Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[aoxa]

It was 22 this morning at 7AM when I went out to feed my flock. Water was frozen. The tarp over my FF trash can (plastic) was frozen, even the lid was frozen to the can. BUT - the FF was not frozen in the slighest! It was warm and bubbled when I stired it. For the time being I'm leaving my FF outside on the stoop to one of the chicken houses.

My one question is about their poo. Most everyone mentions how much firmer their chicken droppings are. Mine are still messy. Any suggestions as to why?

Yes, mine has not yet frozen either. It has gone down to -11 C (12F) and was perfectly fine. All waters frozen... :/ Time to get to work on my tin can heaters for the waters. I can't afford heated waterers for all the different coops. I usually have a chick pen, a rooster pen, a bantam pen and the older chickens pen (they are all coops I guess). Last year I didn't have any birds who wanted to free range in the snow. Maybe they will be more daring this year. I have 100+ more birds, so I'm sure someone will give it a go

As for poops - I have some runny poops throughout the day. As long as that bird isn't pooping that way every single poop, I think it's normal. I watch them poop - I'm weird... and the younger ones seem to have runnier poop than the older ones, but do have perfectly solid poops later in the afternoon.

I spent so much time watching chicken TV yesterday. My inlaws and evil twin nephews were home, and I needed to escape. When they kept coming down to the barn the day before, I nearly had a panic attack. These twins asked me to slit a chicken's throat so they could watch it bleed.

Future serial killers? It makes me boil. They are just 8 year olds, but my other nephew would never say that.

Maybe it's time to add a little of the ACV to the mix and see if it changes their bowel performance?  I've not had any on the FF to have runny poops except the normal cecal poops that all chickens have now and again but they aren't exactly runny...just moist, as per usual.

 

I put a lot of ACV in my FF and water, and still get occasional runny poops in the AM.

I'm glad you said this because I was thinking the same, I'll dump and start over that may be why they aren't eating it as  good and I thought it was the weather. 

They should be eating more in the fall due to less foraging available. Must be something going on in the taste of the feed. My flock has days where they eat less than others. The rainy days - more is consumed.

 

[Herducks]

I started feeding FF a few weeks ago to my chicks and ducks. The ducks are indian runners and very flighty. They would always run to get as far from me as possible...until about a week into feeding FF. They finaly figured out I was bringing the good stuff. They still are not friendly, but they see me coming and come to within a foot or two of me while I am dumping their food. As soon as I turn around, they swarm the bowl! They look great! If I set the bucket down to watch them eat, my dogs usually clean it out for me.

I don't have anything old enough to lay yet, but am eagerly awaiting my first eggs!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I started feeding FF a few weeks ago to my chicks and ducks. The ducks are indian runners and very flighty. They would always run to get as far from me as possible...until about a week into feeding FF. They finaly figured out I was bringing the good stuff. They still are not friendly, but they see me coming and come to within a foot or two of me while I am dumping their food. As soon as I turn around, they swarm the bowl! They look great! If I set the bucket down to watch them eat, my dogs usually clean it out for me.

I don't have anything old enough to lay yet, but am eagerly awaiting my first eggs!

 

[aoxa]

I started feeding FF a few weeks ago to my chicks and ducks.  The ducks are indian runners and very flighty.  They would always run to get as far from me as possible...until about a week into feeding FF.  They finaly figured out I was bringing the good stuff.  They still are not friendly, but they see me coming and come to within a foot or two of me while I am dumping their food.  As soon as I turn around, they swarm the bowl!  They look great!  If I set the bucket down to watch them eat, my dogs usually clean it out for me.     I don't have anything old enough to lay yet, but am eagerly awaiting my first eggs! 

My dogs are the same way. Can't be good for them to eat chicken feed.

Even my rabbits love the stuff. I free range them as well, so will it hurt them? I make sure they get their own feed as well...

