For those who ferment: how do you handle (human) vacations?

[Finnie]

I love the simplicity of just topping up one bucket! With only three girls (for now bwah hah), I use two 1-quart Mason jars, one for today and one for tomorrow. When today’s is almost empty, leaving some “starter” in there, I fill it halfway with feed, add water, stir it up, partly cover, and let it ferment while I use the other jar for THAT day’s feed.

It was me grumbling about carrying bowls in the rain! But the kitchen is maybe 10 yards from the coop, so like I said, just grumbling!

Two jars is still pretty simple. It’s like the one bucket method, except each one gets to ferment a little longer. Sounds like a win.

 

[jayna1]

Hi,

I ferment HHR mixed with whole oats and wheat, and for us, it's just once daily. They get Kalmbach's Flock Maker crumbles too, in DIY 5-gallon PVC feeders. (Silkies).

If I go on vacation, they'll just have their crumbles as I have a farmer to lock them in at night and open the coops in the morning, but I couldn't expect her to take care of my ferment. In fact, if we're gone more than a couple of days, I think I'll have to dump it out. We used to do jars, so one jar a day, but with a larger flock, I now do about 2/3 of a 5-gallon bucket.

For you, I think refrigerating it would work though, if it's just for a couple of days.

I'm wondering if the "mold" can just be scraped off and use the rest? What do you think?
Also, Debbie292.....you might want to invest in a chicken door that opens and closes on a timer, if you are going to keep chickens for more than a minute!! Honestly, we put one in 20 years ago after I saw a comment on BYC - "beg, borrow or steal" an automatic door!! IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO GO! Mine was made in Pennsylvania - Poultry Door Butler I think.

 

[Debbie292d]

I'm wondering if the "mold" can just be scraped off and use the rest? What do you think?
Also, Debbie292.....you might want to invest in a chicken door that opens and closes on a timer, if you are going to keep chickens for more than a minute!! Honestly, we put one in 20 years ago after I saw a comment on BYC - "beg, borrow or steal" an automatic door!! IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO GO! Mine was made in Pennsylvania - Poultry Door Butler I think.

Hubby made the chicken door frame very nice, and that's why we don't have an auto door on that one, as he'd have to tear it down. Now we've got four breeding pens he took pains to making sliding doors for, that are on ski ropes so from the inside I pull the ski rope and up or down they come. We've got a garage door opener he wants to incorporate them all into when he's got time.

That's probably not mold, but scoby per se, like a yeasty thing that grows on top of the ferment. I had some of that on mine and sides when I did it in the bucket. I'm back to doing jars though since I last posted that. For some reason I'd rather just feed them 3-day old ferment from clean jars, and every day it's the same.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Hubby made the chicken door frame very nice, and that's why we don't have an auto door on that one, as he'd have to tear it down. Now we've got four breeding pens he took pains to making sliding doors for, that are on ski ropes so from the inside I pull the ski rope and up or down they come. We've got a garage door opener he wants to incorporate them all into when he's got time.

That's probably not mold, but scoby per se, like a yeasty thing that grows on top of the ferment. I had some of that on mine and sides when I did it in the bucket. I'm back to doing jars though since I last posted that. For some reason I'd rather just feed them 3-day old ferment from clean jars, and every day it's the same.

I wondered if it might be scoby (what a name.) It was more of a film when one of my batches developed it.

 

[Karlkurla Chooks]

Why would grain feed need to be fermented?

It seems easier to just scatter the grains over the yard before a shower of rain, for them to ferment then be eaten by the chooks while foraging?

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Why would grain feed need to be fermented?

It seems easier to just scatter the grains over the yard before a shower of rain, for them to ferment then be eaten by the chooks while foraging?

The whole grain feed I use has whole grain (including peas, sunflower seeds, etc.) plus “bits”, which I assume are the vitamins, minerals, and pre- and probiotics that don’t come in handy natural grain etc. form. Fermenting integrates the bits with the much larger wheat, barley, peas, etc. so that everything is eaten.

They get the ferment first thing in the morning in two bowls before being released to forage, and the non-fermented dry feed (same stuff) is available throughout the day in the hanging feeder. When the “bits” pile up in the feeder, I do shake them out of the ground for pecking.