The Front Porch Swing

[LindaB220]

Our Sussexes were like that too, but after we put them in with the older guys, they've become a bit more skittish

I only have one coronation sussex 3 wks old and she's in with the 5 day olds. I'm hoping she will mother them a little. I'll try to get them a little friendlier. I have one 3 wk old Basque and she runs trying to get out of the small coop area I have for them. She wants OUT.

 

[vehve]

I only have one coronation sussex 3 wks old and she's in with the 5 day olds. I'm hoping she will mother them a little. I'll try to get them a little friendlier. I have one 3 wk old Basque and she runs trying to get out of the small coop area I have for them. She wants OUT.

Our two Speckled Sussexes are 15 weeks on Thursday. I find them to be our most boring chickens. No personality at all, and they just keep to themselves. I think they didn't like being moved in together with the 3 week older ones, not to mention the Alhos that were almost three months older than them when they arrived.

 

[LindaB220]

Those sound really neat. One of my "projects" is EE hens with a Brown Leghorn roo. About half of them get the pea comb, which is good for my cold winters. The females are very easy to tell because they get the salmon breast feathers. Males get the black. She was hatched in late March. I call her Blackbeard, but that's not a great name for a girl



I have always wanted to try the fermented feed. I don't know how my birds would feel about it though. My family wasn't crazy about the homemade dilly-beans I made last summer.

Ahhhhhh. Changes in the brooder. I put the fermented feed in and nothing else and they saw the 3 wk old one eating it so they tried it. Now they swarm. I love it. I'm going to put the best info out there on fermented feed.

http://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

 

[vehve]

Ahhhhhh. Changes in the brooder. I put the fermented feed in and nothing else and they saw the 3 wk old one eating it so they tried it. Now they swarm. I love it. I'm going to put the best info out there on fermented feed.

http://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

I'm too lazy to start the fermented feed, so I go with mash instead. I do add a bit of Progut (a yeast based feed suplement) to it though, and switching from dry feed to this seems to have had an positive impact. They are growing nicely.

 

[lazy gardener]

Fermented feed is not at all difficult. All I do is fill a container 1/2 to 2/3 full of dry feed, then add water to make it cooked oatmeal consistency. Let it sit until it bubbles a bit, 24 - 48 hours for the first batch, then there'll be a fresh batch ready every 24 hours) then feed. The next batch will cook faster b/c there is a nice ferment going from the previous batch. I just add more feed and water to the same container, there's enough culture left in the container from the previous batch. If you need it to cook faster, just hold back 1/2 cup to feed the next batch.

 

[LadyCluck77]

Fermented feed is not at all difficult.  All I do is fill a container 1/2 to 2/3 full of dry feed, then add water to make it cooked oatmeal consistency.  Let it sit until it bubbles a bit, 24 - 48 hours for the first batch, then there'll be a fresh batch ready every 24 hours) then feed.  The next batch will cook faster b/c there is a nice ferment going from the previous batch.  I just add more feed and water to the same container, there's enough culture left in the container from the previous batch. If you need it to cook faster, just hold back 1/2 cup to feed the next batch. 

Do you add anything else to help it ferment? Or just the water?
I might try making a small batch, would really like to try it. Thank you!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
If and wehn you are ready to give Fermented feed a try Felix, its beyond simple. Takes no starter just water and feed. But there is an optimal temperature to have it self replicating. so During the winter it would have to be kept in the house or a temperate temperature controlled space.

deb

 

[Tomtommom]

I've had good batches of FF and bad ones.. I got so tired of wasting feed on bad batches, I just make mash now.

 

[lazy gardener]

I make mine in several containers, so that I just grab a single container and take it out, slop it into their dog dish, and I'm done. No ladleing, no straining, no mess, no fuss. Then I take it back inside, add more dry feed, fill with water, stir and set it aside. It will be ready to use again 24 hours later. I've started it with ACV with the mother, and I've started it without any thing other than feed and water. I find that it ferments really well if I add a cup or so of scratch to the regular feed. The only important advice I have to give is: if you don't use it, you loose it. In other words, if you're not using it daily, and let it get too ripe, it will go rancid, then you might want to start over. Depending on the size of your flock, thus your container size, if it gets ahead of you, you can stick it in the fridge to slow it down. If I have some yogurt whey, i throw it in, but only b/c i'd be dumping it down the sink otherwise. If you're concerned about it going bad, or perhaps not being happy with it, try making just a quart. Not much waste there! Then, if you're pleased with the results, you can hold back a cup full to start a bigger batch. I also bypass the dog bowl altogether, and sometimes dump it directly on the ground, I'm finding that the pH of it is killing a patch of moss on one part of my lawn. So, I make it a point to dump it there often!

 

[sarahsunshine]

I've had good batches of FF and bad ones.. I got so tired of wasting feed on bad batches, I just make mash now.

I have never had a bad batch and don't know how I would do it, honestly. I have done everything "wrong" and can't wreck it. Get bucket, and feed, add water, let sit, feed. Add more when getting low. Mix periodically. I have left it for a week, and gotten some mould growing on the side of the bucket. I just mixed it in really well and it's all good. Too wet, too dry, not stirred, too hot, too cold... It seems bulletproof to me, but maybe that's because I only ferment good quality feed...