Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[PeepsCA]

PeepsCA thanks for the pic of that feed tag. That corn gluten meal is worrisome; if I was going to feed that then I might as well just buy the mash from the feed store; it'd be cheaper.

It's meant to be fed as a supplement, at a 1:10 or 1:7 ratio... (1 or 1.5 TBS of UK to a cup of maintenance feed).
It is expensive, but there are a lot of ingredients in it that I have never seen on any bag of mash

 

[PeepsCA]

Also worrisome is the "vegetable oil". In all other circumstances, when a label states "vegetable oil" it is referring to SOYBEAN OIL.

I'm guessing that's true here too. And there's plenty of documentation on negative effects of soybean oil

In chicken curious' post there's a Quote from Resolution stating that Ultra Kibble is soy free.
I've read a lot of informative posts on poultry and fowl nutrition posted by Resolution, and he seems to be very anti-soy, (very anti-round up ready, period). I doubt there's any soybean oil in it.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Also worrisome is the "vegetable oil". In all other circumstances, when a label states "vegetable oil" it is referring to SOYBEAN OIL.

I'm guessing that's true here too. And there's plenty of documentation on negative effects of soybean oil

Perhaps the person who knows the producer of this product can ask him if it is soybean oil? It looks like more than a trace amount being third on the list. If the producer buys nonGMO corn for this but the mill doesn't mill JUST non-GMO, there might be a small amount of that stuff in there but that's better than a bag full of it.

Someone says that it only takes a small amount of this stuff to meet the needs of our poultry. How much is a small amount? I realize its measured out and then water is added.

What about availability? I live in northern Nevada. Is there anywhere even sort of close that carries or can order it?

 

[chicken curious]

Would you be willing to type out the ingredient label on here please? If no one else wants to see it, you can pm me.

I'm sorry. I get on BYC only once a day when I get the daily digest of threads I'm subscribed to. Thankfully, it looks like someone posted the label. Did you get what you needed? I can take a picture of what I have.

The milo is not that well liked by the big girls and seems a bit big for the chicks, so will probably choose something else when I run out.

One of the big things they keep coming back to is feeding milk

Mine aren't crazy about milo/sorghum raw/hard, but eat it fermented so I'm including it at least until I use up the bag I have.

yes on the milk! We buy raw from a farm and if we have more than we can use that's gone sour (or if my kids serve themselves and then leave the cup out over night!) I share with the girls.

Also worrisome is the "vegetable oil". In all other circumstances, when a label states "vegetable oil" it is referring to SOYBEAN OIL.

I'm guessing that's true here too. And there's plenty of documentation on negative effects of soybean oil

I totally agree about "vegetable oil" but the product is reputed to be soy-free.

BTW, I'm not a representative for this company, nor am I actually claiming it the "best," but for all the things I care about balanced with my pocketbook and trying to provide a full-spectrum nutrition, I'm pretty comfortable with it.

It's a supplement as PeepsCA mentioned. I feed it at a 1:10 ratio so that's about 1/4 c - 1/2 c total for my 12 hens per day depending on their intake. I feel like the UK is my 'safety net' for minerals, etc. since I'm not using a bagged feed.

Perhaps the person who knows the producer of this product can ask him if it is soybean oil? It looks like more than a trace amount being third on the list. If the producer buys nonGMO corn for this but the mill doesn't mill JUST non-GMO, there might be a small amount of that stuff in there but that's better than a bag full of it.

Someone says that it only takes a small amount of this stuff to meet the needs of our poultry. How much is a small amount? I realize its measured out and then water is added.

What about availability? I live in northern Nevada. Is there anywhere even sort of close that carries or can order it?

See above on amount. Resolution mentions in one thread that each bird's nutritional needs can be met with a very small amount per day, but they will, of course, want some 'filler' foods like the grains. I *think* he said a tsp, but maybe it's a Tbs. There is more info on UK here on BYC than online so search for thread by resolution and ultra kibble.

I don't actually know him. I have pm'd him with some questions and appreciated the care he put in his answers, but I'm not sure how often he gets on BYC.

I order it from amazon. I know that's not the most sustainable practice, but my local feed mill doesn't even grind feed anymore and they are just shipping in bags of whole grain. I support this family when I can, but don't want to buy a whole bag of gmo corn from them. So I buy the wheat, milo/sorghum, BOSS, and oats and, honestly, hope for the best. Then I mix in the UK as a more broad-spectrum nutrition. I care a lot about our food intake, but at some point I have to let go and know that the stress isn't good for me either.

