Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Cyan Night]

Plain water stirred for a few days. I waited two days and my sassiest one looked at it and started scratching around like "ugh, I need to find breakfast!"

 

[LindaB220]

Plain water stirred for a few days. I waited two days and my sassiest one looked at it and started scratching around like "ugh, I need to find breakfast!"

Hang in there. It'll come. There are no failures.

 

[LindaB220]

Actually I did have a failure. I forgot to let it wait for 4 days, stirring daily. I fed after 2 days and they were having none of it. So I fed dry for 2 more days and then it was ready. I'm so used to replacing feed and water on top of a little left from the previous batch and it be ready overnight. I couldn't use it because it has scratch and I had babies. Now they swarm it.

 

[3 NH reds]

FF has been a total bust for me. The girls won't eat it at all. I've tried it many different ways and they're adamant about not eating it. But I'm curious, since scratch is basically candy, would fermenting it make it any better, health wise? Or would it still be like a "healthier" dessert? I may give up on fermenting the layer mash mix and just try scratch. Maybe with other grains and see if they prefer that. If it's not all that healthy, but they enjoy it, then it might just be a twice a week treat.

I ferment scratch or corn only, no feed and add that to their diet. everyone loves it. Start with ACV with the mother but you can save the liquid from old batches and use that. My mash juice is 3 or4 years old and I brew in open 5 gallon buckets outside wide open with no cover

 

[chrissyr]

After feeding, I'm reading that people are keeping the liquid for the next batch.
How Long can you re-use the liquid before it goes bad (if it does ever)?

 

[Latestarter]

After feeding, I'm reading that people are keeping the liquid for the next batch.
How Long can you re-use the liquid before it goes bad (if it does ever)?

As long as you keep "feeding" it, it will never go bad! It's called "back slopping." If you leave it unattended for weeks or months, it will spoil the same as any other food would. But as long as you're adding new grain/meal/etc. and water every few days, it will just keep getting better and better. The cultures will become enhanced and stronger over time.

There are stories of mountain men who had sourdough starter that was over 50 years old!

 

[chrissyr]

As long as you keep "feeding" it, it will never go bad! It's called "back slopping."  If you leave it unattended for weeks or months, it will spoil the same as any other food would. But as long as you're adding new grain/meal/etc. and water every few days, it will just keep getting better and better. The cultures will become enhanced and stronger over time.

There are stories of mountain men who had sourdough starter that was over 50 years old!

Thank you so much, that is quite interesting!
I fed some today that had been going 2-3 days. It smelled sour/sweet and the birds loved it. Not sure if I waited long enough, but I'm from the "microwave generation" and just had to give them some of it.
I did leave some mash/water for the next bucket and have that going.
I'm doing fodder too so it will be nice to get feed bills down

 

[Latestarter]

Thank you so much, that is quite interesting!
I fed some today that had been going 2-3 days. It smelled sour/sweet and the birds loved it. Not sure if I waited long enough, but I'm from the "microwave generation" and just had to give them some of it.
I did leave some mash/water for the next bucket and have that going.
I'm doing fodder too so it will be nice to get feed bills down

If it smelled sour/sweet, then it was ready! Mine attack my hands and jump/fly up into the feeding bowl to be the first to get a beak-full!

Some folks feed their birds a "mash" or "wet feed" which is just that... it hasn't had time to ferment. It's still beneficial if for no other reason than to keep them from scratching it out all over the place. If you start with a 5 gallon bucket of "food" and water and let it sit for 3-4 days, it should be "fully" fermented for feeding. After that, just add your new feed and water to the remainder in the bucket after the evening feed, give it a good stir, cover with a towel over night, and you should be good to go the next morning (as long as the bucket is in a warm place... cold slows the process).

As you feed out of the bucket, the smell will get a little stronger each day as the ferment deepens. Not to be alarmed! That's a GOOD thing! I've never "timed it" to see how long it will remain "good" without adding more grain/pellets/etc and water... It doesn't last long enough to go bad before I have to add more! I would "guess" a 5 gallon bucket would be OK for ~ 2 weeks without doing anything... after that, it would probably spoil... faster in heat, slower if cold.

Glad it's working for you (& your birds)!

Oh... one other thing... you should be trying to get it to the consistency of firm oatmeal... not real runny. If it's too dry, just add a little more water... too wet, add a little more grain/feed.

 

[RoseMarie1]

FF has been a total bust for me. The girls won't eat it at all. I've tried it many different ways and they're adamant about not eating it. But I'm curious, since scratch is basically candy, would fermenting it make it any better, health wise? Or would it still be like a "healthier" dessert? I may give up on fermenting the layer mash mix and just try scratch. Maybe with other grains and see if they prefer that. If it's not all that healthy, but they enjoy it, then it might just be a twice a week treat.

Don't give them a choice, leave it there and they'll eat it when they get hungry. It's sooooo much better for them when it's been fermented than the regular food is and you know what's better for them. Same with your kids, you don't feed them sugar 24-7 or snacks 24-7, you feed them what you know is good for them.

Some folks say this about theirs not eating it but mine litterly almost took me down over it the 2nd time around. 1st time I didn't have enough food because I didn't know how much it would take. So I go back to get some more and I had one to jump up on my arm eating it out of the bucket. lol

 

[RoseMarie1]

Thanks Linda

Just trying to take some of the "load" off all you good folks who have been sharing all this great knowledge repeatedly over time

I think it also helps when people with questions see the same info verified from many different sources as being factual.

It's a PITY there can't be a sticky for lack of a better word on here some where we could point them to every time they ask the same questions over and over. Not the same person asking the same ? but new ones. It sure would help to have directions and it stay put so we could say, here, this is the link. Check it out.