Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Latestarter]

Whey is a protein... NOT a good idea to mix with fermentation... the smell will drive you out of the house. No reason you couldn't add some as you're dishing the FF out to the birds though. Also good to feed to the animals you might have running around (not referring to the cute ones in your avi...

).

 

[AshlyMommaWard]

Thank you everyone for the awesome info and sharing knowledge! I got my holes drilled and will be starting my first batch of FF Tomorrow!
My Chicks thank you!

 

[swirler]

I've used whey for short soaks (24 hour) but not longer.

 

[Aprildeesunshin]

Thank you so much for answering my question. After starting a couple weeks ago, I am now forced to move to more buckets. Yesterday that happened. For the littles (baby birds) I might try the whey. If I use the feed up within, say, 3 days, will it work and create a good "mother? My FF stays outside, except for the little that comes inside for my baby chicks and turkeys. Is FF good for goats? Could I ferment their sweet feed? My male goat cannot get enough of the chickens FF. He tries to escape every time. When he does, he be lines it to the FF. He prefers it over his own.

 

[enola]

If you are feeding a layer ration to your hens, your male goat should not eat it.

Untreated urinary calculi can form very easily in a male goat with too much calcium in their diet.

 

[Latestarter]

Further back in this thread there was a woman from NZ who fermented her goat's feed. Said they loved it, were healthier than they'd ever been, and ate less, saving her big $$ on feed costs. Sorry, not going back looking for it, but it's there for you to find

 

[enola]

My old mare loved FF when she could steal it.

 

[19disbre]

This is a bit random but I think a lot of people are confused when they say it will increase protein 12% they don't mean if you are feeding a 10% protein it will go up to 22% they mean it will increase 12% of 10% so if you are feeding a 10 % feed your protein would be 11.2 correct?

 

[Beekissed]

This is a bit random but I think a lot of people are confused when they say it will increase protein 12% they don't mean if you are feeding a 10% protein it will go up to 22% they mean it will increase 12% of 10% so if you are feeding a 10 % feed your protein would be 11.2 correct?

Actually, the protein percentage on your bag label is crude protein...that's before it's digested. What your bird is actually receiving of crude protein could be any given number, as they are a monogastric animal and cannot always digest and utilize the proteins found in some grains very well....that's the smell you smell when you walk into your coop or clean out the poo...undigested food that is still breaking down/rotting. In other words it was unable to be broken down and absorbed into the body and has been excreted onto your coop floor to continue to break down there. That nutrition is what is attracting flies to the poo...there's still food to be found there.

Fermenting these grains converts them to a more readily absorbed and utilized form of protein called amino acids. When they say it will increase proteins up to 12%, it means it can increase the digestibility of the existing crude protein that otherwise could not be utilized, which increased digestible proteins up to 12%. So, if you are feeding crude proteins of 16% and they are only able to utilize 9-10% of that, fermenting it could bring your actual, utilized protein up to 21-22%.

That's why you won't smell as much bad odors in your coop and in their poo with fermented feeds..they are predigested by the bacteria in the ferment and so they are more digested and utilized when coming out the other end. You'll also notice less flies on the poo because of this...not much food to be found there any longer. My dog won't even eat the chicken poo any longer....no proteins there any longer to give him any nutrients.

 

[GazeboGal]

Hello! We are getting 50 CX in May and doing LOTS of reading here. Love this thread--thanks all! Have a few questions:

1. The feed that we can get nearby has flax seed in it. Do you see any potential issues with fermenting it?

2. We were thinking of having them eat the FF off of the grass. Does it work to pour out a line on the grass (to give all chickens an even chance at the FF?

3. Pro's and cons of #2?

Thanks!