I've been fermenting for 3 years. I use pellets, crumble, what ever I normally feed at the time. Sometimes I do toss some scratch in when I want to cut the protein of what ever my base feed is. But, when I put the scratch in, they bill through it to get the chunks first. My ferment is always nice and bubbly within 24 hours of replenishing the bucket. Don't let it get you confused. It's not rocket science. 1 empty bucket + 1/2 bucket full of feed + water to make to oatmeal consistency + time = bubbles. Add raw ACV or whey from active culture yogurt if you want to speed the initial process. So many people are scared to try something new, perhaps afraid they'll do it wrong, or make a batch and their chickens won't like it. To those folks, I say... start small. Make a quart first. Realize that some chickens naturally are chicken about trying something new, while others dive in face first and never come up for air till they've licked the bowl clean. For the chicken chickens, I recommend feeding them when they're hungry, and perhaps sprinkling some of their dry feed or scratch on top. By the time they get through the dry familiar stuff, the FF is a fun experience for them.
all mixed up
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