Switch from fermented feed to pellets for the summer?

[NickyPick]

Has anyone fed fermented feed, then switched to a dry pellet? Pros? Cons? My feed room is an oven and while it may be conducive towards a good ferment, it's just too hot for me to keep mixing the grains and making the feed. I'm leery about going back to a pellet, though. I switched 8 years ago and never went back (no waste, poop decomposes faster and doesn't smell as much, etc) I remember a lot of pellets thrown out around the ground that never got eaten and just brought in rats/squirrels.

 

[CindyinSD]

I switch in the winter, because the fermented feed freezes. I don't think you'll hurt the birds by switching to a quality pelleted feed. You could also ferment the commercial feed if it's mixing the grains that's hard for you in the heat.

 

[NickyPick]

You could also ferment the commercial feed if it's mixing the grains that's hard for you in the heat.

Yeah, I'm thinking of that. It's more of a specific water/food ratio when you're doing it with a pelleted feed than grains.

 

[CindyinSD]

I haven't found it picky mixing up chick starter. I fill up the canister to several inches below the rim then slowly pour in the crumble. Back when I was fermenting commercial feed, I did the same, and that's how I do grains. I'm going to stop doing the grains. It's too messy and too much trouble.

I'll be doing crumble, because the all-flock I plan to use only comes that way. I like the pellets better for fermenting, though--they seem fluffier. I never measure the water to feed ratio with any of them. If it smells like rising bread dough, I'm happy.

 

[NickyPick]

I never measure the water to feed ratio with any of them. If it smells like rising bread dough, I'm happy.

I always heard to do an equal amount of water to pellets when fermenting the commercial feeds. How do you do your mix? I have 80 chickens, so my fermented feed is done in a 35 gallon feed tub.

 

[CindyinSD]

I don't know how many I have... plus turkeys and geese and ducks. I might have around 80 chickens, but lots of them are half-grown or smaller. They all forage all day. I mix the day's rations in a 5 gallon bucket, and I guess it's around 50:50. I feed in the evening. Otherwise they'll just hang around the house all day waiting for me to feed them, and not bother to forage.

There will be many fewer by winter, and then the freezers will be pretty congested.

 

[JaeG]

You'll find they go through a lot more water if you do switch to dry. Fermented feed is great for keeping them well hydrated. I had to switch to dry when we moved house as it was one less thing to worry about, but our girls coped just fine. They are back on fermented feed now and loving it!

 

[NatJ]

I'm leery about going back to a pellet, though. I switched 8 years ago and never went back (no waste, poop decomposes faster and doesn't smell as much, etc) I remember a lot of pellets thrown out around the ground that never got eaten and just brought in rats/squirrels.

You could serve wet pellets--just wet, not fermented. Quick and easy, keeps the birds hydrated, reduces waste. Not quite the same as fermenting, but you get some of the benefits while saving some of the effort.