Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[galanie]

I really fail to see what's so horrible about there maybe being a bit of alcohol still in the feed. I have a few that love to drink beer and I let them have a bit. Haven't noticed them staggering and it doesn't appear to affect egg laying at all!


[VIDEO]

As for the "Mother That Ate Manhattan" well, cut it into small chunks and your chickens will love it. Seriously. Mine adore the stuff but I have to cut it up cause it's too tough for them to pick apart on their own. Full of B vitamins and good stuff!

 

[NotAFarm]

They were from sunnyside hatchery ( Beaver Dam, WI ). Would make sense. If my ff was nothing more than a moon shine operation using a coop as cover
Lord knows our cheeser chicks would do well. Next time I'll be sure to grind up some brats to serve with ff.

 

[Beekissed]

Since we're all kind of new to this, I guess we will just have to find out the long term effects on our own. I'll let you know of any in my own older laying flock...should be a good test group as they are on their way out the door anyway, in terms of laying.

Galanie, you make me laugh, chick!!!

I needed that!

 

[Maven]

I really fail to see what's so horrible about there maybe being a bit of alcohol still in the feed. I have a few that love to drink beer and I let them have a bit. Haven't noticed them staggering and it doesn't appear to affect egg laying at all!

Good to know, galanie!! My flock is apparently a bunch of winos! In the evening the Mr. and I like to go down and sit for a while and watch them as the day comes to an end and they mosey themselves on in to bed. We usually each take a glass of wine with us and we can NOT set it down anywhere a chicken can reach it or it is GONE in no time.

Coq au vin! heh.

 

[chicken curious]

you ladies crack me up!

I have a question for knowledgeable fermenters and those who talked about adding garlic to their ferment: did the/would garlic cause any problems in the ferment? I ask because I know garlic is anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial, BUT I don't think it's anti-yeast. As I aim to swing my ferment back to a safer, yeasty ferment full of acetic acid, I might add some garlic...thinking that it may hold those other things at bay. Thoughts??

 

[Beekissed]

Didn't change my mix at all and now you can't really smell that garlic, though I'm still working on the same batch.

 

[chicken curious]

Didn't change my mix at all and now you can't really smell that garlic, though I'm still working on the same batch.

thanks, Bee.
so you're not adding it repeatedly?

 

[Beekissed]

Nah...just had some left over from dusting the dog and sprinkling it on his food and thought I'd throw it into the mix. Smelled lovely for awhile but the ferment/pickling smell took it over soon and I can't detect the smell at all now.

 

[galanie]

Good to know, galanie!! My flock is apparently a bunch of winos! In the evening the Mr. and I like to go down and sit for a while and watch them as the day comes to an end and they mosey themselves on in to bed. We usually each take a glass of wine with us and we can NOT set it down anywhere a chicken can reach it or it is GONE in no time. Coq au vin! heh.

Yeah mine aren't as fancy as yours, they are easily made happy with just beer. "Redneck" chickens I guess.

 

[armorfirelady]

I started a one gallon bucket of FF in the house since the temps are getting so cool. With my 4 hens they usually only eat a large scoop a day.

My friends who hen sat while I was camping over the weekend gave them more than they would ever eat so I cleaned out the feeder today of the leftovers since they hadnt finished it in 2 days & dumped old stuff in the compost pile.

This time I added some oyster shells to the mix and added enough layer pellets, Boss, scratch & oatmeal to make it a thicker not so mushy FF. It smells wonderful after 12 hours & being on my kitchen counter gets the warmth of the sun. Apparently the cats dont seem to like it as much as the dogs do since I havent caught them eating from the bucket. Now Lily my 2yo austrailian blue heeler cattle dog thinks the FF on the back deck is the best thing to eat when Mom leaves the lid off while feeding the hens.

Nice bubbles when I stirred up the mix and air bubbles in the mix when you look at the top.

I am really intereseted in adding alfalfa pellets. Has anyone tried adding these? Any other suggestions on what to add?

And what about for the winter? Do you still add in layer food? Or can I give straight grains? (my hens have not started laying yet....maybe in a week or 2.....or should I keep the layer pellets in there since they are going to start laying later?)