Raise the feeder-this helps a lot. Switch to pellets when you can.
Adding water to feed, without the fermenting, will achieve the same result of less mess. Personally, I have neither the interest in creating space for fermentation, managing it, cleaning up after it, nor cleaning up if the fermenting goes to far (ferments out of the container). If others want to do this, that is fine. The “better for you argument” is merely anecdotal. Those microbes are eating up parts of the feed to grow and to create the bubbles, thereby altering the feed balance. Maybe it is better, but if only slightly better, it doesn’t seem worth the effort to me. However, if it works in someone’s daily plans and the birds eat it up-that is great!
FWIW, my birds ADORE wet feed—mmm, mmm...thick pancake batter consistency is their fav!! Add in some scrambled egg (from the occasional cracked/pecked egg), or a sprinkle of seeds on top and I’ve sent them to chicken food heaven. I swear they loll around afterwards bc they are too full to move. Luckily, chickens are not prone to overeating. But, I don’t do this a lot, their normal feed is 20% protein all-flock pellets served in a 7lb hanging feeder.
Adding water to feed, without the fermenting, will achieve the same result of less mess. Personally, I have neither the interest in creating space for fermentation, managing it, cleaning up after it, nor cleaning up if the fermenting goes to far (ferments out of the container). If others want to do this, that is fine. The “better for you argument” is merely anecdotal. Those microbes are eating up parts of the feed to grow and to create the bubbles, thereby altering the feed balance. Maybe it is better, but if only slightly better, it doesn’t seem worth the effort to me. However, if it works in someone’s daily plans and the birds eat it up-that is great!
FWIW, my birds ADORE wet feed—mmm, mmm...thick pancake batter consistency is their fav!! Add in some scrambled egg (from the occasional cracked/pecked egg), or a sprinkle of seeds on top and I’ve sent them to chicken food heaven. I swear they loll around afterwards bc they are too full to move. Luckily, chickens are not prone to overeating. But, I don’t do this a lot, their normal feed is 20% protein all-flock pellets served in a 7lb hanging feeder.