How much starter feed will they eat?

[mobius]

Many now think that the ACV is not useful here. Yogurt or buttermilk would be good. But I started the ferment just like you do with sourdough, the wild yeasts in the air start the ferment. Also, as regards the five days, I do what is called backslopping (similar to continuing to use a bit of the sour dough starter to keep things going). I have done sour dough too,without using a starter, love it love it.

My chickens are a year old and have had zero health issues (knock on wood). They are glossy, active, friendly, chatty and good layers. I also ferment alfalfa cubes now so they get greens during the winter.

They have regular dry feed in the coop, just in case I underfeed them....but I refill that four gallon bucket only once every two months or so...

Much of this information is anecdotal though you might find some studies digging through the large fermented feed thread....

oh! and their poo doesn't smell...seriously.

I ferment from day one Chick Starter then Flock Raiser (oyster shells on the side) for my layers. No grain mills here

but I've been curious as to fermenting alfalfa cubes that I've seen in the stores. Assuming it's done the same as with the feed - water, ACV & cubes submerged? My girls don't free range & wanting to get them some greens. I toss veggies & kitchen stuff in for them but love the smell of alfalfa

Thought of tossing cubes in for them to peck at but fermenting has its benefits

Ok it is done just the same as with their feed. If you want a faster start with the cubes, add a little of the fluid from the fermented feed. I take 4-5 alfalfa cubes to a 2 quart glass container and fill about 3/4 with water to start with ( don't fill completely, because it has run over onto counter...

) then add a little of the fermented fluid ( 1/8 cup to max 1/4 cup to give you an idea), stir and leave at least overnight. It will break down on its own. Stir in the morning and if you added some starter (not ACV, I don't think that is necessary) it might be ready overnight but at least in 2-3 days for first batch.

You can add a little unflavored yogurt or buttermilk to hasten the culture, which I do with leftovers like that plus I rinse out milk containers and add that water...the lactobacillus is ALL good...every last drop right? It will work any of the ways I have mentioned.

Some of my chickens will go for this before they eat the FF....

Lots of chickens apparently find the dried cubes a bit hard to peck (they are SO compressed) you get a big bang for your buck with those bags of cubes...my chickens are like "Mommie! Ferment those cubes! We are working too hard here!"

I backslop the alfalfa cubes just like I do with the FF...2-3 cubes every 2-3 days and nearly fill with water, stir once a day...it expands just like the feed....hope that helps! I don't submerge... doesn't need to be, don't worry about it, the cubes will fill with water and separate and it is all a nice green wet mess...

Remember I am doing this for only six chix so YMMV.

I should add this: one more benefit of the cubes...people are concerned about feeding hay or alfafa bales to chickens because of long grasses getting stuck in their crop. Well. The cubes I have are chopped chopped chopped to one inch or less...no long stringy stuff to impact crops. It is as if you took fine chopped parsley...and fed them that...so one less worry about the green stuff! Yay!

Had egg salad sandwiches for lunch today...omg yummy!

I hope this is okay but I am starting a thread on this using above info!

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: You could use some yogurt culture if you want to, but those of us who are fermenting have not needed to add anything other than water, feed, and time.

 

[barred2rock]

Well, I've had my chicks for three days now, I have the five remaining chicks (of 14 total, please don't make me tell the horror story again

) on both FF and dry starter. They just don't eat enough of the FF to make me comfortable providing only it. I don't know how much they should be eating at this point, but I give them a small lid with FF and they don't even finish half of it. How long can this stuff be left in the brooder before changing it out? So far I've thrown out more FF than they've eaten.

ETA: BTW, they're under a MHP, so no hot lamp heating the FF.

 

[lazy gardener]

I would be far less worried about FF going bad than I would if it were just wet. I'd feel ok about leaving it out most of the day, as long as they are not getting it poopy.

 

[barred2rock]

Well, they've eaten more FF today than previously. Tomorrow I think we'll try them on just FF.