Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[RoseMarie1]

I turned the top cover over and squish it down on the food for the first few weeks. Some will still stand on top to eat but it helps keep bedding out of it.

GOOD idea! Thanx! Didn't think about that! Although now I'm thinking their heads are going to be too big SOON to be able to get through those small holes in the thing. Might need another rain gutter. lol

 

[RoseMarie1]

This is why Tikktocjane added it to her blog. Quick to get to. I have it bookmarked so I can pull it up.

http://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

yeah I saw that AFTER I posted this. lol thanx!!!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Gooood morning chicken thread. It's been a while. I took time off of BYC to focus on my rabbits and promoting my little homestead as well as helping my beau open a retail gaming store (that's a big deal I promise!). We're doing well.

I have my year's batch of CX's coming in, about half spoken for by friends and family, they just shipped today. I'm expecting fifteen birds as soon as TOMORROW. @_@ Comes at kind of a crazy time when a lot of things hit at once.

There were a few things I felt I did wrong with my fermented feed and chick raising that I will be fixing this year, even though my birds turned out wonderful last year. At the same time, last year I had some REALLY slow growers and some moments of stunted growth that were just not what I wanted. So; changes.

I will be switching to a 22% feed (instead of flock raiser's 20%) and adding chopped greens and scratch to the FF every day to bring the protein back down. (Saves me money on two fronts; I switched to a closer feed store and I can cut costs this way.) If I can get alfalfa bales of hay I will be trying to add that too.
I will be more closely monitoring the amount they eat during their 2 feedings a day to make sure they're consuming food properly so I don't underfeed during critical moments. (Accidentally kept feeding them the same number of scoops a day for like 10 days during a critical growing period.)
I will be separating boys and girls. (The boys bullied the girls away from the feed.)
I will be allowing them some time as young birds ranging with my hens to learn proper foraging.
I will be skinning most of them and discarding the chicken wings. Plucking is a b*tch.
I will be processing most of them smaller this year because I bought a bigger number. The goal is 4.5lb birds for us, 5.5lb birds for my clients. This may work out that we get to process them all around the same time because hens are smaller than roosters.

And with that, I leave you with a photo of my birds from last year at seven weeks old. I sure do love these beauties!

 

[Kassaundra]

Ok I will ask the question that has been covered all over but my work is nuts and I have no time. to read this huge thread How do I decide how much fermented scratch to give my Cornish cross? I need to weigh out the food for them as they are eating anything but I can't weigh out the mash because of water weight. Do I go on volume and subtract from the Normal food? I feed twice a day and their weights are right whee they need to be. Before this I fed my layers fermented scratch like this but they regulate what they eat. My mash is going on year 3 or more and they all love it

I would weigh the dry amount you want to feed, add the same amount of water until it is the consistency you keep your ferment at then weigh it, you will know how much the exact amount you want to feed weighs wet then.

 

[LindaB220]

LOL now THAT'S funny!

I did the same thing again while getting the water ready yesterday. Sure enough one jumped in. I got her out quickly and she wasn't so bad. Must remember that they are birdbrains.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Aww, my post was a bottom of the page post. :< Oh well. The chicks are here! OMG I forgot how loud they are!

 

[LindaB220]

Aww, my post was a bottom of the page post. :< Oh well. The chicks are here! OMG I forgot how loud they are!

Woohoo!!! Have fun. I have 15 white plymouth rock eggs I picked up at the PO this morning. Busy, busy.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Thanks! About half are in reserve to be sold to people. Which is good because that will cover their feed costs.

 

[ezicash]

My first batch of fermented chicken food has now stopped bubbling (3 full days) Is this normal? I stir it twice a day. Now my problem is: I have 4 birds and I did a 5 gal bucket. If I keep the lid on the bucket how long will I have before the batch is no good to give my birds? I was excited and did not know i could do the 1 gal method instead. Also I read that I could add azomite to my mixture, any comments on that mineral?

 

[LindaB220]

My first batch of fermented chicken food has now stopped bubbling (3 full days) Is this normal? I stir it twice a day. Now my problem is: I have 4 birds and I did a 5 gal bucket. If I keep the lid on the bucket how long will I have before the batch is no good to give my birds? I was excited and did not know i could do the 1 gal method instead. Also I read that I could add azomite to my mixture, any comments on that mineral?

Sure, it's ready to feed. Add a couple of tbls of Azomite and stir. It gets a little smelly but still good. If you have room, take some out and put in a gallon baggie and put in fridge. It will extend the life of it. When you start getting low. Take it out and dump it in. Don't freeze it. Four birds? Yes, one gallon at a time.