Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Have you never had pickled corn??? It's one of the things they are serving in Heaven...I just know it! Right along side the Krispy Kreme donuts and bacon wrapped chicken.

 

[shadowmane]

I've never had it. I may have to come up to West Virginia to try some.

 

[Beekissed]

 

[ladyokie]

So far these little ones are not stinking at all. That may change tho, I hope not. LOL I have nice big pen I am building for them. It will be on grass with a buried wire bottom. I have lots of tall grasses to plant in there for hiding places. The main thing I am trying to do is make it Ft Knox. With all the predators I am sure they will love quail!

I mixed gamebird grower into the fermenting oats for the babies. It is bubbling good. Should I put it in a blender for the quail or can they eat the oats? They already have had parakeet grit.

 

[Beekissed]

I'd try it out and see before going through the trouble of blending. Hooray for bubbles!

 

[ladyokie]

I'd try it out and see before going through the trouble of blending. Hooray for bubbles!

Good idea! LOL the easier the better.

 

[xC0000005]

My wife picked up another set of meat birds. A few more than we had agreed on. I have a container of fermented feed up there for the day olds, and they are pecking at it.

 

[bj taylor]

beekissed, this is a little off topic. but i want your input. how many people are you feeding, how many meat birds at a time do you raise, and how many times a year do you raise a flock of meat birds?

 

[Beekissed]

When I raised my last flock I was feeding 5 people. I also gave quite a few of those away to friends.

This year's flock will be for many people....for my mother(1) who needs more B12 in her diet(been vegan for far too long and it is affecting her health). For my widowed sister(1) who works very hard at a low paying job and could use the meat supply. For our family reunion(30+)...gonna BBQ some and make some bacon wrapped chicken too! For me(1), of course. Some are for my other sister and her husband(2) who cannot raise their own where they live...she pre-ordered 10 of them~she'll be my only paying customer.

Oh...forgot! Also will be trading some to a friend(1) that is bartering with her grass fed beef, pound for pound. I gave her one last time I did CX and she LOVED it, wants more.

So...I guess that I will be feeding 36+ people with this batch!

The first year I raised them I only did 20...had a broody, happened to be at TSC when they had some healthy, big chicks and I had been wanting to try it, so I did. This year I raised 50 for all the people and reasons listed above. I will be getting 25-50 more in the fall, if finances allow and depending on who is interested in having them. Many of those will be donated to those in need and some will go to the family if they want them. All of ours will be in the freezer and jar by then, so the fall birds will all be someone else's meats.

 

[bj taylor]

i wasn't trying to be intrusive- i realize in hindsite, my question was poorly posted. i was trying to figure out if raising meat birds is worth it if you have small numbers of people and how often is often enough. i love the idea of meat or other food stored for my family, but my family is very small now & don't know if it's worth it or not.
i'm wondering if meat birds are for people who are after large numbers & i should just stick to dual purpose.