Questions about fermenting chicken and quail feed

[samanthaoverton]

I'm trying a go at fermented feed myself today..I've made fermented foods before; sauerkraut, yogurt, tepache, and I've kept the same kombucha going for two years. I used some of my kombucha to innoculate it. I'm gonna try the back slopping too. Was what you were smelling sour..or acidic? Think vinegar. Which is ok for chickens.

 

[sheknitsandcrochets]

I'm trying a go at fermented feed myself today..I've made fermented foods before; sauerkraut, yogurt, tepache, and I've kept the same kombucha going for two years. I used some of my kombucha to innoculate it. I'm gonna try the back slopping too. Was what you were smelling sour..or acidic? Think vinegar. Which is ok for chickens.

It didn't smell vinegary to me. The first few days or so it smelled slightly sour, which is supposed to be normal. But it continued to smell more and more sour as the next couple of days went by. My only guess is that maybe I backslopped too much? Maybe I had too much of a starter, and then used some and added new, and it it just fermented too fast? IDK.

I hope our FF goes well!!

 

[Molpet]

It didn't smell vinegary to me. The first few days or so it smelled slightly sour, which is supposed to be normal. But it continued to smell more and more sour as the next couple of days went by. My only guess is that maybe I backslopped too much? Maybe I had too much of a starter, and then used some and added new, and it it just fermented too fast? IDK.

I hope our FF goes well!!

Gamebird can have fish or crab meal, which can smell off

 

[sheknitsandcrochets]

Gamebird can have fish or crab meal, which can smell off

I used the Purina 30% Protein Gamebird feed. Maybe it wadn't bad? IDK. I just wasn't sure and had heard of people making their birds sick with rancid FF.

 

[Molpet]

I used the Purina 30% Protein Gamebird feed. Maybe it wadn't bad? IDK. I just wasn't sure and had heard of people making their birds sick with rancid FF.

Thats what I'm using, has an oder. I go through 3 five gallon buckets a day, so I backslop and feed 12 to 24 hrs.

 

[sheknitsandcrochets]

Thats what I'm using, has an oder. I go through 3 five gallon buckets a day, so I backslop and feed 12 to 24 hrs.

Wow!! Approximately much feed is left in the buckets when you backslop? Have you ever had the gamebird FF go rancid? If so how did you tell?

I'm probably overreacting.....

Thanks for your help!!

 

[Molpet]

Wow!! Approximately much feed is left in the buckets when you backslop? Have you ever had the gamebird FF go rancid? If so how did you tell?

I'm probably overreacting.....

Thanks for your help!!

A couple inches of soupy feed left in the bucket.
Never had the gamebird left for long. Had a bowl get buried in bedding for a couple days. Once the top of bedding removed, they ate it.
When I first started FF in 2015 I only had 8 chickens. After FF a week old they didn't want to eat it.

 

[samanthaoverton]

I sincerely hope all goes well..I hope I didn't start out with too much myself.

It didn't smell vinegary to me. The first few days or so it smelled slightly sour, which is supposed to be normal. But it continued to smell more and more sour as the next couple of days went by. My only guess is that maybe I backslopped too much? Maybe I had too much of a starter, and then used some and added new, and it it just fermented too fast? IDK.

I hope our FF goes well!!

 

[samanthaoverton]

I hate the smell to dog food and chicken food

 

[Vixen with Chickens]

Wow, neat! My never ending bucket did great for a few days to week, but it started to smell sour, I mean really sour, in particular the gamebird feed. How sour of a smell is normal? I've read that fermented feed should smell pleasant, even slightly sweet, like that of a sour dough starter. I've never made a sour dough starter so I have no idea what that smells like. People said slightly sour is perfectly fine, but this smelled really sour, and certainly not pleasant. I didn't see any sign of mold and there was bubbles, which is supposed to be good. I've heard that storing FF outdoors can cause it to spoil but this was indoors in my room. I as stirring it twice a day. We ended up getting concerned it was rancid and I've heard rancid FF can make your birds ill so we ended up throwing it away. I wasn't sure that it was bad but didn't want to risk our birds. We're going to start a 2-3 day bucket cycle so that the chance of going rancid is less but I'm still open to the idea of a never ending bucket as long as its safe.

Mine smelled sour but never bad and I don't think it was a extream sour smell, maybe depends on how much new food you added to the water vs how much old was left or just bad luck that somthing bad got in throwing it off.