Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

I have a question for you all -- have any of you tried fermenting greens? (I was looking for a way to use non-treated grass clippings that could be used for feed, but were way too short to bail to store like hay...came across silage on Google.)  I found this while looking over lunch, a very old historical document from the Kansas extension, and it was fascinating though I admit to skimming.  There were several experiments, a summary of their findings for all the experiments at the very last several pages or so.  Essentially they did grass silage by fermenting in barrels (after the first method failed to produce good results) and fed that to the chickens.  More modern methods look like they double bag them in trash cans, cram it down, and invert after closing up to get a good seal.

So to bring this back more to fermented feed in general -- how do you think adding grass clippings to a fermenting bucket of feed would go over?  Useful, useless, just one more thing potentially messing up the fermenting process?  Maybe just better to make the grass silage with the clippings and in the winter have both fermented feed and some fermented grass?

Two interesting tidbits unrelated to this topic I figured I'd share since most are probably not going to want to skim the document:  apparently if they over eat silage some of the hens produced "grass eggs" with olive colored yolks (but this went away after a bit, just happened on initial introduction to it); and because alfalfa wasn't as preferred a forage item and was better established than the grasses they used, it kept better ground cover near the coop.

I was reading about that sometime last year but never tried it. I bet if you could figure out how to do it right it would be good. There is a place in Korea (I think) that makes FPJ - fermented plant juice. They also ferment herbs. I am going to get around to learning all that one day. I do use alfalfa pellets in my ff. It works great and makes some pretty orange yolks.

...this guy here has some pretty good teachings on FPJ and other methods of "Korean Natural Farming".

 

[LindaB220]

I have a question for you all -- have any of you tried fermenting greens? (I was looking for a way to use non-treated grass clippings that could be used for feed, but were way too short to bail to store like hay...came across silage on Google.) I found this while looking over lunch, a very old historical document from the Kansas extension, and it was fascinating though I admit to skimming. There were several experiments, a summary of their findings for all the experiments at the very last several pages or so. Essentially they did grass silage by fermenting in barrels (after the first method failed to produce good results) and fed that to the chickens. More modern methods look like they double bag them in trash cans, cram it down, and invert after closing up to get a good seal.

So to bring this back more to fermented feed in general -- how do you think adding grass clippings to a fermenting bucket of feed would go over? Useful, useless, just one more thing potentially messing up the fermenting process? Maybe just better to make the grass silage with the clippings and in the winter have both fermented feed and some fermented grass?

Two interesting tidbits unrelated to this topic I figured I'd share since most are probably not going to want to skim the document: apparently if they over eat silage some of the hens produced "grass eggs" with olive colored yolks (but this went away after a bit, just happened on initial introduction to it); and because alfalfa wasn't as preferred a forage item and was better established than the grasses they used, it kept better ground cover near the coop.

It can be done but greens have to be blitzed or cut in less than 1" pcs. Try just a little batch at first with some ff. Let us know.

 

[beverly evans]

Beverly, My grandpa used to use coarse yellow cornmeal, cooked rice (in equal parts) and buttermilk. I will use the same on my Dark Cornish about 20 days before butchering.

As for your tubs of goodies, maybe you could dump and spread it out, then cover it with LOTS of sweet lime? Lime is pretty cheap and don't taste as good as beer!

I'm off to buy some buttermilk! Sounds like a plan. Thanks Turk!
The manure is supposed to go on the garden once I get one set up. Will the lime ruin it for that or not? Right now the tops of the cans (gray plastic commercial garbage cans) are full of Black Soldier Fly larva so I'm letting the girls eat them before I do anything with it. : )

 

[Turk Raphael]

I'm off to buy some buttermilk! Sounds like a plan. Thanks Turk!
The manure is supposed to go on the garden once I get one set up. Will the lime ruin it for that or not? Right now the tops of the cans (gray plastic commercial garbage cans) are full of Black Soldier Fly larva so I'm letting the girls eat them before I do anything with it. : )

That finishing diet worked very well for him. He mixed it pretty stiff and kept plenty of fresh clean water with them up to one day before slaughter...with held everything for at least 24 hours.

Good luck.

Turk

 

[beverly evans]

Quote: So, We don't feed them anything the last day? I wonder why? Is it easier to clean out the inside if it has no food in the crop, gizzard and intestines?? Just curious. : )

 

[Triple Willow]

So, We don't feed them anything the last day?  I wonder why?  Is it easier to clean out the inside if it has no food in the crop, gizzard and intestines??  Just curious.   : )

Hi Bev. Yes that is the reason, less chance of contamination accident if they have been off feed.

 

[Turk Raphael]

Hi Bev. Yes that is the reason, less chance of contamination accident if they have been off feed.

Yep. I personally can not deny anything water like he did and I could never see that the water caused any problems but the clean-out time makes dressing them so much cleaner and safer, just as TW says!

 

[Angelicisi]

welcome to the darkside! Lol
I get spanked constantly

I been a baaaaadddddd boy did a rant and got a warning for "flaming"  Gotta be politically correct at all times   Ah well....  Hope y'all have started the weekend off well. I spent all day catching up on yard work while my in progress coops and lumber dried out a bit. Hope to be back on that again tomorrow and Monday.

 

[Triple Willow]

welcome to the darkside! Lol
I get spanked constantly

Hey there bud. How's it going?

 

[Angelicisi]

Knee deep in bunnies and about to start another batch of CX meaties, fed on FF of course! Chasing predators away like crazy this week too. Being busy keeps me outta trouble tho!

Got a call today to go pick up another 5 bunnies too....seems easter excitement has worn off and peeps are bailing on their buns but they'll have a sweet life here

Hey there bud. How's it going?