Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[flyinchicks]

I am not sure what the variety of clover is. I live in central Georgia and it what the feed store sold by the pound. This is only the second winter I have planted. Last year I got a wet bag of deer plot seed for free. This year I bought the clover and rye millings. I converted a dog run into a chicken pen. I put a fence up half way down the run. I limit the chickens time in the pasture so they don't take it down to dirt. Last year one planting lasted until hot weather killed it. This summer I planted 3 times (mainly due to heat and lack of rain). When I say I plant it I'm stretching the truth. I throw out way more seed than needed and then let the chickens in for a day. They eat some seed and scratch the rest in for me. Everything I have planted comes up quickly and does well. I was afraid the nitrogen would be to high in there and burn stuff up but it seems to work. I havent tried adding to FF. I have not done a soil sample there either. Feed cost does go down when they graze but not a lot since I limit time in there. When it gets low I may keep them out 3-5 days so it grow back. I am thinking of putting another fence and have 2 areas to allow more time for them. They get so excited when I go toward the gate pull.

 

[Turkeytruff]

Parts times protein of each grain = 180.9 protein divided by number of parts added together = 12.9% protein.
12.9 is the % of protein in your mix before ferment. After ferment is unknown because we have no way to measure the yeast growth
If you were to add calf manna to the feed but not in the ferment bucket stir it into the fermented feed in i separate bucket. At 2 parts calf manna protein would be 14,4 and at 3 parts calf manna protein would be 15.05. Calf manna is 25% protein but it is the vitamins and minerals you would be after at that point which the calf manna would supply.
Also I don't know if you can ferment calf manna with the other grains or not I personally don't put things like that in my main ferment bucket though because I don't know what fermenting does to to vitamin content. I also don't know what it would do to my ferment bucket. So I always add it after ferment.

Thank you for this!

So by this account, I am not giving them enough protein - but by this account also not enough protein for my layers??

If 18% is the layer feed and I am only giving them FF, then do I seriously need to supplement everyone in the flock? Beekissed mentioned how much more usuable the available protein is through FF but as you say how does anyone measure this? Should I do what other people are doing and add layer or other rations into the FF? (I hear you re adding the calf manna separately) I think I already hear you saying just look at the condition of your animals, and of course, that is true too. Sorry if this is long winded.

Meanwhile I will add some bacon grease and cottage cheese to the food and hope for the best....

Love these emoticons....

 

[pigeonguy]

I think this has been discussed before, but between Sweet 16 and Calf Manna - is one better than the other? I saw some Sweet 16 at Fleet Farm today and is was MUCH cheaper than Calf Manna. Sweet 16 was about $15./50#, whereas Calf Manna I think was $25.+/50 #'s. I don't want to cheap out if CM is so much better, but thought I'd ask. Thanks.

