Need Fermented Feed help

[Smileybans]

I’ve been doing FF with all flock crumbles now for about three weeks. I feel like I’m going through feed faster but the math says I’m not. My husband knows the math and he’s not here to explain it right now otherwise I would write it down. My question is when do I stop giving the girls FF? By that I mean I feed them FF 2Xs a day and at feeding time they are always so hungry. I have a standard size ladle that I scoop the FF out of my five gallon bucket with and I give them four scoops of feed. There’s 3 buckets each gets four scoops 2Xs a day. But the girls demolish this amount. If I give them seven scoops they demolish that too. Nothing is ever left in their feed buckets. I keep reading there will be a point where the hens will stop eating and be full but mine never seem to be. Are they really this hungry? I never had this issue feeding dry feed. I’m basing all my measurements off my standard hens. Not my bantams or my large fowl.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So not to sound lazy (but I am) I just feed FF in the morning and leave them dry feed the rest of the day. That way I don't have to guess how much to feed them.

 

[Smileybans]

So not to sound lazy (but I am) I just feed FF in the morning and leave them dry feed the rest of the day. That way I don't have to guess how much to feed them.

I would do that but I’m battling a rodent issue. Since I don’t leave food out at night the mice have been scaring the hens away from their food if I leave them food all day. I wish I could. It’s so much easier. I have caught a couple in my traps already and fenced up a couple holes but since spring is coming I expect more holes to show up.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Ugh, that's rough. You might need to continue experimenting with increasing amount of feed until you find something closer to an equilibrium.

 

[Brooks_]

Could a mid-day feeding be added?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

The question is how much "dry weight" you are feeding - and that's very hard to tell with FF, particularly when measured by volume. The "ongoing/perpetual FF" method some swear by is not conducive to accurate measure.

In the case of my own flock (much larger than most), and given my very helpful climate (in which I can ferment feed inside of three days, most of the year), I simply measure the desired dry weight of feed into several buckets, add water to the correct point, and let time and local "air quality" do the rest. One bucket each day.

Its a PitA however, so I rarely ferment feed. and it involves having four 5-gallon buckets in various stages of ferment at all times, plus a "gap" showing which bucket was last used, which is next, and just rotate thru the line. If I had slower ferment times, I'd set up a seven bucket system, Monday thru Sunday.

 

[kerbotx]

I would do that but I’m battling a rodent issue. Since I don’t leave food out at night the mice have been scaring the hens away from their food if I leave them food all day. I wish I could. It’s so much easier. I have caught a couple in my traps already and fenced up a couple holes but since spring is coming I expect more holes to show up.

Perhaps you need to teach your chickens that they can eat the mice, then you won't have this problem... I don't know how old your chickens are, but they should not be afraid of mice - are we actually talking about big rats? I assume if you're trapping them, you aren't using poison, so consider throwing the girls a meal - they are omnivores after all.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Perhaps you need to teach your chickens that they can eat the mice, then you won't have this problem... I don't know how old your chickens are, but they should not be afraid of mice - are we actually talking about big rats? I assume if you're trapping them, you aren't using poison, so consider throwing the girls a meal - they are omnivores after all.

Even big rats shouldn't be a problem - at least, its not if your flock is large enough. What's the saying, "quantity has a quality all its own"? Few of my birds are big enough to take on a rat with 100% success - but if a rat runs thru 40+ of my birds in the run? It doesn't get the chance to make an exit. Same with the poor rat snake. Moved in near dusk, slept peacefully under the coop. Came out to warm itself in the morning, and... no more snake.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Add red pepper flakes (or powder) to your FF to deter the mice. The chooks won't care as they don't have capsaicin receptors in their mouth . (not an effective treatment against internal parasites)

After doing FF only for two years straight for a flock of about 80 birds (using two plastic trash cans and an oar).. I decided it didn't save me a dime and it also didn't do any magic health tricks for already healthy birds. My time IS money!

It was a fun experiment. I even tried it with my dog food!

Bringing it out several times per day made my birds go crazy every time like I was feeding treats. Doing it in the morning only enough to last all day stopped that behavior in it's tracks.. and maybe even saved more feed than just feeding the freeloaders.

In the end.. fermenting is something I can recommend against.. noting I accounted for seasonal changes and my birds go through less feed at certain times of year. Long term results to me.. most people saying their birds lay sooner and so on have bred and selected for those qualities. Those saying birds returned to lay after 2 years blank.. so did mine except that was after I started feeding dry ONLY.. so it was a personal genetic thing anecdotal and NOT related to the feed.. which I already knew because I feed quality fresh formulated feed not diminished by treats.

Many of us deal with daytime freeloaders, here it has been rats, and song birds. My flock chase the song birds off but run and jump away from rats..

Checking your birds weight and body score condition could give you a better picture to their hunger level verses treat mind games.

Now I've spent plenty of funds on different trap styles all with some but limited efficacy.. My dogs polish off way more chicken feed than any rodent ever could, just as a side note. Also, some people in my area are working Terriors

Barn cats come with some challenges of their own, mine are feral. I feed them well so they have plenty of health and energy to hunt, which cost way more $ than the feed the rodents can eat. It seems to work well enough.

But without the use of poison it's population control at best and there will not be true eradication. I do my best to keep the buffet closed to the wildlife in my area and also do have to watch the pocket book. This has been an interesting chance to reflect!

A treadle type feeder or (alleged rodent proof) bucket feeder might be options for you. I did prefer to leave dry feed available after I decided that fermenting wasn't "all that hype" and that all my animals get bored with the same ol thing everyday. Now I consider fermenting a great environmental enrichment that I enjoy doing on occasion.

One final thought.. all animals act crazy when feeding time arises. It's exciting to anticipate the food. My dogs dance around, my guinea pigs wheek, my mini pigs grunt and sometimes squeal, my (house) cats rub our legs and meow. None of them are going hungry, as noted by their body condition scores.

Most twice daily feeding suggestions I've seen say as much as the animal can finish off at the (20 minute) sitting.

Hope ya get lots of helpful ideas and food for thought!!