Starting over with FF

[bobbi-j]

I tried feeding fermented feed a year ago last winter. DH - who does the feeding in the winter because I work in town during the school year - got frustrated with it because it would freeze so fast, so quit feeding it. I didn't push the issue. Today he helped me clean out the chicken coop and I pointed out the piles of wasted feed on the floor of the coop and mentioned FF again. We found a couple of buckets, drilled holes in one, and put them in his shop office where it's warm so we can get the fermenting process started. I took the layer feed, a little wheat that we've been keeping over the winter and a few horse pellets (they're about 3 years old, but didn't smell funky), and mixed with water and a couple of glugs of ACV. It's now sitting there doing it's thing. I also had to put a cover (just set on top, loosely) on the bucket to keep the nosey puppy out of it. He loves chicken feed in any form - straight from the bag or already "processed" by the chickens. He was very interested in today's project. Is there anything I'm forgetting? If I remember right, it should be ready to feed in about 3 days?

 

[foreverlearning]

You can feed it right away as mash to save feed it just isn't fermented for aprox 3 days. Have you looked into using what ever you use to keep your water from freezing on your FF? They also have heated dog bowl waterers that you can put it in, just make sure it isn't directly on the bedding (fire risk, you can put it on a paving block to prevent).

 

[bobbi-j]

I use a heated dog dish to keep water in the winter. If I can keep DH going on the FF idea (he's kind of set in his ways - takes him a bit to accept new ideas ) I will probably invest in another heated dish.

 

[subhanalah]

Be sure to smell it. When I've used AVC in my FF, it turns to chicken "beer" instead of having the sweet/sour smell.

 

[bobbi-j]

The first time I used it, it had that good sourdough smell. Today it smells kind of yeasty. I did feed some, and will add more feed and water tomorrow. Hopefully that will balance things out some.