POLL: Ferment or Not Ferment...what do you do?

[SourRoses]

No, because it just seems like a lot of work and mess for little reward.

 

[igorsMistress]

I ferment only once a week or maybe twice, and I don’t add anything to it but feed and water. Realistically, there’s no sense in adding sourdough discard or ACV, it ferments without that so why bother? Is sourdough discard really any different than fermenting feed? Not in my mind. They’re both made with grain, you use the same process to ferment it, so what’s the point?
I can add some ACV to water if it’s really that important to me, but I’m not a member of the ACV is good for everything crowd. Just like anything else, there’s such a thing as too much of a good thing and ACV and FF both fall under this category for me. Like the fact that red wine in moderation is good for you, but if you drink too much it’ll destroy your liver and whatever else.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I ferment only once a week or maybe twice, and I don’t add anything to it but feed and water. Realistically, there’s no sense in adding sourdough discard or ACV, it ferments without that so why bother? Is sourdough discard really any different than fermenting feed? Not in my mind. They’re both made with grain, you use the same process to ferment it, so what’s the point?
I can add some ACV to water if it’s really that important to me, but I’m not a member of the ACV is good for everything crowd. Just like anything else, there’s such a thing as too much of a good thing and ACV and FF both fall under this category for me. Like the fact that red wine in moderation is good for you, but if you drink too much it’ll destroy your liver and whatever else.

Totally understand! Thank you so much for responding!

 

[Austrianbumb]

Do you ferment your chicken feed? YES

If YES...what feed do you use? Scratch & Peck Layer or Grower
Do you use ACV to ferment? NO
Do you use sourdough discard to ferment? NO
How many days do you allow it to ferment? 24 hours-3 days (less time needed in warm weather more time in cooler weather)
Do you also offer dry feed during day? Yes and no.
When I first started feeding fermented feed I did add dry feed in the afternoon after I saw all the fermented feed was eaten. Now I don’t as the flock has access to free range all day

 

[Sussex19]

I don't, as its seems just too much work, and my chickens seem very heathy just having it dry.
I do make a mash for chicks sometimes, but don't let it sit around, so thats not fermented.
If I did, I would not use ACV, as in the past when I put it in the drinking water one of my hens started laying very thin shelled eggs and almost got quite unwell from it, and as soon as I stopped adding ACV, they went back to normal Possibly a coincidence, but enough for me to stop using it.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Wet mash. If I make it in advance because I'm travelling and my wife is taking care of the flock and it ferments? Fine.

Mostly not.

Oh, questions. Mix of local milled crumbles.
I use sourdough starter discard or well water.
48 hours is plenty, often less.
Nope, one feeding daily. Free range, birds, free range!

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

I feed my ladies wet mash in the morning with enough for the day in the bowl and sometimes I give them a couple tbs of fermented feed on top. I give them an afternoon snack of some veg in a suet feeder (makes it fun) and toss a little of their dry food in the run as scratch.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Do you ferment your chicken feed?
If YES...what feed do you use? Whatever we have - right now Nutrena Naturewise layer pellets, or chick crumble when we have young ones
Do you use ACV to ferment? No
Do you use sourdough discard to ferment? No
How many days do you allow it to ferment? 2-3, whenever it starts to get the bubbles and just look/smell "done"
Do you also offer dry feed during day? Yes, because right now I only offer a small amount of fermented feed each morning to save money. They really do eat less of the dry feed during the day, even with them only getting a small amount of fermented most days.

 

[Canadian Wind]

I ferment, and what I do is I have several large covered buckets and use one per day. I put in the amount of required food (pellets/crumble/grain/etc) and cover with water, then put aside to ferment for a day or tow. I rotate the buckets, like that the feed is always ready when I need it.

I leave a handful of the fermented feed in the bucket as a starter for the next batch. I find this to be practically no extra work, and very handy to have the food all ready at feeding time. The buckets are kept in the mud room of the house.

I don't add ACV or anything like that, apart from the 'starter' from the previous batch, which is equal to sourdough when it comes down to it.

My ducks and chickens prefer the wet food. It's also a way of making sure they get water in the winter since water can freeze so quickly here.

They do get an additional feeding of grain later in the day, to tide them over until morning.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Do you ferment your chicken feed? YES

If YES...what feed do you use? Scratch & Peck Layer or Grower
Do you use ACV to ferment? NO
Do you use sourdough discard to ferment? NO
How many days do you allow it to ferment? 24 hours-3 days (less time needed in warm weather more time in cooler weather)
Do you also offer dry feed during day? Yes and no.
When I first started feeding fermented feed I did add dry feed in the afternoon after I saw all the fermented feed was eaten. Now I don’t as the flock has access to free range all day

This is very helpful! Thank you so much!