Going to stop fermenting...

[Crs1]

after trying since April.
I have 2 seperate flocks one is my older hens which one is a broody with 3 chicks 2 weeks old in their own space. The other is a group of 4 month old pullets.
I put the ff out in the morning and by the end of the day it’s gone the broody and chicks eat but don’t really seem interested in it.
The pullets seems to be interested but I think it may be because the hens keep them away. When I feed them by themselves the seem starved.
So this morning I put out both. First the ff and with not much enthusiasm except from pullets fed by themselves. Then I put out the dry feed and it was like flies on s&*#. They were climbing all over each other to get to it.And broody seemed very excited it was there.
So I think that I am going to go back to dry feed. Spend the extra money cuz ff did save some And put up with stinkier poo

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My opinion is FF isn't a normal diet for a chicken. I personally don't buy into all the hype, and I think it's a disaster waiting to happen. I have always read keep the feed dry. Mold is deadly to chicken. I know FF isn't mold but it can be.

My birds are happy and long lived eating a dry ration, though in colder months I will give some warm wet ration mixed with oatmeal on cold days as a treat. Live is easier putting out a dry ration too.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Mine prefer the mash I ferment dry as well... so I don't give them a choice. They just want to pick through it for their favorite pieces, wasting a bunch of it on the ground, instead of eating all of it including the vitamins like they're supposed to.

At least mine seem to prefer fermented mash over dry pellets/crumble though.