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Bettacreek said:
I do mine the lazy man's way. I just use dry yeast to ferment it. At $4/2lbs, it's worth it, since 1lb will last about 6 months. It cuts the feed bill down by quite a bit actually. I'd say I feed about 75% if I feed fermented and 100% if I feed just wet. For the yeast method, I just put my mash in, sprinkle some yeast on top, mix it a bit, then add warm water and let it sit for a few hours (or feed immediately and use a little more yeast if I've been lazy or busy for that feeding). I like this method better than using ACV and having to strain everything and having buckets sitting around for days. With as much feed as I go through, I'd have to have 15 buckets sitting around every day for the other method.
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So it's done to save on feed costs?
 
cskotek said:
OMG button quail!!! They are awesome!! We used to own a pair... but the male raped the female to death :/ We didn't now at the time 2:1 ratio lol
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Yup, I always do the "colony breeding" setup. The "religious" BQ folk will claim that it's cruelty and "wrong", but if you have pairs, they tend to strip the females... Sure, they may pair in the wild, but they also have large breeding areas and can choose their partners at will, not get stuck in a pen with a mate they hate. So, colony breeding is all I'll use anymore.
 
yelnad said:
So it's done to save on feed costs?
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It saves on feed cost and is healthier for the birds. The feed is "pre-digested" so they can absorb more of the nutrients. It helps with poop too. The cornish cross have great poop, although my kids have caught the blame before for pooping in the driveway when it was actually a chicken turd... The cornish cross certainly know how to poop.
 
yelnad said:
Does anyone want to tell me about fermented feed? Purpose? How?
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I use 5 gallon buckets. Fill 2/3 full with your preferred mix of feeds. Add 1-2 cups unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. Fill to 3/4 full with slightly warm water & stir. Add 1/2 cup of brown sugar if desired to kick start the process. Allow to set 24 hours stirring once or twice & adding water as needed to keep a thin layer of water over the top of the feed. Strain out as much water as possible & feed to the birds. Sometimes it takes a couple days to get a good reaction going, but you should start seeing bubbles & foam in your bucket within 6-48 hours depending on how warm the area you are keeping your bucket is. Once your reaction starts, just add feed & water each day after dipping out the feed you need for that day. Leave the liquid in the bucket to keep the fermentation going.

Benefits include increased egg production, weight gain, less feed waste, less feed used. Reasons: Fermented feed is easier for the birds to digest & they get more of the nutritional value from the feed. Any feed containing soy is actually toxic unless roasted or fermented.
 
Bettacreek said:
I do mine the lazy man's way. I just use dry yeast to ferment it. At $4/2lbs, it's worth it, since 1lb will last about 6 months. It cuts the feed bill down by quite a bit actually. I'd say I feed about 75% if I feed fermented and 100% if I feed just wet. For the yeast method, I just put my mash in, sprinkle some yeast on top, mix it a bit, then add warm water and let it sit for a few hours (or feed immediately and use a little more yeast if I've been lazy or busy for that feeding). I like this method better than using ACV and having to strain everything and having buckets sitting around for days. With as much feed as I go through, I'd have to have 15 buckets sitting around every day for the other method.
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I hadn't heard about this method. More details please. I use the UPACV method.
 
SilkieSensation said:
I hadn't heard about this method. More details please. I use the UPACV method.
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It's really as simple as I typed. I'm lazy like that! I don't use any calculations, I just do it by eye. Sprinkle maybe a tbsp of yeast on your dry mash (or pellets or whatever, but mash is cheaper), mix it up, add water and mix it up until EVERYTHING is moist. I like to add just enough water that I can level the top off and it's kind of like a cow patty. If it's crumbly, it needs more water.
 
SilkieSensation said:
I use 5 gallon buckets. Fill 2/3 full with your preferred mix of feeds. Add 1-2 cups unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. Fill to 3/4 full with slightly warm water & stir. Add 1/2 cup of brown sugar if desired to kick start the process. Allow to set 24 hours stirring once or twice & adding water as needed to keep a thin layer of water over the top of the feed. Strain out as much water as possible & feed to the birds. Sometimes it takes a couple days to get a good reaction going, but you should start seeing bubbles & foam in your bucket within 6-48 hours depending on how warm the area you are keeping your bucket is. Once your reaction starts, just add feed & water each day after dipping out the feed you need for that day. Leave the liquid in the bucket to keep the fermentation going.

Benefits include increased egg production, weight gain, less feed waste, less feed used. Reasons: Fermented feed is easier for the birds to digest & they get more of the nutritional value from the feed. Any feed containing soy is actually toxic unless roasted or fermented.
Click to expand...

Thank you!!
 

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