Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Island Roo]

Quote:
Thanks - that's our dark brahma rooster. Don't tell him how good he looks - his ego doesn't need any more inflating. He's good with the lady's though - gentle.

Got my first batch of FF brewing. It's a mix of grower pellets and whole grains. The more I learn the more I want to get off this manufactured chicken food and onto whole grains.

 

[doubleatraining]

Picked up 10 more 4 week old CornishX at the auction today I tossed them in with the older ones and they will start of their FF feed tomorrow. I was gone from the house since lunch and couldn't believe my eyes when I got home at 9:30pm....there was feed LEFT in the feeder of my CX pen. Granted there is only 7 of them in there but I didn't feed them THAT much this morning. They are growing strong and I can't wait to see how they dress out in a few weeks. I do think they are growing slightly slower than they would on dry feed but they ARE drinking less and they ARE scratching around the pen looking for feed in the straw bedding. I'm ok with that....no big time frame at my house as long as they are saving me that much money.....I can wait another week or so.

Processing date is June 9th for the 7.

 

[griffinkid02]

Sorry for the "nothing" post, need to bring this one back up on my page.

 

[leesbunny]

I read somewhere in this or a different post that you could put some of the ACV w/mother into a reconstitued FROZEN apple juice and leave it for a month, then you will get more vinegar. Make sure you get the kind with out calcium I think. I have a batch going now, and it seems to be working.

 

[galanie]

That was me. Yes, be sure it's the kind w/out calcium. I accidentally used that once and got a really dark nasty looking batch that I threw out. It's ok if it has vitamin c added, just not the calcium.

Best is unfiltered organic apple juice but the frozen is super cheap and works great. Takes about a month. (Note: You use the frozen because it still contains enzymes that have been killed in the bottling process if you get bottled)

Beekissed uses the much cheaper than Braggs store kinds of ACV and just adds the mother to it. That works too but I've never actually done it. I'd rather wait a month and have a gallon for $2 lol.

 

[Beekissed]

Tried a little experiment this evening and fed the birds dry, un-FF....it was comical. They RAN for the coop and busted through the door and stopped like they hit a wall. A few stepped forward and pecked politely at this pale, dry stuff and then looked me as if to say, "That's real sweet, honey, but we only eat the fermented kind...thanks every so muchly." And they promptly turned their backs on this substandard fare and walked away. Each and every bird, after not eating feed since this morning, walked out of that coop and refused to eat the feed.

We're talkin' Cornish Cross here, folks, who would gladly eat ME if I stood still long enough.......

I'm leaving it there to see how long they'll go without before eating the stuff!

 

[galanie]

Tried a little experiment this evening and fed the birds dry, un-FF....it was comical.  They RAN for the coop and busted through the door and stopped like they hit a wall.  A few stepped forward and pecked politely at this pale, dry stuff and then looked me as if to say, "That's real sweet, honey, but we only eat the fermented kind...thanks every so muchly."  And they promptly turned their backs on this substandard fare and walked away.  Each and every bird, after not eating feed since this morning, walked out of that coop and refused to eat the feed. 

We're talkin' Cornish Cross here, folks, who would gladly eat ME if I stood still long enough.......

I'm leaving it there to see how long they'll go without before eating the stuff! 

 

 

[burnyourmoney]

Although not Cornish Xs, my Silkies do the same thing. I put dry food in half their dish and FF in the other end. They never touched the dry food so I just added it to the FF container.

My brother brought his 2 layers to come visit and they took an immediate liking to the FF, they just took a little taste to try it then gobbled it down.

I have no idea how much food I should be going through but my 10 Chanteclers and 7 Silkies have only gone through 50# of grower and maybe 25# of scratch in the 3 months we've had them. Over half of the grower was dry before I knew about FF.

I'll see how things change when the 200 White Rocks come in the next week or two

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

Tried a little experiment this evening and fed the birds dry, un-FF....it was comical.  They RAN for the coop and busted through the door and stopped like they hit a wall.  A few stepped forward and pecked politely at this pale, dry stuff and then looked me as if to say, "That's real sweet, honey, but we only eat the fermented kind...thanks every so muchly."  And they promptly turned their backs on this substandard fare and walked away.  Each and every bird, after not eating feed since this morning, walked out of that coop and refused to eat the feed. 

We're talkin' Cornish Cross here, folks, who would gladly eat ME if I stood still long enough.......

I'm leaving it there to see how long they'll go without before eating the stuff! 

 

Bwaahaahaa....that is hilarious!! They do love the FF.

I have 8 little meaties outside today. I didn't want to put all of them out at once so if the fence didn't work so well I only had 8 to catch instead of 35! I did get my fence working (it about knocked me on my butt) and the poor little things had to get zapped a couple of times before they understood that that dang thing bites.

 

[shadowmane]

Okay, I mixed starter/grower with scratch this evening. Now I have to get a new means of putting it in the trough. My slatted spoon won't grab hold of what's in there now. Hopefully, the starter/grower will fluff up a little bit.