Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Lacy Blues]

Putting this question here, too...where I'll find it faster than at the OT thread.

OK, BK.....talking FF...... "colander-sized holes" doesn't tell me a dern thing. I have colanders with holes from less than 1/8th inch right up to over 1/4 inch. So....you got a ruler with mm reading? You know...for us OCD-ers.

(I'll be using crumbles with grains. If I can't get crumbles in the future I'm gonna grind farmers's grains down.)

PS If I say 'vental' instead of 'a....l' will I be understood?

I'll understand!

 

[farmer9989]

In 8 short months this thread has drawn a lot of interest.great post by all.

 

[Ashdoes]

You must not mean left Outside, cause i'm sure I'd be feeding alot of other critters beside my flock if I did, 

The only time my trough goes in the barn, is when I know a freeze is coming, which is twice now. Other then that, it stays outside in the run. My run is attached to the barn, and completely closed in.
I frequently find clumps of hair that i am sure was a mouse at some point...till the chooks got a hold of it.

 

[colburg]

Regarding letting them eat FF that has been left out. Mine don't always finish all of it in the evening so I decided since the stuff is fermented anyway, I'll give all those millions of probiotics they've been consuming something to do. Yep, just left the junk in the feeder and added a bit of fresh to it the next morning. They get fed twice a day. So that was a month ago and so far everyone is fine. Either I'm lucky or it's safe. Jury is still out I guess on that one but I'm still doing that on those few occasions when they don't finish it all.

I hope this gets the thumbs up because I'm wanting to cut back on the feed costs. If this is a go, it will help. Maybe if it's OK for them to eat pumpkins that have passed through the rigors, this should be alright, too. Hope others put their 2 cents in.

I've done this since I started FF a couple weeks ago. Since they're still contained in the brooder in the yard, I even tried filling their feeders just after they go to bed so I wouldn't have to do it at 5:30am when I leave for work. So far it's been ok. Even if there's food in there from the afternoon feeding when I get home from work, I'll refill right on top of it and leave it for the night.

The only thing mine don't like to eat is the milo, but they're 6 weeks old and it may be too large to comfortably swallow since it's whole.

Or maybe it tastes bad to all 50 of them.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I've done this since I started FF a couple weeks ago. Since they're still contained in the brooder in the yard, I even tried filling their feeders just after they go to bed so I wouldn't have to do it at 5:30am when I leave for work. So far it's been ok. Even if there's food in there from the afternoon feeding when I get home from work, I'll refill right on top of it and leave it for the night.

The only thing mine don't like to eat is the milo, but they're 6 weeks old and it may be too large to comfortably swallow since it's whole.

Or maybe it tastes bad to all 50 of them.

I have read that they don't like milo because it is too hard. Well, they eat rocks for crying out loud! Anyway, I got some milo and I've had it soaking for two days now. I was thinking I'd try feeding from it tomorrow on day 3. We shall see. I put vinegar in the water and everything and it still is not fermenting that I can tell. So, I will continue to wait. Maybe I'll add more vinegar. I also have a couple heating pads. Maybe I can warm it up a bit. It's been getting colder here at night and I'm thinking that might have something to do with it. I'll put the pads on low and see what happens.

I've been trying to vary their diet a little, so instead of adding all the grains every day, I've gone to adding something different every day. With that in mind, I bought a bag of scratch. It has milo in it. I put it in my regular ff mix which ferments for about 24 hours before feeding out. So, far, I don't see any milo left behind in feed dishes.

Regarding winter feeding... I've been making it in my house and until I get a feet barn built, I'll continue doing it in here. I was thinking that with winter coming and the amount of water in the mix and it gets pretty cold here that I would get a gutter feeder set up and then on the bottom of that gutter, I might run some heat tape like you put on a water pipe or something like that in order to keep it warm.

