How to ferment

[Cluckcluck19]

i was reading an article last night on the benefits of fermented feed. Is it really as easy as adding water to it and letting it sit for a couple days?

I only have 6 chickens, but I heard fermented feeds was not only beneficial for health but also cuts back the amount of feed you need.

What is the proper way to ferment feed? Right now I have the Natures Best organic starter/grower crumbles. Thank you

 

[Perris]

Is it really as easy as adding water to it and letting it sit for a couple days?

yep
Allow room for expansion (so it doesn't overflow your container); you may cover, but do not seal the top (lest it explode!), and do not use a metal container (it may react with the contents; pyrex, plastic, glass etc. is fine).
It reduces the amount of feed you need because it absorbs water so has greater volume and fills the birds on less (while making available nutrients not available if you are feeding grain), and it is not scattered about all over the place and wasted, as dry feed is.
Have fun!

 

[azygous]

You heard correctly. Nothing is easier than fermenting feed. Basically, covering a bucket of dry crumbles with water and letting it sit in a warm place for a couple of days is about all there is to it. However, you will find you will want to fine tune the process to get the consistency you desire and to have the FF in as brief a time as possible.

When beginning, it helps to use filtered water so chlorine residue doesn't slow down the development of yeast. Using a "glug" of ACV can jump start the first batch. Stir a couple times a day to keep the stuff well mixed.

Chickens prefer, or at least mine do, FF that is the consistency of stiff cooked oatmeal, not wet and soupy-sloppy. You can add more dry feed to an FF mix at any time, as well as add more water, to get the consistency your chickens like.

Many of us use two buckets to keep a fresh batch ready to feed as we use the last of the first bucket. Some folks use just one bucket and "back slop", adding more dry feed and water as they feed it out. The FF will go "flat" after a few days, and that indicates the yeast is getting tired, and also that the nutrients are declining. This is why I prefer two buckets rather than back slopping.

As a rule of thumb, each chicken will eat around half a cup of FF per day, and many of us feed half that ration in the morning, and the other half towards the end of the day.

The benefits are stunning. I've been feeding FF for six years, and the number of hens still laying at age six and seven is amazing. Health is also splendid in spite of my flock carrying a deadly avian virus.

One bit of disclosure - all chickens are not crazy about FF. I have two hens that flatly refuse to eat it for some reason, and I feed them dry crumbles.

 

[Cluckcluck19]

Wow thank you both for the information!! I currently have a couple large mason jars resting with the feed hoping to ferment it in a few days. If they like it, I will find a more stable, large and consistent set up.

My other question...right now I have a multi feeder hanging in the coop and I always have the grower crumbles in it. I never let it go empty. Is that ok?
When I start feeding the fermented feed can I keep the dry crumbles in as well for busy birds during he night or will it not be necessary?

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Do any of them really eat during the night? My understanding is that they are blind in the dark and will only eat or drink during the light. Well, they do poop a lot in the dark!

 

[blackdog043]

My other question...right now I have a multi feeder hanging in the coop and I always have the grower crumbles in it. I never let it go empty. Is that ok?
When I start feeding the fermented feed can I keep the dry crumbles in as well for busy birds during he night or will it not be necessary?

Yes, you can leave your dry feeder hanging. It's up to you if you want to leave it up at night, although they won't be eating from it until morning.

I feed fermented and have dry available 24/7. Some people take the dry away at night, so rodents don't get into it. My coop and run are open 24/7, I don't have a rodent problem, everything is covered with 1/2" hardware cloth.

 

[azygous]

Of course it's up to you how you feed your chickens. I have reverted to dry feed during extremely bad winter weather when I know it will be hours before I can dig the coops out from a heavy snow fall or if I'm sick and just can't drag myself out of bed to feed the chickens. I hang the dry feeders the night before and fill them so the chickens will be fed no matter how long it may take me to get to them.

However, if you wish for your flock to derive the full benefits from FF, it would be better to take away the dry feeders. I've watched how chickens eat, and they really don't seem to "graze". My flock fill their crops in the morning when I dish out the FF, and then they like to fill their crops again before roosting for the night.

By the way, the topic of feeding mechanisms didn't come up yet. I use dog bowls on elevated platforms I made myself to fit the dishes so they don't get overturned or debris kicked into the food.

 

[Cluckcluck19]

Thank you all for the advice and the much needed information. I think I’ll keep the dry feeder up for now and start the FF as soon as the first batch is done. I’ll go from there and feel out how I want to continue the feeding process.

 

[Cluckcluck19]

Of course it's up to you how you feed your chickens. I have reverted to dry feed during extremely bad winter weather when I know it will be hours before I can dig the coops out from a heavy snow fall or if I'm sick and just can't drag myself out of bed to feed the chickens. I hang the dry feeders the night before and fill them so the chickens will be fed no matter how long it may take me to get to them.

However, if you wish for your flock to derive the full benefits from FF, it would be better to take away the dry feeders. I've watched how chickens eat, and they really don't seem to "graze". My flock fill their crops in the morning when I dish out the FF, and then they like to fill their crops again before roosting for the night.

By the way, the topic of feeding mechanisms didn't come up yet. I use dog bowls on elevated platforms I made myself to fit the dishes so they don't get overturned or debris kicked into the food.

Yes good subject in feeding mechanisms! So I have a hanging feeder and also a hanging waterer. I noticed how horribly nasty the feeder and waterer was getting resting on The ground. I have the multi feeder and the waterer with the dish that it drains into as the level decreases. Both are working wonderfully.

 

[ValerieJ]

However, you will find you will want to fine tune the process to get the consistency you desire and to have the FF in as brief a time as possible.
Chickens prefer, or at least mine do, FF that is the consistency of stiff cooked oatmeal, not wet and soupy-sloppy. You can add more dry feed to an FF mix at any time, as well as add more water, to get the consistency your chickens like.

That was so helpful! I just tried to do this with my chickens' crumbles with no success at all. I fermented it for a few days and took some out with a slotted spoon and set a couple bowls out for them. Only one chicken would come near and when she tasted it, she shook her head and walked away. Like, no thanks! What is this slop!All the other girls stomped off with her. I think if the consistency was right, I wouldn't need a slotted spoon. Now I need to decide if I want to start over, or just add feed to the "slop". I'm not even sure why I'm doing this. I just keep hearing they like it.