Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

I priced the sugar beet meal at the feed store today and it was a little too rich for my wallet, so I just stayed with the layer mash and barley. Bought 100 lbs of each today. I almost bought some soy meal to add to the mix but after seeing how my birds are developing, they have no need of the extra protein...they are getting pretty big. You know that stage when you start to feel sorry for them because their breasts are so heavy looking? That's where they are right now...can't imagine how much worse it would be if I upped their protein!

Fixed my feeder today also...it has taken a real beating with these CX, but a few zip ties and it's as good as new.

Made the CX a chicken hammock style roost this evening and they really like it. I set one of the gals up there to see how she would react and she sat there and sung to me, let me pet her and then settled right down on it. When I went out after dark it was plum full of chickens.

You could say my birds are a little spoiled.....

 

[Kassaundra]

I put some comfrey leaves in w/ my FF. Just the leaves from a single plant to see how it goes. They get plenty of greens and veggies this time of year, but I am experimenting w/ adding veggies for the winter, like their winter squash and sweet potatoes I'm growing now and some winter greens maybe grown just for them (vetch, oats, peas etc...)

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

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. 

Maybe add a little more of the grower feed to it so that the yeast has something to eat while the grain is breaking down. Have you noticed it doubling at all? I did like beekissed and added 50% grain 50% feed. Although I used sourdough starter on mine and within 10 hours my ferment was literally boiling. It was really cool to watch. I must have a really good sourdough starter. I started it myself using wild yeast.

Look forward to seeing pictures of your tomorrow!!

 

[doubleatraining]

My CX are finally getting into the routine of eating the FF and are doing great. I think that even if I don't see any health benefits from this I will continue to do it just for the lack of waste. My chickens don't scratch it all over....they are too busy inhaling it. I have pictures of the FULL crops on my Dellie hens.....will post later. Everyone is eating it like crazy and that means less waste they clean their bowls. YAY

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

My DIL works at an irrigation/farm store and they order chicks in the spring to sell. Well tonight she called me to tell me that she was sending a little BO pullet home with my hubby because she was getting picked on. When she got here I put some pick-no-more cover-up lotion on her little tail and took her out to meet the rest of the girls. They are only 3 days difference in age and OMGosh, you should see the difference in the size of the little Buff Orpington compared to my girls. My girls are about double her size. I don't know if it's the feed or what but I was amazed!!

I need to go find someplace to get some really small grit for the meaties so I can start feeding them the fermented grain. My most favorite part of this process is the fact that they have formed poop and there is ZERO waste. My pocketbook likes the last one the best!

ETA: BTW, the little BO chick took to the fermented feed like she had been eating it all along.

 

[Beekissed]

Have you got a creek or river nearby? That's where I got my grit...over in a holler by our place. It has some good, clean sand and smaller stones, tiny pieces of quartz, etc. Since they got old enough to find their own out there, they no longer need my holler grit but it sure did the trick when they were small and didn't cost me a dime!

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

Yeah, we have the Big Lost that actually had water in it all winter. I'll have to go find some there.

 

[bruceh]

wow beekissed thats unreal.

 

[burnyourmoney]

YIPPEE! I don't know if it was the extra warmth of the green house (30 degrees vs 20 in the house) or just the extra day but I have bubbles. As soon as I touched the bowl to take pictures it started to bubble just like you were all describing. I took pictures of my setup for others who might want to experiment with minimal investment like I did.

This is before I stirred it, notice the lack of a white film
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/burnyourmoney/P1140265.jpg

This is a side shot before stirring
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/burnyourmoney/P1140266.jpg

And these two show what my FF looks like. It's probably 90% feed
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/burnyourmoney/P1140267.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/burnyourmoney/P1140268.jpg

As for smell, it now smells like something I would almost eat. It has that nice fermented smell to it, not the salty wet chicken food smell.

Now to see if the chickens will actually eat it...

 

[jrsckn]

I can't wait for my feed to ferment! I started it on Sunday, then the temperatures dropped so it hasn't done much yet. I gave them some this morning anyway just to see if they would eat it and they ate it all up

I'm just starting out with scratch grains and crumbles because I haven't been able to make it to the feed store and they preferred the fermented scratch/crumbles over just plain scratch. I can't wait for my meaties to arrive; 3 more weeks!