Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Excellent news! I can't wait to see how everyone's birds all come out and if the weights and the feed use/costs are such that it makes a clear statement on the efficacy of the FF. I'm also interested if anyone notices any improved flavor, juiciness or tenderness in their birds.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote: Instead of drilling holes in a second bucket you could use a plastic colander like I do. I have a colander that fits over the top of a second bucket so I can just pour the contents from the first right through.

 

[shadowmane]

I was just thinking about a colander. I think you're on to something there.

 

[jrsckn]

My bucket system was frustrating me since I was losing a lot of the grower mash through the holes so I picked up a 6" mesh strainer and put a nylon footie over it and sewed it on with dental floss to keep the mash from draining through and it works great!!!!!!!! It took less than 5 minutes to strain and feed my 17- 9 week old non-meatie LF's.

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

Just got confirmation that my poultry fence has shipped. I see meaties free ranging in my near future!!

I think a colander would work great unless you are feeding a large number of birds. Me personally, I don't want to spend the time to drain one colander at a time. I just lift my bucket out of the ferment water and go about doing the other chores while it drains. Doesn't take very long and I am mixing grain with my flock raiser.

I mixed 50# of whole wheat, 50# of rolled barley, 50# of oats and 25# of cracked corn. Out of that I take out 3 scoops and then 3 scoops of flock raiser to ferment and that makes enough feed for about 2 or 3 days worth. I am currently feeding in three 2' x 3" x 2" trough feeders and will fill them in the morning and again at about 5 or 6 PM but in the evening I only fill two of them up because they usually have some left in the third tray. By morning...they are all empty.

 

[jrsckn]

You are correct, I only fill 3 bread pans an inch deep twice a day so the collander works great. Waiting for a whole bucket to drain for the small amount of feed I'm using was crazy but once my meaties arrive and add to the feed needed, I'll probably switch back

 

[bj taylor]

when i start mine, i'm going to use a colander i think. i too have just a few birds. i have all the ingredients - i just haven't started it yet - no good reason. gotta get er done.

 

[griffinkid02]

Ok. Up-date. The active dry yeast cultures apparently pack quite a punch, that or I got a VERY good set. Just checked on my bucket and not only were their bubbles it was like watching a coke fizz, almost frothy, and had a VERY nice Alcohol-APC smell going. I was, however, a bit dismayed at how much my mix swelled AFTER the yeast started working. Out of a combination of curiosity and need to prevent a "boil-over" I grabbed a couple of greek yogurt cups that I use for treat dishes and scooped out a bout 1/3 a cup for each brooder and offered it. I regularly give my chicks oats, crumbles, and/or whatever other chopped fruit and vegitables are handy mixed in with yogurt, so they are used to eating porridge/gruel. They had recently eaten half of teir nightly ration so they didn't really attack it but when I left them there were 5 or 6 birds per brooder happily sucking it down. I don't think I'll have any trouble converting them over lol. Now I can worry about getting me a strainer to dip it with so they don't have to eat glop at every meal and I might be set. Until I start up a 5 gallon bucket arrangement.

 

[griffinkid02]

PS, THREE hours, that's all it took to get enough yeast action going to with my dry starter. Will see what it's done by tomorrow morning.

 

[griffinkid02]

OMG!!!!! That last post was number 150! I just graduated! Yay