I started fermenting!!!!!

[lazy gardener]

Ok so I read the article through completely, twice. Just so I have this right. I can use my regular dry layer crumble (southern states brand), add equal amount of my well water to it, stir 2-3 times a day and after day 3-4, I feed to chickens. When I'm down to bottom of bucket I add more crumble and water and can start feeding that the next day.
Questions 1) how much crumble should I start with for 10 silkies 2) its starting to get cold here what temperature do I keep it at, I keep all my chicken supplies in garage so will be around 40 degrees at night is that too cold?

1. For 10 birds, I'd make my ferment in a 3 gallon bucket. Start with 1 - 2 gallons of dry feed. Then, as you get a feel for how much they eat, you can make adjustments from there. You may find that with the cooler temps, you like to have a 5 gallon bucket mixed up, and feed it out till it's almost empty. Then, rinse and repeat.

2. It will ferment slower with night time temps getting down into the 40's. I'm guessing my temps are similar to yours, and I keep my ferment in the garage until the temp gets close to freezing. Then it comes into my basement, then, it moves up beside my wood stove! The fermenting process will produce a bit of heat of it's own. You could wrap it in a blanket, and start with warm water. Leave it open to the air to develop a good scoby at first.



1) When you use feed and add more to the same bucket since the fermentation process has already begun, can you use it the same day or how long do you have to wait?

Initially, wait till it bubbles.

2) Do you feed as much as the chickens want or do you limit them?

How do you feed your chickens now? Do you limit them? Same decision process applies to FF.

3) How long can it sit outside if they don't finish it all?

I try to not have any left to sit overnight. Don't want to attract attention of feed stealers (rodents, even coons, possums... etc.) But, if you cover it, no harm done by letting it set over night. YOu will KNOW if it's gone south.

4) What do you do when you are gone for a day or two and are unable to stir it?

I only stir mine 1 x /day. So an over night should be fine. Otherwise, if I anticipate a trip, I might feed most of it out, and keep a qt. or so in the fridge to start back up again when I return. Birds will readily move back and forth between dry and fermented. My birds think they have a treat if I give them a scoop of pellets. But, I generally ONLY give them FF.
5) If you are gone for several days do you put enough out there for the chickens or do you switch them back to dry feed?

I would put out FF for the first day, then put out dry feed to cover them the rest of the time, or simply use up FF prior to leaving, then put out dry while I'm gone.

6) At what point do you know the FF has gone bad just by smell? (I understand the
difference between SCOBY and mold)

The only time I've EVER tossed any FF is when I have it sitting in an open dish for chicks. They tend to want to lounge around in the dish, and track it full of shavings and poop in it. Totally disgusting table manners, if you ask me. I will dump that in the compost. However, I built a chick trough, so hope that behavior will be curtailed in the future.

If you have a good handle on how much your birds are eating, you shouldn't have any issues with the FF going bad. Temperature also plays a role. If temps in 90's, I try to feed out a bucket within 2 days. If temps 70 or below, I am happy to have a bucket last 3 days before replenishing. (never happens here b/c I have too many birds.)

 

[NNYchick]

Thank you, lazy gardener. Lots of helpful information. I think I will try using a bucket behind my trash in the kitchen I have space. It will be in a cubby next to the refrigerator so I'll go with 2-3 day supply in a 3 gallon bucket as it will be warmer there. Later in the year we have the wood stove going in the garage I can always move it out there if I notice it's too stinky for the house. Why do some people add ACV, what is that for?

 

[lazy gardener]

Some people add ACV with the mother to get their ferment going: it's a one shot deal. However, as the process of fermenting feed has matured, we've found that it's simply not necessary. You can add it if you have it, but I'd not bother to buy it for just that purpose. The little floaties in your air will be enough to get your ferment going just fine. Trust me.

For the folks who are skeptics about any thing to do with FF, I suggest that you simply ferment a small amount. Perhaps a qt. of feed. This will eliminate the fear factor: "I'm afraid I'll do it wrong and don't want to waste a lot of feed." Do a qt. just to see how stupid easy it is. Feed it to your flock as a treat, then decide if you want to continue. However, you must remember that chickens HATE, DESPISE, CAN'T TOLERATE change.

