Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[doubleatraining]

Checked on my feed this morning....its cooking. There were bubbles on top and it had a mild sweet smell. While I didn't think it was finished I did scoop some out for a few pens to see how it was received. The seramas INHALED it, the Delawares INHALED it, the CornishX....starred at it and me like they wanted to know where the rest of their feed was....UGH.

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

Been lurking on this thread since the beginning and took the plunge into fermenting feed beginning last night. After seeing all of the little chicks (1 week old) piling on top of all of the nasty poo I knew I could not put it off any longer, I needed to do better for these babies!

I am beginning small, a 3 gallon and 1 gallon bucket. I know that this won't last for long but I just didn't have any clean enough 5 gallon buckets, even after attempting to scrub them for an hour. My motto, if I won't eat out of it, neither will they! I am moving the babies out to the unused side of the coop today, with a heat lamp of course, until they are a little bigger and ready to go in the tractor. My question is how do I know when it is time to let them in the yard? Do I wait the typical 4 or so weeks like you do a laying hen or can they go earlier? Our temps this week are going to average 75 - 80 daytime and lowest nighttime temp is said to be about 54. I have already noticed that they don't like it as warm in the brooder as the layer chicks of the same age.

Thank you all for the great information and helping me keep my future freezer meat happy and healthy!


*Edit for spelling*

You are going to be thrilled with the results of the FF!!!! No stinky brooder and no poop all over their bums. I don't let mine outside until they are at least 4 weeks old but I think beekissed did at 2 weeks. I'm not sure on that though. How old are your babies?

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

Checked on my feed this morning....its cooking. There were bubbles on top and it had a mild sweet smell. While I didn't think it was finished I did scoop some out for a few pens to see how it was received. The seramas INHALED it, the Delawares INHALED it, the CornishX....starred at it and me like they wanted to know where the rest of their feed was....UGH.

DON'T give the CX anything else. I guarantee you they will eat it! Those fat little piggies will eat anything.

 

[burnyourmoney]

Should I be concerned that it has almost been 3 days since I started my FF and nothing is really happening? Certainly no bubbles but if I look really hard I can kind of see a thin white film on the top of it.
I've been keeping it in the cupboard but this morning I moved it to the greenhouse since it is much warmer in there.
As for smells, it smells like wet chicken food, just as stinky as when I started it.

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

What did you use as your starter? Did you not cover it tightly so that it could breathe? You should see fermenting activity after 12 to 16 hours. After 3 days with no yeast activity, I would be concerned about mold.

ETA: What kind of feed are your fermenting? My chick starter was a far cry from being stinky!!

 

[Beekissed]

Should I be concerned that it has almost been 3 days since I started my FF and nothing is really happening? Certainly no bubbles but if I look really hard I can kind of see a thin white film on the top of it.
I've been keeping it in the cupboard but this morning I moved it to the greenhouse since it is much warmer in there.
As for smells, it smells like wet chicken food, just as stinky as when I started it.

Give it a stir now and again to aerate it...that thin white film is fine. The bubbles usually aren't as noticeable after 3 days, particularly if the starter has thickened into a paste_usually you will see those bubbles within 12-24 hours in sufficiently warm temps. Submerse your mix by adding a little more water and give it a stir...you should see a frothy, foamy look to the water and it should smell slightly sour and a little acidic. Some people think that is stinky but I find it to be a pleasantly picklish odor that brings back good memories of grandma's cellar house.

 

[DianeS]

Checked on my feed this morning....its cooking. There were bubbles on top and it had a mild sweet smell. While I didn't think it was finished I did scoop some out for a few pens to see how it was received. The seramas INHALED it, the Delawares INHALED it, the CornishX....starred at it and me like they wanted to know where the rest of their feed was....UGH.

Just sprinkle some of their regular feed on top of it. They'll start by eating the regular feed, and being Cornish they'll just keep on going until the feeder is empty. Then tomorrow they'll eat it just fine plain because they remember seeing it before. At least that's what mine did. Gave it the stink-eye, then ate it by accident, now they love it.

 

[doubleatraining]

Just sprinkle some of their regular feed on top of it. They'll start by eating the regular feed, and being Cornish they'll just keep on going until the feeder is empty. Then tomorrow they'll eat it just fine plain because they remember seeing it before. At least that's what mine did. Gave it the stink-eye, then ate it by accident, now they love it.

I left it in there all day and they eventually ate it, they will get more in about an hour. I just found humor in the fact that this experiment was for them and they are the ones snubbing their beaks.

Things I've learned so far:
- I need MORE holes. 30min is too long to wait for it to drain.
- It doesn't smell as bad as I expected.
- My seramas LOVE IT!!

 

[burnyourmoney]

What did you use as your starter? Did you not cover it tightly so that it could breathe? You should see fermenting activity after 12 to 16 hours. After 3 days with no yeast activity, I would be concerned about mold.

ETA: What kind of feed are your fermenting? My chick starter was a far cry from being stinky!!

I used grower feed and I threw in some mixed grains that I had on hand. I only did about a cup worth of dry food. I have it in a single bowl and there is no lid on it. I used ACV (Braggs) and unfiltered well water.

EDIT: I stir it up 2 or 3 times a day to get some air into it. I'll try and remember to take some pictures in the morning.

 

[crazychickenwom]

You are going to be thrilled with the results of the FF!!!! No stinky brooder and no poop all over their bums.

I don't let mine outside until they are at least 4 weeks old but I think beekissed did at 2 weeks. I'm not sure on that though. How old are your babies?

They were a week old yesterday. I think I read that bekissed let them out at 2 weeks also. Gave them their first feeding of the mush tonight and they liked it! I did sprinkle a little dry food on top because I did not have enough holes in my bucket either and it did not drain well and was a little soupy. After putting the dry on the soup dissappeared and bonus, they ate it right up! I am sooooo looking forward to getting them out to the coop, and was going to do it tomorrow, but I could not find a heat lamp to save my life in town tonight! The gentleman said they have more coming in on a truck Wednesday morning, so outside they will go Wednesday afternoon! They are getting so big so fast... and are funny little things! Thankfully the kids have not grown too attached - yet.