Fermenting food: teach me how you do it! (winter and summer)

[Minky]

Can someone explain how I would feed my flock fermented feed? I am very interested but it seems complicated. Also, there is a foot of snow outside right now... I would do it in my feed room, which is not heated, but insulated and stays above freezing.... my house is a good 400 feet from the chickens, and I have about 30 hens and several roosters in several pens.. and some chicks...
I want to feed fermented to cut down on food, but also because I know it is better for them.

 

[Sally PB]

There are a lot of posts about this, probably an article or two as well. Here's something I found online when I was looking for info.

https://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

 

[3xhhheather]

Can someone explain how I would feed my flock fermented feed? I am very interested but it seems complicated. Also, there is a foot of snow outside right now... I would do it in my feed room, which is not heated, but insulated and stays above freezing.... my house is a good 400 feet from the chickens, and I have about 30 hens and several roosters in several pens.. and some chicks...
I want to feed fermented to cut down on food, but also because I know it is better for them.

It can be as complicated or simple as you like. To me complicated is mixing your own feed (seeds, corn, peas, vitamins, etc), simple is just using feed from the store, and somewhere in between is a mix of both. If you're on Instagram (the_olive_egg & may_blooms_acreage) have their whole fermented feed process saved in their highlights. It's very similar to what I do (a mix of feed, seeds, supplements) + water in a 5-gallon bucket, leave 1-2 inches of water on top to keep it from molding, stir, add more water, feed after 3-4 days (less in the summer), and repeat down the line of buckets. You'll have to play around with quantities, but I believe 1/4c per bird dry mix is a good starting point. It'll double/triple in size after being fermented.

 

[Manhen]

I have been feeding 200 chickens fermented food for over a year now. Well last summer there was only a hundred chickens. What I do is put 15 pounds of grain in a 5 gallon bucket and bring it to within 2 in of the top with water. 3 days later I strain it through 3/8 in galvanized hardware cloth and feed it to the chickens. Then I use the liquid that came through to add to the next 15 pounds. I do this twice every day. Remember this introduces lactobacillus into their diet and a steady manner. You can add diatomaceous earth periodically if you think you need it right before you feed them. Yes this means I have six buckets going at once plus one to feed from one with holes punched in it for a strainer and one is a catch Basin to work in the filtration

 

[Manhen]

I put the baby chick food through a handy Chopper to make it nice and smooth. Migraine is a special mix, corn cracked whole wheat and whole oats. Right before I feed it I had 10% soy meal let it soak for a while and then put it through the strainer. This is important as they need the protein. In the winter I substitute some of the soy meal with a poultry supplement

 

[Manhen]

I also keep it in a heated shop. It's about 50-60 Fahrenheit which is just a little too cool. I am working on a jacket with the heater in it for them.

EDIT: I wonder as this has been presented patchwork if I should write this out with a review/edit.

EDIT: I have acquired a large feed bin today. As their consumption rate is over 50lbs/day now, trips to the grain elevator are way too often. Round trip takes 2.5 hours and then I get to unload. I have two stops as I buy my corn from a small farmer that is able to provide non-GMO cracked corn. Problem: He doesn't deliver as his horses would be pretty tired after the trip. The delivery charge from the elevator is about what two trips would cost me, so I will save a little right there. Plus if I ever get the farmer that rents our land to go organic I can store long term. Then I can sell $25 frozen organic chickens that weigh only 5 lbs in the freezer! Insert an evil laugh.

 

[PioneerChicks]

This is how I do it: Fermenting Chicken Feed: A Straightforward Method

Fermenting is a wonderful method, I hope you like it!

 

[rosemarythyme]

At the most basic level it's feed + water in a container, stir and let sit, then serve. I don't bother with waiting 3 days, stirring several times a day, straining out water, etc. It's not some sort of magic though , so while I find it definitely reduces waste, it's not like they really end up eating less.

 

[JaeG]

Mine is made in one container. I feed most out then add more water and feed. There's no need for a certain depth of water above the food. Mine is mixed to a very thick oatmeal consistency and gets stirred when I add fresh feed and water to the container and again just before I feed it out. Super simple and our birds love it.