The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lindz8504]

You know, you should just join right in and read as you have time! I imagine there are a lot of folks on here that haven't started at the beginning

Thanks guys! I will, and then try to catch up as I can.... It is crazy though! That is alot of pages in just a year!

 

[RedRidge]

Good points LM...
I have been feeding ff since last spring and have 5 gal buckets sitting in my feed room.
I take "some" out of ran bucket every day.
I've noticed as the temps have dropped that I have a lot less bubbling. I'm wondering (if I want to continue using the feed room thru the winter) if I should double my number of buckets so they can ferment longer since the temp is lower.
It doesnt get below freezing in the but gets pretty chilly.
Thoughts?
Just hoping I can avoid bringing them to the house. .. my poultry is so fat from the house and I have so many that that wouldn't be practical. worse car scenario I could put s space heater in my feed room but I bet hubby would flip.
Anyone know what ideal ferment temps are? Any other thoughts?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I know! And it would be crazy to feel like you have to read it all before participating!

Lots of folks ferment the bagged feeds. It's a little "muddier", but the benefits remain of reducing anti-nutrients, making nutrients more bio-available, and adding the extra nutrition and living enzymes from the active lactic acid producing bacteria (AKA: Probiotics).

One thing that happens with the processed foods is that the digestive enzymes are "cooked" out of them (ever hear that dog food commercial?) Anyhow, the LABs are living and active and producing/releasing enzymes too.

Many of the bagged feeds include a probiotic of some sort in dry form. Since most probiotics need to be frozen or refrigerated to stay alive there may not be a lot of life in there. But there will be some. And once they take off, they will also reproduce!

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

Thank you Leahs mom for that great link, it had exactly the answers I was looking for.another question how much do u feed per adult chicken, per juvenile , per growing chick? Currently With limited access to forage until I can chase off hawks nesting in property line trees, already lost my bantam game rooster who saved all his hens =(

 

[RedRidge]

Thank you Leahs mom for that great link, it had exactly the answers I was looking for.another question how much do u feed per adult chicken, per juvenile , per growing chick? Currently With limited access to forage until I can chase off hawks nesting in property line trees, already lost my bantam game rooster who saved all his hens =(

See post just a few pages back for a good estimate for calculating how much to begin... post #22569

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...eeping-thread-ots-welcome/22560#post_12202675

RR is WONDERFUL GOOD at the amounts.

(If you right click on the post number and choose "copy link location" it should make a link to that particular post.)

 

[ki4got]

Karen - refresh my memory. How many birds are you feeding? That will help with the size of container needed.

Some people keep a couple containers (some larger some smaller) and rotate the containers while one is fermenting longer. Some just stir some back into a single container after removing for a day or 2.

Just an overnight soak is beneficial for beginning to break down the anti-nutrients in the grains and legumes. But a longer soak allows more of the probiotics to proliferate. You will never empty the container completely just keep stirring fresh feed and water back in which will keep the organisms in there continuing to feed and putting out the lactic acid.

I counted them last night, don't make me think that hard again! LOL (looking at prior post)
ok here's what I have (copied)
Quote: each group is in a separate pen, that's why I grouped it that way. tho i'm tempted to just turn everyone loose again for a while, but worried about predators still.

 

[RedRidge]

Quote: each group is in a separate pen, that's why I grouped it that way. tho i'm tempted to just turn everyone loose again for a while, but worried about predators still.
LOL... you need about 3 five gal buckets....
Let's see... I'm currently feeding 18 HRIR, 3 Rhodebars, 6 SFH, and 20 production layers.
That's 47... I estimate I need a 5 gal bucket for every 20 adults or so.... if you take about half the FF out that's usually about 8 lbs of wet FF grains max...
Gee... you may need 4 buckets....

 

[delisha]

Good points LM...
I have been feeding ff since last spring and have 5 gal buckets sitting in my feed room.
I take "some" out of ran bucket every day.
I've noticed as the temps have dropped that I have a lot less bubbling. I'm wondering (if I want to continue using the feed room thru the winter) if I should double my number of buckets so they can ferment longer since the temp is lower.
It doesnt get below freezing in the but gets pretty chilly.
Thoughts?
Just hoping I can avoid bringing them to the house. .. my poultry is so fat from the house and I have so many that that wouldn't be practical. worse car scenario I could put s space heater in my feed room but I bet hubby would flip.
Anyone know what ideal ferment temps are? Any other thoughts?

A long as you do not freeze you will be OK. My water was frozen this morning, but my FF bucket was not. I did put my FF bucket in the coop tonight.
I will pull it back out in the morning and set it in the sun in the morning. (If we have any) It doe take longer to ferment if you start out fresh. With old ferment left in the bucket and dry added to old, it is pretty good. I will keep it outdoor until it has a hard freeze. Then I will need to drag it into the house. I feed 100 birds and use two 10 gallon totes.

Quote: welcome to the group!

It is good reading..just poke away when you have time..

 

[armorfirelady]

Good points LM...
I have been feeding ff since last spring and have 5 gal buckets sitting in my feed room.
I take "some" out of ran bucket every day.
I've noticed as the temps have dropped that I have a lot less bubbling. I'm wondering (if I want to continue using the feed room thru the winter) if I should double my number of buckets so they can ferment longer since the temp is lower.
It doesnt get below freezing in the but gets pretty chilly.
Thoughts?
Just hoping I can avoid bringing them to the house. .. my poultry is so fat from the house and I have so many that that wouldn't be practical. worse car scenario I could put s space heater in my feed room but I bet hubby would flip.
Anyone know what ideal ferment temps are? Any other thoughts?

My last bucket of ff (layer pellets) is outside in the old run. I'm still getting a ferment with it and we have had low temps all week. 40s days 30s nights.
What about a heated food bucket? Less worry about safety than a Space heater. I'm still waiting for them to go on sale here. I a, also going to t ray making a box that's insulated facing east to see if it will generate enough feed to keep it fermented and unfrozen. I saw one online for water troughs for horses.