Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Could be your ACV doesn't have an active mother culture...can you see the mother in the bottle and not just the sediment in the bottom? Even without that, your grains should ferment in a certain amount of time. Give it a stir now and again and make sure it's in a dark place or in a dark bucket....yeast likes the dark.

 

[Maven]

Hey Bee, if you had a sack of blood meal and a sack of bone meal you wanted to use up, how would you use them as a supplement in your feed so that it was good for the chickens? I noticed in the OT thread that you mentioned TOO much protein at a time is NOT good for the chickens. I want to use it up, and boosting the protein content in the chicken feed IS a good use for it, I just don't want to much of a good thing at once.

Also, would you put it IN the FF as it is 'cooking' or would you top-dress your feed with it when you fed? If you add it to the feed, how much and how often would you add to a 2 gallon bucket of feed, and if you top-dress with it, how much and how often would you sprinkle on a 5ft. trough that was full?

Lots of questions, I know.

I appreciate any/all thoughts you have on this.

Thanks
Maven

 

[Beekissed]

I'd offer it free choice every now and again this winter in a separate container. That way, if they need it, they get it, if they don't, they won't partake.

If you notice them partaking too often and ignoring the feed, only put it out as a weekly amount. Make Saturday, or whatever day, bone and blood meal day.

As with any nutritional supplement, if it taste too good to them they won't stop until that is gone and they will ignore their regular nutrition, which is not ideal. High pro feeds are meant as a supplement to a more normal supply of protein.

Same with giving "treats" like BOSS and wild bird feeds...high pro mixes that, if given daily, gives them more protein than they can utilize in a healthy manner. Birds need it because they fly and have to move constantly to gain their daily food...chickens do not.

 

[Missa Chickabee]

Could be your ACV doesn't have an active mother culture...can you see the mother in the bottle and not just the sediment in the bottom? Even without that, your grains should ferment in a certain amount of time. Give it a stir now and again and make sure it's in a dark place or in a dark bucket....yeast likes the dark.

The U/ACV was cloudy but no 'scoby'. Just shook up the sediment from the bottom. Maybe they're scamming us Never have seen a scoby in my Bragg's ACV With the Mother. Dark bucket in a dark hallway. So does this mean I might have U/ACV with a lazy mom?

But I always kept my ACV in the fridge...now wasn't that just dumb.

 

[colburg]

Dropping in out of sync with the conversation but just wanted to ask something.

Started my first ferment with Bee's method. (half crumbles/half grains with a good cup or more of ACV and water all in a temp of 70 degrees) Covered with a breathable cotton cloth. Well, it's about 60 hours from the start now and it still smells like cereal as it did when I first added liquid. Should I add more ACV? (I don't wish to use baker's yeast) Am I being impatient. (Using a bit of it for feeds, anyway......I feed 19 birds)

Thanks for your advice!

Curious as to why you don't want to use bakers yeast?

I had the same problem as you for about a week. Wet feed smell, not sourdough. I added about 1Tablespoon of Bakers Yeast and stirred it up. That got it going

. Been going for a few weeks now.

 

[Beekissed]

The U/ACV was cloudy but no 'scoby'. Just shook up the sediment from the bottom. Maybe they're scamming us Never have seen a scoby in my Bragg's ACV With the Mother. Dark bucket in a dark hallway. So does this mean I might have U/ACV with a lazy mom?

But I always kept my ACV in the fridge...now wasn't that just dumb.

Yeah...might be a problem. Might want to keep your ACV in the cupboard. My Bragg's has a swirl in the middle...a milky collection of spores.

 

[Maven]

I'd offer it free choice every now and again this winter in a separate container. That way, if they need it, they get it, if they don't, they won't partake.

If you notice them partaking too often and ignoring the feed, only put it out as a weekly amount. Make Saturday, or whatever day, bone and blood meal day.

As with any nutritional supplement, if it taste too good to them they won't stop until that is gone and they will ignore their regular nutrition, which is not ideal. High pro feeds are meant as a supplement to a more normal supply of protein.

Same with giving "treats" like BOSS and wild bird feeds...high pro mixes that, if given daily, gives them more protein than they can utilize in a healthy manner. Birds need it because they fly and have to move constantly to gain their daily food...chickens do not.

Good enough! As usual, thanks!

Now, I DO put BOSS in their FF, but it isn't a lot.

To give you an idea of my current blend, I mix 1.5 (red plastic Folger's) coffee cans of wild game feed, 1 16 ounce butter dish of whole oats, 1 16 ounce butter dish of scratch, and about a half a butter dish of BOSS together into the bucket each day. There is always already some FF in the bucket because I keep mine going perpetually, but that is what gets added back in each day. (*ETA - and I add a glug of ACV whenever I see fit)


Oh, and I read the 'recipe' Al uses for his birds and will probably add oil to my regime - should I add THAT to the FF, or just top-dress with it on occasion?

 

[jeapa]

I cooked up the first dozen eggs from my girls. I just cant get over how much color are in the eggs compared to store bought... I knew this because we had chickens when I was growing up, but I forgot how different it was. The eggs were great!!! I had a couple store bought eggs left so I took a few photos to compare. It was more apparent in person, but I think you can still tell.

 

[Missa Chickabee]

Curious as to why you don't want to use bakers yeast?

I had the same problem as you for about a week. Wet feed smell, not sourdough. I added about 1Tablespoon of Bakers Yeast and stirred it up. That got it going

. Been going for a few weeks now.

Well, I'm thinking that baker's yeast might turn my chickens into a bunch of little Buff-colored hot air balloons, that they would just float away over the horizon and my little chicken experiment would be over.

OK, all kidding aside, I checked out baker's yeast on ask.com they said it's what we use to make bread rise. IOW....it makes gas. So I don't want chicken woofers going on in the coop. Can't think that it would be good for them.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I could be wrong here but I don't think you will be having many hens out of that bunch. They look like production blacks which are a sex link breed...meaning they can distinguish between the males and females at birth...the males have a white dot on the head and the females do not. Yours look to be mostly or all males from that pic. Whoever gave or sold you the chicks knew that when they gave them to you.

http://www.cacklehatchery.com/blacksexlinkpage.html

That's what I was thinkin' too! I'd confront them on it and tell them you want some pullets!