 

[jeria]

If feeding fermented feed--am planning to soon-- do you also keep some crumbles out for them to munch on during the day? I'm away from home for work anywhere from 10-12 hours a day.

 

[barred2rock]

If feeding fermented feed--am planning to soon-- do you also keep some crumbles out for them to munch on during the day? I'm away from home for work anywhere from 10-12 hours a day.

I usually don't, but you certainly can. When my girls are on FF they act like dry is a treat, while they all but ignore it if dry is all they get .

 

[Akrnaf2]

Welcome!
Pepole ferment "stuff":for at least 8000 years!

 

[NNYchick]

I gave mine their first FF this morning. Now I have been giving them wet crumble for a couple months now. This morning they checked it out a couple took a few nibbles but weren't all that interested. However , last evening they had zucchini and when I tucked them in I forgot to pickup left over zucchini so I suspect they had zucchini for breakfast before I got there.

 

[jeria]

I usually don't, but you certainly can. When my girls are on FF they act like dry is a treat, while they all but ignore it if dry is all they get .

Mine are currently crazy. If I dump the remnants of their crumbles on the coop floor they go nuts over it. As soon as I get the fruit flies I'll start some FF-- freezer died behind my brooder box and didn't know it for awhile. Not pretty. Fermenting or sour dough can attract them .

 

[lazy gardener]

If feeding fermented feed--am planning to soon-- do you also keep some crumbles out for them to munch on during the day? I'm away from home for work anywhere from 10-12 hours a day.

It all depends on how you manage your FF and your flock. If you are keeping your birds in a coop/run situation where they don't have access to free range, you may want to put out enough FF to last them the whole day. BUT, you don't want to be leaving it out over night, as it can be an attractant to rodents and predators.

If your flock is not that big, you could simply pick up their FF dish before dark every night or even cover it. (assuming that you are feeding them in the run.)

While I find that fruit flies are attracted to FF, I don't often have an issue with them. For the simple reason that even if the flies lay eggs in the FF, it will be fed out, and the larvae consumed before they have a chance to pupate. Interesting concept, that... one might even experiment with using it as a means to CONTROL fruit flies. I'm thinking that the larvae would be confined to the top layers of the ferment if the bucket is renewed daily. After feeding out, the only feed left in my bucket is at the very bottom of the bucket, which would be larvae free. So... by having repeated generations of fruit flies laying eggs in the FF bucket, you would be managing the population. Similar concept to keeping mosquito dunks (or gold fish) in an open tub of water. Any mosquitoes using that as a breeding ground would not be producing viable larvae.

 

[jeria]

It all depends on how you manage your FF and your flock. If you are keeping your birds in a coop/run situation where they don't have access to free range, you may want to put out enough FF to last them the whole day. BUT, you don't want to be leaving it out over night, as it can be an attractant to rodents and predators.

If your flock is not that big, you could simply pick up their FF dish before dark every night or even cover it. (assuming that you are feeding them in the run.)

While I find that fruit flies are attracted to FF, I don't often have an issue with them. For the simple reason that even if the flies lay eggs in the FF, it will be fed out, and the larvae consumed before they have a chance to pupate. Interesting concept, that... one might even experiment with using it as a means to CONTROL fruit flies. I'm thinking that the larvae would be confined to the top layers of the ferment if the bucket is renewed daily. After feeding out, the only feed left in my bucket is at the very bottom of the bucket, which would be larvae free. So... by having repeated generations of fruit flies laying eggs in the FF bucket, you would be managing the population. Similar concept to keeping mosquito dunks (or gold fish) in an open tub of water. Any mosquitoes using that as a breeding ground would not be producing viable larvae.

5 rapidly growing teenagers. Love the idea of it being a control. Hopefully I will have the run safe this weekend. I will try starting some today. I have 2 food grade gallon jugs that would work. Thanks.