Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Mumsy]

I thought it would really stink before starting this.

Me too! It just proves a point. Don't over worry or over think the process. Just follow the basic recipe. I try to learn to do something new once a week. Since joining this forum my learning curve is off the chart.

 

[Noncentzter]

Catching up from the weekend...internet down at home...but wanted to let you know that I started feeding the FF on Friday. When I cooped them up Friday night there was still quite of bit of food left in the containers, but by morning it was all covered with sand and grit from them dust bathing so I had to dump what was left. But, Saturday and Sunday they ate it much better and I'm excited to see the improvements in the flock and how much this is going to be cutting down on my feed bill. Previously I bought 150 lbs of feed each week!

 

[aoxa]

Catching up from the weekend...internet down at home...but wanted to let you know that I started feeding the FF on Friday.  When I cooped them up Friday night there was still quite of bit of food left in the containers, but by morning it was all covered with sand and grit from them dust bathing so I had to dump what was left.  But, Saturday and Sunday they ate it much better and I'm excited to see the improvements in the flock and how much this is going to be cutting down on my feed bill.  Previously I bought 150 lbs of feed each week! 

I was buying about the same. Maybe 50 pounds more.

I started fermenting last Sunday. 1 bag. I just put in 1/2 of the third bag this morning. So that is less than 2 bags this week - as I have an entire garbage bin full of the stuff!!!

 

[Lacy Blues]

I keep thinking I must be imagining things. In fact, I probably ought to go back and look at any pictures I might have.

With Andalusians, each time they molt out, they get a little less striking.

I've been feeding the ff for a couple months now and my girls are all molting. Some have lots of new feathers and as I look at them every day, there are certain ones that are a couple of years old that were very very nice in their pullet year. There's one that molted back after her first molt and she was just as nice as her pullet year. The next molt however, she faded quite a bit. She's growing new feathers in now and unless I'm imagining it, she's almost as nice as she was before! I'm shocked and almost totally in disbelief. There's another hen that was never very lacy looking but she had incredible evenness of color. This is her second molt and she's coming in with some pretty nice lacing!

Like I said... hard to believe! I don't know what it would be if not the ff. Though I don't know how that could affect coloring.

 

[Beekissed]

I don't think you are dreaming. Sheep farmers who use the ACV in the water are finding that their wool fibers are longer, stronger and more fine with more evenly distributed oil along the fibers. They even found that it was easier to shear the sheep after they had been on ACV...something about the lanolin being more evenly distributed along the whole hair shaft allowing the clippers to move through more easily. In short, they are getting more money for their wool because it stepped it up a grade.

 

[texasmomma]

My beef farmer told me today that he puts ACV in the water for his cattle.

 

[Jeanette56]

How exciting that your birds are looking better than ever before!
Nutrition has a lot to do with coloring.
Think Flamingos - pink shrimp = pink/coral feathers
Think bright yellow yolks over pale egg yolks

Healthy animals have the ability to produce more of what makes them beautiful, colorful or handsome. Think about how you can see an animal in less than good condition and how Dull their coats are. Put that same animal on a better/healthier diet and soon you begin to see a sparkle in their eyes and a shine to their coats or feathers. If the FF really does makes the nutrients more bioavailable it just makes sense that our birds would become better looking than before!
Cool that you are seeing proof of this!

Like I said... hard to believe!  I don't know what it would be if not the ff.  Though I don't know how that could affect coloring.
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[flyinchicks]

I have been feeding the FF for about 2 weeks. I also have noticed my birds look prettier. I didn't think it was the feed so I didn't post. Their colors are brighter and they shine more. I thought it was my imagination.

I have noticed respitory improvements. My whole flock got dry pox about a year ago. Since then one of my hens Owl has wheezed and sneezed day and night. When I would go to the pen at night you could hear her raspy breathing as soon as you walked up. This last week I have not heard her at all. I even followed her around one day to make sure and alas no noise.

The other noticable difference is the poop. It now looks as good as poop can look.

 

[PeepsCA]

Can someone please explain exactly why baker's yeast shouldn't be used in FF? Obviously it does not have the exact same benefits as FF with the UP/ACV w/Mother in it, but I was under the impression that any type of ferment will increase the protein and nutrient availability as well as provide beneficial bacteria, enzymes and microbes. Does anyone know if the baker’s yeast establishes an entirely different type of ferment, with drastically different beneficials, nutrients etc?

The reason I am asking for better clarification is because I used some really old, expired bread machine yeast to get my FF started for my birds. I'm using about a 50/50 mix of 24% protein game bird pellets and scratch grains (cracked corn, wheat and milo), with an occasional few handfuls of sweet feed mixed in... I started it almost 3 wks ago and my batch is doing fine so far. With the bread machine yeast being 6+ yrs past it's expiration date I'm not all that convinced it was even active enough to do anything (good, bad or otherwise) and that my mix didn't just pull in wild yeast from the air and also utilize the natural yeasts off of the feeds themselves. I have not added any more yeast to it since that first day, and I have not been using any UP/ACV in my mix (just ended up finally getting some on Friday but have not added any yet). My FF mix has a nice fermented sour but still sweet smell to it (not yeasty or like bread)... and my birds love it (I’m feeding it to Guineas,Turkeys and now Coturninx Quail). I have had no issues with it going bad/rancid/foul, and no issues with the birds refusing to eat it, nor are the birds showing any ill effects from eating it.

I am impressed as well as satisfied with this batch of FF so far. The smell that was aromatically emanating from underneath my wire floored grow out pen with young Guineas in it quickly improved and still remains under control. Besides that valuable perk, my Quail eggs definitely have bigger yolks after just 1 week on the FF (my only laying Hens, lol

).
A fresh egg I collected from this AM is on the right, and a 2 wk old egg is on the left (both eggs were visually very close in size, but I did not weigh them).
​

I recently got a bottle of Bragg's UP/ACV w/Mother and was wondering if I should I start an entirely new batch of FF with it, or if I should just go ahead and add some ACV to my existing FF mix? I don't need/want a science project gone bad experience in my feed shed if the yeast started FF won't get along with the UP/ACV, lol.

One other thing... I noticed these listed in my game bird pellet ingredients:​

• Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product dehydrated​
• Lactobacillus casei fermentation product dehydrated​
• Enterococcus faegium fermentation product dehydrated​
• Bifidobacterium thermophilium fermentation product dehydrated​

Do you think these are these active in my FF? If so maybe this is why my FF is doing so well, even tho I initially used the expired bread machine yeast to get it started

 

[Leahs Mom]

Just in general - on the topic of feed - I saw this post by someone in a group I'm subscribed to. I have sent her a message to see if this publication has an on-line version or if she will scan it for me so I can verify the source. I decided to post it here as I believe most of you are interested in good nutrition for your animals.

Just when I thought I was aware of all the REALLY STUPID things that people have done with our food source, I read this. I thought I'd heard it all but.... check this out:
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