***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Kassaundra]

Mine has been going since before yours, and it gets the yeasty residue on top. Maybe we just have a different definition of what smells good. I've never been a fan of the smell of fermentation. Beer smells nasty to me.

It is fine, acv and other activators help to get it started, but once started they are not needed to be added (not needed at all actually grain + water + time = ferment.)

 

[Kassaundra]

At least one internal pip (cheeping) from the brinsea! Yay! Small start, but a good one... I'll take it.

 

[Ksane]

Bardies-I hope you get a good hatch! I had a mystery chick hatch last night. He'd been pipped 24 hrs and then nothing at all but I could hear him peeping, he was also pipped at the narrow end which normally isn't a big deal. Usually the 1st 24 hrs after pipping is when they're absorbing their yolk and the veins are shrinking. So last night I couldn't take it and wrapped him in a warm wet paper towel (had to keep heating up another in the microwave every 20 seconds) and peeled his shell chip by chip. No veins and his yolk was absorbed but he was jam packed so hard in his shell I don't see how he'd have ever gotten out! He didn't have even a fraction of a place to wiggle. Once I got the shell off him he stretched out 3 chicks long.
So keep track of the pip(s) and don't be afraid to help slowly after 24 hrs. I saw a mama hen in a video pecking at her chick's shell to help him get out, so maybe it's not always best to leave well enough alone after so much time.
Got your message (buses at the sale??). I was laptop shopping. I got the coolest 15.6" ASUS touchscreen laptop for $400, great deal. I love this thing. My husband needed my other main one for work but I got a new one out of is so I'm happy.

 

[TRUE5]

It was such a beautiful afternoon I let my babies out in the sun to scratch around. They loved it so much they all decided to give themselves a dust (although it was more like a moist sand from still not being dry from the past rain) bath. Sand and dirt was flying everywhere! Peeping and throwing dirt. Enjoying the great outdoors out of their regular pen. Hope you all are having a great day and able to enjoy the weather while we have it!

 

[artsyrobin]

Need advice on fermenting grains......

Doing oats, wheat, and corn. I will be adding barley if its in stock on my next trip to feed store. But the oats is last to go. The cockerels I have separated leave oats behind. The pullets/hens and ducks seem to do 100% clean up but noticing this morning traces of oats being left behind but they still got all day to pick it up.

I can reduce the oats ratio or I can eliminate it all together. Is there a bean/legume or another grain I could use in place of the oats?

i am new to fermenting, don't use oats, just crumble and scratch, mine will actually rise over nite, like sourdough does and will get a white layer on top - just mix it in every morning

It was such a beautiful afternoon I let my babies out in the sun to scratch around. They loved it so much they all decided to give themselves a dust (although it was more like a moist sand from still not being dry from the past rain) bath. Sand and dirt was flying everywhere! Peeping and throwing dirt. Enjoying the great outdoors out of their regular pen. Hope you all are having a great day and able to enjoy the weather while we have it!

they are so fun to watch when dusting like that!

spent some time working on the mini coops to make sure everyone will be ok tuesday nite, gonna be the first real cold, and i have to try not to want to shift everyone inside LOL!!

 

[shelbydog]

i am new to fermenting, don't use oats, just crumble and scratch, mine will actually rise over nite, like sourdough does and will get a white layer on top - just mix it in every morning

Mine swells up to as it absorbs water and I do stir the good stuff on top back in. I'm pleased with how's it going so far.

 

[Kassaundra]

I have included oats from the beginning, it is what I started w/ and the chickens do eat it last, but they always eat it, since I mostly feed grains either fermented or sprouted, I want the variety oats add. The prefer it w/ the longer ferment (week or more)

 

[Ksane]

Kass, for the adults I'm going to have to just use 4 5g buckets, I feed about 8 gal of the wet stuff a day. What I wanted to do is strain it, feed it out & start 2 more buckets each day with the ferment liquid. The feed-out buckets will have been soaking 48 hrs by the time they're used, that should be ok, shouldn't it? It's way too messy and hard to stir doing it with the 32 gal.

 

[NanaKat]

Had a nice visit with Shelbydog (Dusti) and Kirby today.
The chill in the air speaks to coming colder temperatures.
Granddaughter's team got shut out in soccer today...her best friend got kicked in the face by a girl on the opposing team...the girl got red carded....and their coach was hostile. Later in the game another of his players got red carded for intentional roughness. Our girls had such great attitudes and good sportsmanship. And our girl was able to return to the game after sitting with ice for 30 minutes....she is a great goalie. Games have become so rough the older the players become...I can still see them as 4 year olds picking flowers and distracted by butterflies on the field.

Need to go out and coop up the birds...check back in later.

 

[Kassaundra]

Kass, for the adults I'm going to have to just use 4 5g buckets, I feed about 8 gal of the wet stuff a day. What I wanted to do is strain it, feed it out & start 2 more buckets each day with the ferment liquid. The feed-out buckets will have been soaking 48 hrs by the time they're used, that should be ok, shouldn't it? It's way too messy and hard to stir doing it with the 32 gal.

Yes if you are jump starting it w/ the old liquid from the fed out buckets. Fermenting slows down in winter quite a bit. If it is to cold you will be able to tell then just give it an extra day or so, but you should be alright w/ the ferment juice from the older fed out buckets.



The hassle of the glop is why I chose to only ferment grains, they are much easier to deal with in bulk. I know I give up nutrition when I feed out the prepared food dry, but I only use it as treats anyway.