To those of you who ferment your feed- I have a couple of questions I can't seem to find online after researching.
1. I know many people put BOSS in their FF but would I be able to make FF using mostly pellets/ chick starter crumbles and then random grains/seeds as a little supplement, or can it only be done with grain?
2. How often do you feed your chickens FF? Does it replace their food, is it a daily supplement, or is it a weekly supplement?
3. Does it matter how long something ferments? Because ideally, I would like to add in food as I take some out instead of starting another batch all over again
Quote: 1. You can add any feeds or grains you wish. I have even added dog or cat food for extra protien at times like when they are molting. It all just kinda mooshes together in the mix.
2. I did an explanation a couple pages back on how I do my fermented feed portions.
3. You can begin feeding right away but it takes 24-48 hours to reach a full ferment when you first start a batch. I add feed daily as I take it out & it has over night to ferment before being fed the next morning & afternoon. You can keep the same batch going indefinitely as long as you keep it stirred at least twice per day & leave enough in the bucket to start the ferment each time you remove & add new feed. Mine has been going since January without completely stopping the process. I do ioccasionally add a little more UPACV, but only about once every month to 2 months & only because we tend to run our buckets pretty low sometimes & I;m afraid we haven't left enough to keep a strong ferment going.
Thanks SilkieSensation for that awesome breakdown. That was exactly the answer I was hoping to get. So from what I've observed I am giving them enough and sometimes a little extra. My 7 magpies always wait for everyone else to eat before they do and I always worried there would be nothing left. Apparently they are getting plenty since more often than not there is the powdery stuff left. Yesterday I had to buy a different feed to hold them over til I got to the mill and all the powder was gone. Thank god someone got hungry enough to eat it. I forgot I have 9 young guineas as well (6 of them are so loud all of the time, dinner someday if they don't shut up).
Thanks again for the great info!!
Quote: Pix would help a lot with the trimming question.