I don't know much about calf manna. But I will go to Farm and Fleet ( I know it is said the other way here but dad says it is the same store) and compare to sweat 16. Here's what I do know sweet 16 is 16% protein and full of vitamins and minerals. Calf manna is 25% protein and full of vitamins and minerals. Feeding ether one of these products is not about protein it is about how many vitamins and mineral you can get into the chickens. So keeping that in mind The more of the vitamins and minerals they can eat the better it is for them. So with that (this is just my opinion and what works for me.) I feed the sweet 16 because of the lower protein they can eat more of it with no ill effects.
Now mind you I have more experience with Pigeons than chickens but foul are foul to me. One breed I raised was racing homers and before a flight next week I fed them peanuts in the morning just 4 per bird and then pigeon feed mixed with sweet 16 50/50 the rest of the day free choice for 3 days. Then I switched them to 4 peanuts in the morning and straight sweet 16 free choice the next 3 days. then the last day I fed them 4 peanuts in the morning and sweet 16 free choice till noon and then took all feed away until the flight was over. Never fly hungry but never have them full so they want to get home and eat. Flight day I took them 100 to 250 miles away the next morning before sun up and then at sun up gave them each 4 peanuts and turned them loose. When I got back home (yes they would beat me home) they would be in the loft and would have eaten the sweet 16 I had left for them. Then they went back on regular diet. With 3 parts pigeon feed 2 parts pop corn and 1 part sweet 16. I live by Tee Lee pop corn factory pop corn that can not be bagged for public sale is bagged as bird feed.
I know that's pigeons and not chickens but it worked for them for about 40 years and I know it did not hurt them. So I am going to use sweet 16 for the chickens because they can eat more of it than the calf manna which I think means they get more vitamins and minerals in their diet.
I have 31 chickens they are let out to free range between 8 and 10 in the morning and then when I get home from work I throw 1 pint of sweet 16 on the ground for scratch. I'm not sure but I think that is their favorite part of the day they just go nuts after it. Then I feed them supper at 7 pm that consist of 6 kitty litter scoops (I changed utensils) of fermented feed taken from my main ferment bucket and put into a separate bucket and 2 kitty litter scoops of sweet 16 added in and stirred well. I do this today for tomorrows feed so it gets to ferment in that 2nd bucket for 24 hours with the sweet 16 in it. Plus it soaks up the extra juice so it is not sloppy. Which means no holes in my feeder to leak on my coop floor since I feed inside.
At 7 pm before I feed I ring a loud buzzer. Took 2 weeks for the full effect but now if I am going to town and won't be home at 7 to feed I can ring that buzzer and every chicken no matter where they are comes running in the coop to eat and I just shut the door and go away not having to worry when it gets dark.
Now this is not going to work for every body but like I said it works for me.

 

[pigeonguy]

Thank you for this!

So by this account, I am not giving them enough protein - but by this account also not enough protein for my layers??

If 18% is the layer feed and I am only giving them FF, then do I seriously need to supplement everyone in the flock? Beekissed mentioned how much more usable the available protein is through FF but as you say how does anyone measure this? Should I do what other people are doing and add layer or other rations into the FF? (I hear you re adding the calf manna separately) I think I already hear you saying just look at the condition of your animals, and of course, that is true too. Sorry if this is long winded.

Meanwhile I will add some bacon grease and cottage cheese to the food and hope for the best....

Love these emoticons....

The bacon fat and cottage cheese will add more protein not sure of the amount but it will raise it though. I don't know or don't remember how many birds you have. So I don't know how much feed you need. Here's how I would go just because these numbers are easy.
10 lbs your mix with with 8 ounces lard and 8 ounces cottage cheese and 10 ounces calf manna (you might be able to put more calf manna but I don't use it so I don't know) That as a guess without going to a lot of trouble looking up bacon grease protein or cottage cheese protein would put you around 14 or 15 % protein.Then remember this in the old days that is what the experts said it took to raise chickens. today they say 16%. I don't think it is all about % but what is in that % and how much gets used. I read somewhere that fermenting lets the birds use the protein 12 % more efficiently. So think on all of this and see where it takes you experiment. What was said about cat food would get you there also. I just chose grease because to me it is free.
Now didn't I start on this for feathers. It is not always feed if birds any bird is bored it will pull feathers. Look at there surroundings and see if there is something there that can be done. More room or let them out more throw scratch 3 or 4 pieces at a time and make them run for it.
Anyway hope I didn't get 2 different problems mixed up It's late and I'm tired night.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Thanks Sooo much for starting this thread! I am only on pg 109 so far...
Lots to read and learn!
I plan to use FF for my pigs and all of my birds!
Probably for my cattle as well...
Wonderful amount of information...back to reading!!!