Can I create a special FF for my bunnies?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Okay i have a question, since yesterday when i saw this grey layer on top of my ff I was thinking this isn't right, then reading Bees post made me think i should toss this ff and start over, I started this ff about a month and a half ago I'm thinking, just kept back slopping it and adding grains and Flock raiser as needed, well i just got back from dumping what was left in the bucket in the compost and when I took the bucket holding the ff out the water under neath had large pieces of mold floating on top, and it smelled like what strong liquor smells like[ever walked by a bar?] I remember as a kid walking by this bar on the way home from school and getting that same smell very strong. What have i done wrong.? I will start over but want some advise before I do, I put holes in my inner bucket all around sides but not bottom does that make any difference? also used ACV with mother and water to get it started and also when i needed to add any liquid. I did not notice this strong Alcohol smell until I lifted the inner bucket out. HELP!

 

[delisha]

Don't panic..you need bigger holes. Every thing is fine. Sanitize the buckets and start over. Your holes are plugging up. Just make bigger ones.

 

[delisha]

I FF my dogs food. They have been feeding FF to livestock for as long as I can remember. I lived in MO for a few years and one old farmer fed every thing he had FF. Dogs, cats, sheep, pigs, cows, chickens. Most dog feeds are grain based. Read your labels. My dog is on rice and lamb or rice and chicken. I make it myself with out all of the garbage in it. Its cheaper and fresh. However I do cook my rice some. I use wild and brown.I keep the juices from the cooking and add it to the FF dog feed.

 

[aoxa]

Okay i have a question, since yesterday when i saw this grey layer on top of my ff I was thinking this isn't right, then reading Bees post made me think i should toss this ff and start over, I started this ff about a month and a half ago I'm thinking, just kept back slopping it and adding grains and Flock raiser as needed, well i just got back from dumping what was left in the bucket in the compost and when I took the bucket holding the ff out the water under neath had large pieces of mold floating on top, and it smelled like what strong liquor smells like[ever walked by a bar?] I remember as a kid walking by this bar on the way home from school and getting that same smell very strong. What have i done wrong.?  I will start over but want some advise before I do, I put holes in my inner bucket all around sides but not bottom does that make any difference? also used ACV with mother and water to get it started and also when i needed to add any liquid. I did not notice this strong Alcohol smell until I lifted the inner bucket out. HELP! 

Miss Lydia,

I don't use two buckets, just one. When my bucket is half full, I add more in, so that the fermented feed at the bottom is still there. Maybe this is worth a try? I know I tried the two buckets for chick feed, and it was always clogging. It must work better with mash, but definitely not working well with crumbles.

 

[colburg]

Okay i have a question, since yesterday when i saw this grey layer on top of my ff I was thinking this isn't right, then reading Bees post made me think i should toss this ff and start over, I started this ff about a month and a half ago I'm thinking, just kept back slopping it and adding grains and Flock raiser as needed, well i just got back from dumping what was left in the bucket in the compost and when I took the bucket holding the ff out the water under neath had large pieces of mold floating on top, and it smelled like what strong liquor smells like[ever walked by a bar?] I remember as a kid walking by this bar on the way home from school and getting that same smell very strong. What have i done wrong.? I will start over but want some advise before I do, I put holes in my inner bucket all around sides but not bottom does that make any difference? also used ACV with mother and water to get it started and also when i needed to add any liquid. I did not notice this strong Alcohol smell until I lifted the inner bucket out. HELP!

Did you have air in between the two buckets? I figure that was my problem a few days ago. Just drilled larger holes and kept things going like normal. My FF is 3 parts crumbles and 1 part scratch. Didn't sanitize buckets because I wanted to see what happens. Everything is working out OK so far. The mold is gone. I have a pic or two to post with the results tomorrow.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Did you have air in between the two buckets? I figure that was my problem a few days ago. Just drilled larger holes and kept things going like normal. My FF is 3 parts crumbles and 1 part scratch. Didn't sanitize buckets because I wanted to see what happens. Everything is working out OK so far. The mold is gone. I have a pic or two to post with the results tomorrow.

No the inner bucket was sitting in the water of the outer bucket.