Like I mentioned before, I'm really just a newbie trying to combine good sense and husbandry while also working within my views of what's acceptable food for use to consume. I hope this conversation is helpful versus annoying...especially for those who couldn't care less about soy and gmo.

 

[chicken curious]

I know it's mentioned on here ALL THE TIME, but I love that my coop doesn't smell! I thought that I might be desensitized to some mild smell, but NO...everyone who visits comments. I feel like a chicken ambassador. LOL

Of course, I tried to explain WHY it didn't smell...heck, I have a Biology degree and Bee has explained it many times, surely I could create an "elevator speech" (ie fast and concise explanation), but their eyes either glaze over or they comment how 'hard' it all seems...SERIOUSLY?!?! This is easy, awesome for me and the chickens, and it WORKS!

Thanks again, Bee!!

 

[Beekissed]

Too funny! It is rather a luxury and not something to spurn to have a coop that smells like all outdoors instead of farmyard build-up. I can't get over it either and I've done this with meaties...if ever someone was grateful for no smell, it's someone with 50 meat chickens living in an 8x10 coop overnight...thank goodness they free ranged all day!

Kept those darn chickens for almost 12 wks and had to confine them for the last 2 wks as I slowly whittled away at their numbers...still didn't have any smell. Lots of poop, no smell. Heavenly!!!

No smell meant no flies, no flies made me a happy camper!

 

[Beekissed]

Well, I'm trying another experiment...aren't I always?

I've built an old tire tower, with tires stuffed with hay, and I've placed my FF bucket down inside these tires and I'm placing this outside the coop and in the southern exposure side of the coop...right by the door. I'd read a story in Countryside Magazine some time back wherein a person could keep their stock water from freezing while using regular buckets placed in tires in this manner.

So..I'm trying this for my FF. This not only will free up some coop space but will keep the FF bucket next to the feed storage can...right where it needs to be. I'm hoping the solar heat, the insulation from the hay and the internal heat from the fermentation may just keep this bucket fluid and cooking well. If not, I'll take some of the feed inside each evening to warm it up for next day's feeding, but we'll just have to see how it all goes.

 

[Ashdoes]

I'm trying to figure how to keep the FF warmer as well. I'm going to keep it in the house, and find a bowl the right size to carry only what they'll eat. That way I'm not lugging the bucket in and out of the house. I was keeping it in the barn, but it wasn't cook'n as well as when it's in the house. It will go back out as soon as the last snow dries up though.
I've also decided to puree some pumpkin and zucchini and freeze small portions. So through winter they'll have a nice treat once a week. What do you think about fermenting the pumpkin and zucchini, or any other veg I get?

 

[Beekissed]

Usually veggies need brine to keep them from spoiling in a fermentation process, so I wouldn't add them in the mix. I've fermented pumpkins out in a shed, all by themselves and letting nature do all the hard work but it leaves a mess all over the floor...which was no worries to me but just nice to know if you do the same.

I don't think the fermented grains need any additional source of nutrients as the feed was sufficient before fermentation for optimal nutrition and can only be more so after fermentation. I would freeze the veggies if you have the freezer space but I'd hesitate to put them in the mix...even placing the alfalfa in the feed seems to bring on a lot more of the spidery grey mold formation. I've never seen more than a light grey film on the top of my ferment mix and I think I'd keep it to that minimum.

 

[colburg]

Gave my flock fermented feed for the first time today, they weren't thrilled, but they ate it. They are gonna have to learn to like it because it's all they're getting from now on!
I had a problem getting it to drain though. I'm using the bucket in a bucket method, but my mix is 90% layer crumbles because that's all I had when I started it (plus some whole oats). I think the crumbles-turned-mush is just plugging up the holes I drilled. Anyone else having this problem? Any ideas how to fix it?

Just feed them undrained FF. I'm feeding FF crumbles with no grains. They were leaving the grains in the feeder. Don't know why, but it was getting wasted so I stopped feeding it. Anyway, your holes arent' completely plugged. They'll still drain really slowly and make for good backslopping. Just tilt your bucket over so that you're not scooping up the water and feed it like that.

Hope that helps.