Fermenting feed

[piopio123]

I have read alot of posts about fermented food but none mention anything about storage. Is it best to keep in a cool dry place or can you keep it outside? Wasn't sure about the effects the sun and heat would have on it

The lacto-fermentation process is accelerated by warmth. It slows down with cooler temperatures...So let's think of it like sauerkraut... putting it in the refrigerator once it has gone through an active fermentation phase (bubbles are a good sign of this) will then put it in a more dormant state, and so it will not continue to ferment and there it may stay preserved. If you left it out in the warmer conditions it would continue to ferment, but outside in the summer heat it could also potentially rot. Sticking with the sauerkraut analogy....if you have a barrel/crock/ or other container that is too large for the refrigerator, sauerkraut was traditionally kept in a root cellar aka a cool dry place.
I hope this helps!

 

[Sidhe13]

My brand new bag of chick starter got wet over the weekend. Can I ferment it? It is medicated, does that make a difference?

 

[azygous]

I see no difference between wet feed and feed that has water added for the purpose of fermenting. To make sure it doesn't go moldy, I recommend putting the wet feed in a container large enough to hold it, cover it with water, add a dash of ACV to kick start the fermentation, if it hasn't begun already, and place in a room temperature spot and stir twice a day. You should have a good ferment by 48 hours.

I'm fermenting medicated feed for my chicks. It's the only chick starter available to me, but it ferments like the unmedicated stuff.

 

[Sidhe13]

Thanks @azygous!

 

[Clucksandgiggle]

I keep my FF in a clear plastic tub on my kitchen counter. Some do leave it outside though.

 

[mymilliefleur]

I ferment my feed outdoors, (my mom wouldn't be happy if I kept 6, 5 gallon buckets in the house

). I keep it in the barn where it's cool and dark. It does just fine. (I just have to make sure I keep it covered so I don't lose any chicks).

 

[Sidhe13]

It has been slim picking since the food bag got wet and my poor chooks have had to make do with whatever we can scrap together....but today is Day 3 of the fermented wet feed and it smells great! I just put some out and the chooks were happy to receive! So a bag of feed has veen saved! There is enough in the bucket for tomorrow and the next day. I will start a new batch tomorrow and keep rolling it over...next week is pay week and this will easily last until then...

 

[NTBugtraq]

Just to add another confirmation. I have been feeding my layers and one roo fermented feed for a little more than a month now. Scratch, in a 5 gallon bucket, covered with water...it ferments just fine without any ACV (that will depend on where you live, if there are any live yeasts in your area you are fine without ACV). I hatched 19 chicks 10 days ago, and bought chick starter before they arrived. I put it into my crockpot and covered it with water, and sure enough, it fermented just fine. So my chicks have had FF since day 1 and they too love it. I put it into a small strainer and press most of the water out with a soup ladle. So it goes into my feeder as an oatmeal consistency.

But I have a question. Until a few days ago I could fill my 24" long feeding tray (which has a cover with like 48 holes in the top for them to feed through) and they were happy campers. But now they finish that in less than a day. So because they haven't seen day light yet, at 2am they start yelping, I assume because they are hungry. Is there any amount I should be targeting for them? E.g. X grams per chick per day? The alternative is that I refill the container, but then that puts fresh on top of old, and I'm unsure if that will work.

Suggestions please?

 

[snow5164]

I have the same question... How much should my chicks need? I have 10 ,2 week old layers that seem to always have an empty dish. Do I free feed them or limit them ?
They're just getting wet medicated starter as the ff is not done yet.

 

[NTBugtraq]

I have the same question... How much should my chicks need? I have 10 ,2 week old layers that seem to always have an empty dish. Do I free feed them or limit them ?
They're just getting wet medicated starter as the ff is not done yet.

At 3 weeks old, I had fed my chicks 1Kg per chick dry (which I then fermented). So 1Kg per chick through 3 weeks. But realize this is not a silver bullet answer. Roos will eat more than hens, period. I free feed to at least 8 weeks, if you have empty feeders, feed them some more.