Meat bird fermented feed cost savings

[OkieJohn]

Hello,

Long time lurker, first time poster. I am planning to do a run of 25 CX later this month. This will be my first time with meat chickens. I've been reading a lot on fermented feed and the benefits. I've seen plenty of comments about feed savings, but most weren't very specific.

Has anyone has kept a comparison log to show the exact savings over the entire time period?

Thanks,
John

 

[OkieJohn]

Anyone have an educated guess about the feed savings?

 

[katbriar]

Can't tell you savings, but can tell you I raised 25 slow growing cornish x (privett hatchery) on only 300 pounds of feed (which I fermented).

Fed the males to 12 weeks and females to 16. With the amount of fat in the females I should have butchered them at 14 weeks.

Feed conversion rate 4.2:1 Average carcass weight 3.5 pounds; healthy, active birds that did not sit at the feeder and NO LOSSES or health issues.

You should be able to research average consumption and conversion for dry feed and see if it seems worth it to you.

Adding- my birds were not free ranged, they only had the feed I provided. But they were in a large pen, not a crowded tractor.

 

[bustedchicks]

For me I have not seen a costs savings with fermented feed. Flock size is 50 between chickens, ducks and turkeys. They get about 16 cups of food per day fermented or regular. They eat it all no matter which it is. Plus about an acre to forrage. Maybe im not giving them enough but thats all I can afford.
I find there is more waste with the fermented feed due to splatter and the extra process of straining.
I think its healthier, noticed an improved egg and poop breaks down quicker.
I wish I could do a side by side comparison. I have the space but cost is a factor. Any donations welcome

 

[katbriar]

Bustedchicks- if you ever decide you want to have another go at it, you can make it thick so it doesn't need to be strained or loss with splatter.

Mine's like thick oatmeal.

 

[LindaB220]

I'll be getting CX's in Sept. And I plan on fermenting their feed. Birds are healthier, livelier and quite happy. I have 35 other chickens of different breeds and they have been on FF since day 3 or so. Love it. Scramble towards me when I come in.

 

[JNB]

This will be my 3rd year of doing CX on fermented feed. I'm doing 80 CX and 20 misc. Largest batch Ive done so far. Process date is labor day weekend. I have kept all my receipts this time and If you would like Ill come back when all is said and done and post the feed cost. I love the FF method and benefit. It took me a few batches of CX to get the feel for what works. Im pretty confident and comfortable with my method now. But I still read up on what others are doing and tweek things here and there Even if there was no cost savings ( there is a very nice cost savings) I would still do FF with my meat birds.
So far in my 3 years Ive haven't lost any birds to the health issues many people describe I did loose a couple to stupidity but that is another topic . No heart attacks, leg issues etc. Ive taken some batches to 11 weeks but most we process at 8 weeks.
The smell is considerably less on FF. More formed poops. My CX actually get satisfied after a feeding of FF. I didn't see that much when I fed regular feeds.
The carcass at process time doesn't have that "funky" smell that a lot of people complain about. The internals on the birds I raise on FF are healthy colored and looking.
The taste is amazing. Tender, Juicy, and yummy. Just about every friend or neighbor I "shared" a chicken with in the past , Now has a standing order with me each year for birds. So they must taste good Overall I highly recommend FF for Meat birds.

 

[LindaB220]

This will be my 3rd year of doing CX on fermented feed. I'm doing 80 CX and 20 misc. Largest batch Ive done so far. Process date is labor day weekend. I have kept all my receipts this time and If you would like Ill come back when all is said and done and post the feed cost. I love the FF method and benefit. It took me a few batches of CX to get the feel for what works. Im pretty confident and comfortable with my method now. But I still read up on what others are doing and tweek things here and there Even if there was no cost savings ( there is a very nice cost savings) I would still do FF with my meat birds.
So far in my 3 years Ive haven't lost any birds to the health issues many people describe I did loose a couple to stupidity but that is another topic . No heart attacks, leg issues etc. Ive taken some batches to 11 weeks but most we process at 8 weeks.
The smell is considerably less on FF. More formed poops. My CX actually get satisfied after a feeding of FF. I didn't see that much when I fed regular feeds.
The carcass at process time doesn't have that "funky" smell that a lot of people complain about. The internals on the birds I raise on FF are healthy colored and looking.
The taste is amazing. Tender, Juicy, and yummy. Just about every friend or neighbor I "shared" a chicken with in the past , Now has a standing order with me each year for birds. So they must taste good Overall I highly recommend FF for Meat birds.

Great post. Wow 3 yrs, you're right up there with BeeKissed and Kassanudra Give us some info on your feeding amounts and what you are feeding . I love this stuff.

I have 14 almost 5mo old chicks and 23 from 3 wks to 7 wks. Plus I have eggs coming this week and on the 23 rd also. I need more space!!!! I wanted to get my protein bumped up a little so I bought both gamebird and catfish pellets. Well, balls. 1 qt of gamebird to 2 of layer or chick starter and 2 qts of cracked corn and 1/2 qt BOSS. They are eating like little maniacs. I feed out of two buckets. And it seems the 23 littles are eating just about as much as the 5 mo olders. They each finish 3/4 bucket in about 3-4 days. I'm not able to let them free range. Except the white rock oldie that escaped yesterday. Got her after 4 hrs. Other than the 4 hatchery birds that died the first week, I haven't lost any of the incubated ones. The way things are going I'm not going to be able to do CX's until late or early next year.

 

[JNB]

I actually got started from reading Beekissed and Kassanudras postings a couple of years ago! Im sure I was a pest with all my questions to Bee and a few others I credit them and this site to a lot of my "chicken Knowledge" I feed my Cornish cross about the same as you feed your layers... except I add in a little alfalfa and COB. In the last half of their life. I like the taste I get from the meat and they dont get too fat

My layers get to free range most days and then get fermented grains, 5 way scratch.... COB... Peas.. kinda whatever I pick up to add in my buckets. In the winter months I add a layer pellet to their mix. I think I have pretty happy healthy birds. My flock of 50 layers ranges in age from 5 months to 3 very sweet older girls of 5 years old.

What you said about the littles eating more than the older ones... I see the same thing with my flocks.. then they seem to plateau around 5 or 6 months of age. Im thinking that must be when their frames are done growing so much and they have their feathers all in. Then they start to fill out. They look so pretty.. sometimes I admit to sitting out and snapping pics of them. Just enjoying the colors and personalities