket. If a white mold looking layer is on top, that's the good stuff. Stir in and feed. With meat birds you might want to have a 5 gallon bucket going at all times. They will eat more each day. Good luck. PM me at any time

 

[Renee97038]

Thanks to everyone to get me started. I have it started now thanks to your help! I added 2 tbsp of raw, fermented sauerkraut juice to give it a start. I will let you know how my youngsters like it in 4 days!

 

[beverly evans]

Quote: It was ramps! We don't have them in Texas as far as I know but we do have polk salad, though I don't know what it looks like. I would like to find some "chufas". They taste like almonds? That's a good thing. I'll google 'em.

 

[beverly evans]

Quote: Kassaundra, Where have you been lately? Not heard from you in a long while. I have something for you to see. Please google "fowlrus" and click on the first entry in the list, then on the top of the page click on "showgirl". Then tell me what you think of them. I don't like naked necks, but these are something else again! : )

 

[Kassaundra]

Kassaundra, Where have you been lately? Not heard from you in a long while. I have something for you to see. Please google "fowlrus" and click on the first entry in the list, then on the top of the page click on "showgirl". Then tell me what you think of them. I don't like naked necks, but these are something else again! : )

I think showgirls are cute. A fibro NN w/ a special "doo" what's not to love. lol I don't have any silkies, nn or not though.

 

[Kassaundra]

I had a surprise in my last hatch, have you seen any of my pics of Rudy?

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Well, if they are all that wonderful we'll all just have to plant us some of them there tigernuts!  If normal food ever gets scarce there are some people who will know where to get stuff like tigernuts to get by on.  What was that wild vegetable or sprout that we were talking about months ago?  It had a funny name.  Rosemarie will remember, maybe Triple Willow.  They grow wild and people go out to harvest them in the woods when in season.?????

I know nutsedge grows in my wetlands part of the property.

It was ramps!  We don't have them in Texas as far as I know but we do have polk salad, though I don't know what it looks like. I would like to find some "chufas".  They taste like almonds?  That's a good thing.  I'll google 'em.

Is ramps the same as wild leeks? There are so many wild grown things people can eat if prepared and cleaned properly. We gather leeks, dandelion green (even roots cleaned and grated make tea), mushrooms (have to know the edibles and care for them), wild asparagus and other things. Wonderful additions to salads and in cooking or teas. I've made a tea of the dandelion greens and the chickens drank it.

 

[Regin]

Place a ramp going to the feeder. Low for little ones and raise it every week. They MUST exercise to feed and have less problems with legs and heart.

Feed conversion goes down slightly, but you can make that up by feeding the fermented feed. AND you get huge breasts.

 

[jenjan8998]

Well, I think it is my turn to ask about fermenting. I have never done it before, and really want to start. I have been going crazy reading everything I can. It was a lot and got kind of confusing, but I think I got it all down. Just wanting to make sure I have it, and will be doing it right.

I plan on using a 5 gallon bucket with snap shut lid, leave it propped open, dont shut unless I am shaking. Put in enough feed to last a few days, and cover with water. Stir every couple hours, and make sure there is enough liquid to keep it covered. Wait at least 4 days, it will be bubbly and have a sour smell. Scoop enough for the chickens to eat in a short time frame, feed twice a day. Every time I remove some of the feed, add more to replace, and just maintain water level. I will be fermenting just regular layer feed and maybe add some scratch also. Or just throw the scratch out.

One thing that confused me was when I just start the bucket, I have read that normal tap water it fine, but also that you need to use non-chlorinated water. Which is it? Also, that you should put ACV in it to get it started. Do I keep adding the ACV every time I add water, or just to get it started? Is it a must that I add it? I have also read that you can just leave the lid open and it will naturally do what the ACV does for it, it just might take longer and you run into the chance of mold?

I am just trying to make sure I get this all right the first time around, before I start experimenting with fermenting new foods, or buying whole grains and doing it that way. Sorry for the long post!! But any help will be so greatly appreciated.

 

[Kassaundra]

Well, I think it is my turn to ask about fermenting. I have never done it before, and really want to start. I have been going crazy reading everything I can. It was a lot and got kind of confusing, but I think I got it all down. Just wanting to make sure I have it, and will be doing it right.

I plan on using a 5 gallon bucket with snap shut lid, leave it propped open, dont shut unless I am shaking. Put in enough feed to last a few days, and cover with water. Stir every couple hours, and make sure there is enough liquid to keep it covered. Wait at least 4 days, it will be bubbly and have a sour smell. Scoop enough for the chickens to eat in a short time frame, feed twice a day. Every time I remove some of the feed, add more to replace, and just maintain water level. I will be fermenting just regular layer feed and maybe add some scratch also. Or just throw the scratch out.

One thing that confused me was when I just start the bucket, I have read that normal tap water it fine, but also that you need to use non-chlorinated water. Which is it? Also, that you should put ACV in it to get it started. Do I keep adding the ACV every time I add water, or just to get it started? Is it a must that I add it? I have also read that you can just leave the lid open and it will naturally do what the ACV does for it, it just might take longer and you run into the chance of mold?

I am just trying to make sure I get this all right the first time around, before I start experimenting with fermenting new foods, or buying whole grains and doing it that way. Sorry for the long post!! But any help will be so greatly appreciated.

Mine has never been hurt by tap water. I do not know if the "new chlorine" I think something like chloramine would cause problems, I think ours is just the old fashioned chlorine. I also don't know if our tap water has fluorine or not.

If you choose to add acv you only need to add it once as a jump start, but it isn't ness. Either grains or feed will work, or both.

In 2+ (almost 3) years I have never got mold in mine, it has a loose cover most of the time, but if I think it is going to rain I let the cover stay off to catch rain water. I always keep a water cover on mine, I know Bee does not. I have the same ferment I started with, and I did water and feed / grains. Mine is outside year round in a large 30 gallon black plastic trash bucket.