Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

I understand it's too late to help old roos tenderness, but will caponizing take alot of the fight out of them? I have to cage mine in separate cages. When they were loose they knew who was boss, but caged together l'd only end up with one.

A pressure canner renders all birds equally tender, so it's never too late to help old roos into a state of tenderness. They don't cost much on Amazon or at Wally World and they will give you decades of tender meats, fresh canned foods, etc. One of the most valuable and yet, the least utilized, tools of a flock owner.

 

[chicken thief]

I've put a few roos on screens to fatten. I could tie a can for grit or put some in feed pan. Any one know how long grit lasts in gizzard?

 

[Beekissed]

Depends on the quality and type of grit, on the bird, on the type of food they are eating, etc. I don't think anyone really has a way to measure how long a piece of grit stays in a gizzard with any accuracy.

 

[Robert M]

Has anyone used cotton seed,canola, or sunflower seed meal in their brews to increase % protein? I'm fermenting scratch in goats milk, but might go strictly small grains.(French technique for fattñing).My dual purpose hens fend for themselves,but l'm getting into the fancy meat breeds (Malines,Barbezieux,& Bresse,etc.and would like to figure a ration that would be good for juveniles & adults.(want to stay away from store bought as much as possible. Does anyone know how fermenting in milk helps nutrition? I don't mind experimenting on my homegrown chickens (RIRxAusralorp),but leary of risking my new ones (expensive). All thoughts welcome. Thanks.

Hey, CT, if you're going for weight, don't go high protein, they will get the protein they need and stop eating. If ypou look back a few posts, you'll see where this has been addressed in length. They also discussed milk fermentation. If I remember correctly, it wasn't recommended very highly. Milk goes bad too quickly in the heat, I believe, and draws insects, immensely and stinks, where properly fermented feed smells fairly pleasant. (I hope I understood this right).

 

[Turk Raphael]

Kefir is an excellent product to feed chickens or humans for that matter. Our birds (of all ages) get this delicious treat made with goat milk about three times a week and I see no evidence that the chickens are any more liable to back off it than we are.

 

[Robert M]

Kefir is an excellent product to feed chickens or humans for that matter. Our birds (of all ages) get this delicious treat made with goat milk about three times a week and I see no evidence that the chickens are any more liable to back off it than we are.

If they load up on protein, they will quit eating and won't get fat. (not my advice, others on here).

 

[Turk Raphael]

If they load up on protein, they will quit eating and won't get fat. (not my advice, others on here).

Personally I want muscle weight...NOT fat.

 

[chicken thief]

I was worried about protein for my growing chicks. I'm feeding 1/4 22% gamebird grower, 3/4 scratch (soon switch to wheat) in milk ferment. Roos just get milk & scratch ferment. I'd like to find ration With no commercial feed. Any help appreciated.thanks.

 

[Turk Raphael]

I was worried about protein for my growing chicks. I'm feeding 1/4 22% gamebird grower, 3/4 scratch (soon switch to wheat) in milk ferment. Roos just get milk & scratch ferment. I'd like to find ration With no commercial feed. Any help appreciated.thanks.

I won't say too much more on this subject because it's getting bazaar now. Most folks in Third World countries feed chickens better than that. I can't understand the high percentage of 'scratch' for chicks. Heck, I fee guilty feeding my 7-five week old Cornish chicks a small hand full of BOSS every day, only because they love it. Otherwise, they have 24% grower ration around the clock and some shaved raw horse meat once a day. When this bag of feed is gone, I will start them on 20% and everything else will remain the same.

I hope someone will get on here and give you some information that will help you and your chickens. Good luck.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Whoa, whoa, Turk. That's just being rude and the comment about third world countries is unnessicary, insulting, AND inaccurate. Most people in third world countries ACTUALLY feed maybe some scratch and let their chickens forage most of the time. You clearly don't understand the poverty those people live in much. The scratch grains are a luxury many people can't even afford. How do you think wild chickens live? With bags of feed labeled "16%"? Honestly now.... You might also not wanna get your blossoms wrankled until you understand how the percentages in someones feed works which I will cover below.


Chicken thief;
About 1/4 of the dry weight in milk is protein and 7/8ths of the weight in milk is water. If you're fermenting it in nothing but milk instead of water your protein probably looks like this;

1 part 24% (feed)
3 parts 10% (scratch)
.5 parts 23% (milk) (which is actually about 1 gallon of milk for every gallon of dry feed)

Which would translate into about 14-15%. With the fermentation that probably translates into an actual absorbed value of around 16%, which is a little low. Combined with a little bit of free ranging (where they can get seeds, bugs, or kitchen scraps) that would be a very balanced ration for layers. For chicks it is probably a little low. I would try to up the protein about 2-3%. The fat content is probably much higher than you need if you are using whole cows milk which also leads to a slightly lower need for protein if they're getting lots of exercise, so I would not use BOSS which is very fatty. Your mix could look like this instead;

2 quarts 24% feed
3 quarts scratch
1 gallon of milk
Any more water needed to get the desired consistency

Which would be about 17% unfermented and look more like 18-19% fermented. Which would be spot on for growing egg chicks. Meat chicks can grow on that too, but they will be a little slow to gain weight.

Or you could add some fish meal, meal worms, or other insects to the mix before or after fermenting. Or both. Or soybean meal if you're into that sort of thing. Don't add anything highly fatty to that mix if you are using whole milk in the ferment. You chicks will get way too fat.