 

[colburg]

I have read that they don't like milo because it is too hard. Well, they eat rocks for crying out loud! Anyway, I got some milo and I've had it soaking for two days now. I was thinking I'd try feeding from it tomorrow on day 3. We shall see. I put vinegar in the water and everything and it still is not fermenting that I can tell. So, I will continue to wait. Maybe I'll add more vinegar. I also have a couple heating pads. Maybe I can warm it up a bit. It's been getting colder here at night and I'm thinking that might have something to do with it. I'll put the pads on low and see what happens.

I've been trying to vary their diet a little, so instead of adding all the grains every day, I've gone to adding something different every day. With that in mind, I bought a bag of scratch. It has milo in it. I put it in my regular ff mix which ferments for about 24 hours before feeding out. So, far, I don't see any milo left behind in feed dishes.

Regarding winter feeding... I've been making it in my house and until I get a feet barn built, I'll continue doing it in here. I was thinking that with winter coming and the amount of water in the mix and it gets pretty cold here that I would get a gutter feeder set up and then on the bottom of that gutter, I might run some heat tape like you put on a water pipe or something like that in order to keep it warm.

I had the same problem with no fermenting after pouring a couple glugs of UP/ACV. After 6 days of no ferment, I added about 1Tbsp of bakers yeast and it took off. Nice gray film in between the water and feed with that good sourdough smell. Yeast + ACV = great ferment for me. Haven't seen anyone else try this so be cautious.

I haven't had a problem with the cold the last few days. I can add new feed to the FF in the evening, and in the morning there's a layer of mother on top with bubbles coming up. Of course, cold for us the last couple days was the upper 40's.

My FF is 50% grower feed/ 50% scratch. The milo is the only thing left. I've thought about making my own cracking mill using a couple of old gears and a hand crank. I need to find a bulk feed supplier or a lot of extra time before I build it though.

Has anyone thought about just insulating their FF bucket? Maybe put their 5gal bucket in a 30gal drum, or put a 1gal bucket in a 5gal bucket? Since there is heat put off by the FF process maybe it will stay warm enough to go all winter.

 

[galanie]

Regarding letting them eat FF that has been left out. Mine don't always finish all of it in the evening so I decided since the stuff is fermented anyway, I'll give all those millions of probiotics they've been consuming something to do. Yep, just left the junk in the feeder and added a bit of fresh to it the next morning. They get fed twice a day. So that was a month ago and so far everyone is fine. Either I'm lucky or it's safe. Jury is still out I guess on that one but I'm still doing that on those few occasions when they don't finish it all.

You must not mean left Outside, cause i'm sure I'd be feeding alot of other critters beside my flock if I did, 

Yes, I do mean Outside. The feeders are close to my back door, a sliding glass patio door, from which I can see it during the day so I can cut down on the number of critters that come to it. Possums were eating the dry food when some was left out at night but I guess they don't like FF because nothing seems to touch it.

If I put the feeders any place else, I'm feeding every squirrel, possum, and bird in the state.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes, I do mean Outside. The feeders are close to my back door, a sliding glass patio door, from which I can see it during the day so I can cut down on the number of critters that come to it. Possums were eating the dry food when some was left out at night but I guess they don't like FF because nothing seems to touch it.

If I put the feeders any place else, I'm feeding every squirrel, possum, and bird in the state.

I am so glad to hear you let your chickens come in your back yard, I do too even though I have to take the hose and wash everything off in the evening. My ducks and geese make the biggest messes though.

 

[armorfirelady]

I found alfalfa pellets today in smaller bags. When I got home I added some into the FF fermenting & then poured some in the liquid from my 5 gallon thats left over & added some water to it & mixed the left over pellet mush in with the expanded alfalfa pellets & took some out to the hens. Happy to say they gobbled it all down. And they had their FF this cold morning & finished that off as well. That means greens for the winter for them
I also picked up a heated dog bowl that I am going to use for their fermented feed. A plastic dog bowl I have slips right over the top making it easy to clean & get the food to their run.


My biggest hen dug right in while the others took a bath in wood ashes ........the others joined her shortly after

 

[home on the range]

Has anyone used EM(effective microorganisms) from bokashi instead ACV? i use bokashi for composting and in the garden. i think it wouldn't be as acidic as ACV.