 

[chickachee]

I don't know much about calf manna. But I will go to Farm and Fleet ( I know it is said the other way here but dad says it is the same store) and compare to sweat 16. Here's what I do know sweet 16 is 16% protein and full of vitamins and minerals. Calf manna is 25% protein and full of vitamins and minerals. Feeding ether one of these products is not about protein it is about how many vitamins and mineral you can get into the chickens. So keeping that in mind The more of the vitamins and minerals they can eat the better it is for them. So with that (this is just my opinion and what works for me.) I feed the sweet 16 because of the lower protein they can eat more of it with no ill effects.
Now mind you I have more experience with Pigeons than chickens but foul are foul to me. One breed I raised was racing homers and before a flight next week I fed them peanuts in the morning just 4 per bird and then pigeon feed mixed with sweet 16 50/50 the rest of the day free choice for 3 days. Then I switched them to 4 peanuts in the morning and straight sweet 16 free choice the next 3 days. then the last day I fed them 4 peanuts in the morning and sweet 16 free choice till noon and then took all feed away until the flight was over. Never fly hungry but never have them full so they want to get home and eat. Flight day I took them 100 to 250 miles away the next morning before sun up and then at sun up gave them each 4 peanuts and turned them loose. When I got back home (yes they would beat me home) they would be in the loft and would have eaten the sweet 16 I had left for them. Then they went back on regular diet. With 3 parts pigeon feed 2 parts pop corn and 1 part sweet 16. I live by Tee Lee pop corn factory pop corn that can not be bagged for public sale is bagged as bird feed.
I know that's pigeons and not chickens but it worked for them for about 40 years and I know it did not hurt them. So I am going to use sweet 16 for the chickens because they can eat more of it than the calf manna which I think means they get more vitamins and minerals in their diet.
I have 31 chickens they are let out to free range between 8 and 10 in the morning and then when I get home from work I throw 1 pint of sweet 16 on the ground for scratch. I'm not sure but I think that is their favorite part of the day they just go nuts after it. Then I feed them supper at 7 pm that consist of 6 kitty litter scoops (I changed utensils) of fermented feed taken from my main ferment bucket and put into a separate bucket and 2 kitty litter scoops of sweet 16 added in and stirred well. I do this today for tomorrows feed so it gets to ferment in that 2nd bucket for 24 hours with the sweet 16 in it. Plus it soaks up the extra juice so it is not sloppy. Which means no holes in my feeder to leak on my coop floor since I feed inside.
At 7 pm before I feed I ring a loud buzzer. Took 2 weeks for the full effect but now if I am going to town and won't be home at 7 to feed I can ring that buzzer and every chicken no matter where they are comes running in the coop to eat and I just shut the door and go away not having to worry when it gets dark.
Now this is not going to work for every body but like I said it works for me.

Thanks for all the info. I especially like the buzzer approach to getting the chickens in the coop. I'll have to try that. I'm thinking of using a large metal triangle like the kind they used on all the Old West shows - the kind they used for the dinner call, when the barn was on fire, when Timmy fell in the well (HA!), etc.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for all the info. I especially like the buzzer approach to getting the chickens in the coop. I'll have to try that. I'm thinking of using a large metal triangle like the kind they used on all the Old West shows - the kind they used for the dinner call, when the barn was on fire, when Timmy fell in the well (HA!), etc.

Okay someones showing their age.

 

[Island Roo]

Thanks for all the info. I especially like the buzzer approach to getting the chickens in the coop. I'll have to try that. I'm thinking of using a large metal triangle like the kind they used on all the Old West shows - the kind they used for the dinner call, when the barn was on fire, when Timmy fell in the well (HA!), etc.

As for increasing protein, I don't see much discussion about field peas - they are about 25% protein. It ferments nicely and my chickens love it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

As for increasing protein, I don't see much discussion about field peas - they are about 25% protein. It ferments nicely and my chickens love it.

I don't do field peas but split peas I'll have to check protein in them.

 

[barkinghills]

I have a question about using peas---do they fall under the category of beans in that they need to be cooked before giving to chickens? There are several non-GMO feeds available in this area that use field peas as a protein source, but I know they are not cooked (because one of the formulas is mash).

What is the difference between field peas and split peas?