How do you ferment chicken feed? Is it worth it?

[Perris]

If you put the fermented feed in the fridge, you'll slow it right down and may wait weeks for it to be ready. FF does best in a warm environment; the yogurt in it won't go bad.

Any leftover yogurt should be kept in the fridge though.

Does your Greek yogurt say it contains live cultures? Does it need to on your local labelling rules?

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

If you put the fermented feed in the fridge, you'll slow it right down and may wait weeks for it to be ready. FF does best in a warm environment; the yogurt in it won't go bad.

Any leftover yogurt should be kept in the fridge though.

Does your Greek yogurt say it contains live cultures? Does it need to on your local labelling rules?

Good to know it should stay warm!
And yes, it does. It says it has "live, active cultures" and it says to keep it refrigerated.

 

[ChaosMom]

@ChickenShepherd_6116
I think in this case, you *want* the yogurt to “go bad”, in that it’s infusing the moistened feed with cultures promoting fermentation.

Whereas the carton of yogurt, the rest of which you plan to eat, goes in the fridge so that it remains stable and doesn’t doesn’t break down/settle out.

The yogurt you’re using in the ferment has a new job, no longer requiring fermentation.

@Perris to clean up any bubbly messes that I made

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

@ChickenShepherd_6116
I think in this case, you *want* the yogurt to “go bad”, in that it’s infusing the moistened feed with cultures promoting fermentation.

Whereas the carton of yogurt, the rest of which you plan to eat, goes in the fridge so that it remains stable and doesn’t doesn’t break down/settle out.

The yogurt you’re using in the ferment has a new job, no longer requiring fermentation.

@Perris to clean up any bubbly messes that I made

Now that I have added the yogurt, when can I expect it to be done fermenting? Can it ferment too long, how would I know when that has happened? I started it the night of the 17th, so last night.

 

[ChaosMom]

Now that I have added the yogurt, when can I expect it to be done fermenting? Can it ferment too long, how would I know when that has happened? I started it the night of the 17th, so last night.

I don’t know how big a batch you started, but you might see early bubbles 24 hours after starting, so maybe tonight, and then possibly add another 36-48 hours.

Once you have a batch going, you can goose the process a bit by adding a spoonful or two of the ferment to the next batch as a jump start, so your total turnaround might be closer to 36 hours or so, depending on conditions.

This means that you don’t have to keep adding yogurt each time. Just as with making and baking sourdough bread, if you can keep some starter going, you almost have a perpetual motion machine going.

And I don’t know that there’s a specific and perfect ”now, it’s ready!” time. I just go by smell, and that’s something that you have to discover on your own. Never nasty, never OMG; just something that after a while feels right.

Believe me, if it gets too funky, your girls will let you know!

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

Once you have a batch going, you can goose the process a bit by adding a spoonful or two of the ferment to the next batch as a jump start, so your total turnaround might be closer to 36 hours or so, depending on conditions.

This means that you don’t have to keep adding yogurt each time. Just as with making and baking sourdough bread, if you can keep some starter going, you almost have a perpetual motion machine going.

By adding "ferment" to the next batch, do you mean add the liquid leftover from this batch to the next one? I know it depends on the size of the batch, but about how much ferment/water should the next batch be? For example, should I add 50% ferment, 50% water?

 

[ChaosMom]

By adding "ferment" to the next batch, do you mean add the liquid leftover from this batch to the next one? I know it depends on the size of the batch, but about how much ferment/water should the next batch be? For example, should I add 50% ferment, 50% water?

Oh dear, I’m sure that there’s a more proper way to do it, but I first mix up the grain and non-chlorinated water in the new jar, then add a few plops of fermented feed from an older jar. “Plops” is a deliberately imprecise term. Nature works in its own vague and messy way. A few plops implies that you will have enough, which is all that matters. Too much won’t hurt at all, not enough might slow you down by a few hours, but not enough to really affect things in the end.

I don’t generally have much liquid in a finished jar. Certainly, if you have some, that will work. If not, I’d just spoon out a few, well, plops. The fermenting organisms are distributed throughout the ferment.