How do you give fermented feed to broilers?

[nvdirtfreak]

Wanting to try fermenting feed for my broilers this year, but I'm not sure how to actually give it to them. Do you allow them free choice, giving a whole 5-gallon bucket (for 50 chickens) at a time? Or do you only allow a certain amount? I'm worried if I just give them a ton of it at once it will go bad before they eat it or as I add more. Figuring a trough style feeder would work best. TIA!

 

[ChickNanny13]

Trough style for as much chickens you have will work good. Remember no metal utensils nor containers should be used. It's been "written" feed as much as they will eat in 20 minutes. I don't follow that cause I don't have a time to stand there for 20 minutes & refill if they need/want more ... You'll figure out what works for you, adjust as you go.

I have only 4BO, I scoop out about 1 1/2 ladle full of FF in their plastic bowl in the morning, then another 1 1/2 heaping scoop early afternoon, adjusting if they hadn't finished their breakfast, which is very rarely. I toss in some veggies which they gobble up and by the time it's close up the FF all gone ... Close up (4:30 - 5pm) I scatter 1/8cup of scratch for them ... They're confined so it's a guilty treat.

 

[Mosey2003]

There are charts of how much feed a broiler should eat a day at a certain age, I would probably calculate that out and start with roughly that much in a trough, split into two daily feedings. With my layers, when I feed fermented I typically did a big spoonful per bird twice a day, it was probably close to a cup per bird.

I really like using a vinyl gutter with endcaps, fermented feed will turn metal feeders all funny. If you go to buy a gutter at the hardware store, take a pair of tinsnips with you so you can cut it in half to have it fit in your vehicle, lol. They typically come something like 10 feet long or more. I know it's over 8, because I can fit an 8' piece of lumber in my SUV and couldn't fit the gutter whole.