Fermenting Questions

[Molpet]

Thanks for the information on how you manage you feed. I allow mine to free range as much as I possibly can and also do offer the dry version of their feed along with the option of the fermented. My biggest question was if I set a bowl of fermented out in the morning and they only eat a little of it by evening what is the safe solution for the leftovers. Just leave in the run? Throw out? Mix back in to another batch? What do you do if they hardly touch the fermented on certain day?

I only feed what they will eat in 20 min.. but I have some that are part cx and will eat too much.... if there is any left I don't leave it out because it attracts mice and such.. I give it to them the next day.. I never put ff that has been in the run back into the ferment bucket.. it has been stepped in by pooy feet

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Thanks for the information on how you manage you feed. I allow mine to free range as much as I possibly can and also do offer the dry version of their feed along with the option of the fermented. My biggest question was if I set a bowl of fermented out in the morning and they only eat a little of it by evening what is the safe solution for the leftovers. Just leave in the run? Throw out? Mix back in to another batch? What do you do if they hardly touch the fermented on certain day?

I would say leave it out. Stirring it back into the ferment could kill the ferment and tossing it would be waste. Start putting a little out and build up giving more if you so choose.

My FlufferButter flock has been on FF since the 2nd week of life. My Littles flock since day 1 and, now, my Nuggets flock since day 1. Everyone is happy and healthy, the Fluffers and Littles lay beautifully colored, well sized, hard shelled eggs.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thanks for the information on how you manage you feed. I allow mine to free range as much as I possibly can and also do offer the dry version of their feed along with the option of the fermented. My biggest question was if I set a bowl of fermented out in the morning and they only eat a little of it by evening what is the safe solution for the leftovers. Just leave in the run? Throw out? Mix back in to another batch? What do you do if they hardly touch the fermented on certain day?

I NEVER leave feed in my run because I wish to avoid rodents and other free loaders. So I collect my dishes every night, and serve it up the next day or mix it back in my FF.

Some days they do hardly touch it. Rainy days they eat more because they forage less.

I have never had to throw out FF... and I don't think you should either.

 

[Titan Farm]

The over all proteins may have increased some do to the abundance of yeast in the feed BUT which amino acids were increased and which were decreased?
What you have to look at is the amino acids that make up the end protein amount.
Just because your feed go from lets say 16 to 18 percent proteins by fermenting it doesn't mean it's better if your increasing the incorrect amino acids and or depleting much needed ones.

Therese lot of studies online on feeding fermented to hogs and theirs a few on feeding poultry fermented feeds. Most of the ones done on poultry showed an increase in the bird weight and egg size but that could be do to the extra water intake in the feed.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I just mix it back with the original, when mine is left out it can get a tad crusty on the edges. But just like gut flora a well established yeast/bacterial mix exist in balance in your Fermenting bucket that is constantly getting reseeded with what is in the air anyway. Just like any sourdough starter it will eventually reflect what organisms exist in your local area unless you have access to a clean room and use a good sterile technique to maintain it.

 

[AllenK RGV]

The over all proteins may have increased some do to the abundance of yeast in the feed BUT which amino acids were increased and which were decreased?
What you have to look at is the amino acids that make up the end protein amount.
Just because your feed go from lets say 16 to 18 percent proteins by fermenting it doesn't mean it's better if your increasing the incorrect amino acids and or depleting much needed ones.

Therese lot of studies online on feeding fermented to hogs and theirs a few on feeding poultry fermented feeds. Most of the ones done on poultry showed an increase in the bird weight and egg size but that could be do to the extra water intake in the feed.

@Titan Farm I'm so happy you are here. As you can see everyone here has an opinion and we all do what works for us. Even related to the OP's last question we don't all agree on what to do with the leftovers if there are any. For sure those studies you quote are probably in commercial hog operations where no other supplemental feeding is offered but to be honest very few of us feeding our flocks feed only fermented feed, at least "that is my feeling" I do not have solid evidence to support that statement. So in short if you are working on a commercial farm I wouldn't suggest you use FF as the sole source of nutrition for your flock. I would also ask you to quit the antibiotic prophylaxis among other things too.

 

[Titan Farm]

As of the OP's question on what to do with extra fermented, the simple answer is freeze it. Freezing would stop the fermentation and safely store it till it will be used again.
Refrigeration will slow it down some but some yeasts are active and will ferment to temperatures in the 40 degree range.

 

[AllenK RGV]

As of the OP's question on what to do with extra fermented, the simple answer is freeze it. Freezing would stop the fermentation and safely store it till it will be used again.
Refrigeration will slow it down some but some yeasts are active and will ferment to temperatures in the 40 degree range.

I am in complete agreement on how temperature affects the fermentation process.

As far as the need for a long term storage option that shouldn't be needed in the first place. I use a container large enough for 3 days of fermented feed. I like to keep it simple and just backslop the same container with the a portion of the original culture on day three(otherwise it will become quite pungent). I do stir my ferment a minimum of 2x daily, and use a Rubbermaid rubber scraper to keep the sides of my container cleaned up at all times. Hope this is helpful information to OP.

 

[AllenK RGV]

This thread kinda reminds me of the following scene below as nobody has the best right answer for everyone. Regardless, we can teach each other the basis for why we do what we do and even provide the scientific basis for doing so. Some of the information I find in the forums strikes me as just as silly as hocus pocus. Similar to using healing crystals or magnets on your birds. Using healing herbs I personally find to be a useless construct as well, but others find them invaluable in keeping their flock. We are all subject matter experts for our own flocks and what works for us on an individual basis may not work for the next person in all cases.

 

[lazy gardener]

If I have extra feed left at the end of the day, I either set it into the coop, or carry it into my garage. I try to never leave feed out in the run overnight.

There is no need to throw away FF left at the end of the day, unless you are in the middle of a hot summer, and the feed is clearly rancid.

FYI, FF is THE SOLE RATION offered to my flock. I've been using it for over 4 years. occasionally, they do get dry feed, if it's the end of the day, and they are telling me that their morning ration was not enough, and I don't want to trundle out the FF bucket again. Occasionally, I use some scratch grain to black mail the flock back into their run. (Usually in response to a predator alert). And, they get sprouted grains (in addition to their fermented pellets) during the snow months. But, on a week in/week out basis, fermented feed is their sole ration.