The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[jockeyeba]

Were you able to take a look at this?  It may answer some of your questions on the ff.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds/4270#post_10304875

I have been doing it all wrong!!!  I have been mixing until it's like oatmeal, adding some UnACV and then letting it 'do whatever'.  There's really nothing to 'drain' out!  Son of a B!!  Arg!!

I took the bucket I had, added water and I'll let it sit. 

On a side note.  CAN CHICKENS HAVE TOO MUCH UnACV?  I have been adding about a T to a Quart of water as well as whatever ends up in their FF.

Can I use (2) of the same 3 gallon buckets (one drilled w/holes) to do the FF feed?  Will there be an issue with them 'seal sucking' together?  Just curious before I go and ruin a bucket. 


Can anyone give a recipe for FF?!   3 cups of mash feed, water to cover 1", 3T UnACV? 

I need a better ff recipe repeated also & yes 2 buckets the same size will stick imo. I've been doing it wrong too I guess but when it's so soupy I've noticed most of it drains out I spoon mine into a plastic collender & let it sit over the bucket draining

 

[delisha]

Quote: Angela,

You are doing every thing right

As an option and suggestion

If you have to use medicated, I have no idea if you should ferment it or not.I know nothing about medicated feed other than my opinion not to feed it. I would soak it in water before feeding. Use the electrolytes as the soaker for new chicks for the first week. It is probably good you are cutting it with flock raiser. You might want to add fresh/frozen vegetables like sweet peas, corn, carrots, brussel sprouts. Chopped up pretty fine. I also give green beans. You need very very little of this stuff and left overs from your dinner is great. Like less than a tablespoon should be a nice treat for a dozen chicks.I would add raw liver chopped very very fine..every day. a good teaspoon full.

I use a flock raiser when they are POL or about 12 weeks. I always use grower for my chicks and flock raiser for my other birds. Chicks eat very very little and a 50 lb bag will grow out 50 chicks to 12 weeks easy. (I free feed too). I am on the same bag I purchased last year for my last group of chicks. They just got off it and were moved into the juvie pen. I only had a few, and than I had the NYD hatch(10) and now 20 more that are on it. It will last me at least one more month I hope. Than it should b nice enough out for all the kids to get outside.

 

[countrygirl74]

For me there really isn't a recipe. It all depends on the number of birds you have and how much you need.

Enough water to cover about 1" above which will vary depending on how much soaks up. Check it from time to time and if it needs more just add more water to it.

I don't use vinegar in mine unless I'm trying to correct a yeast imbalance. But when I did, I only started out w/about 1T. Again...based on the amount you're making.

The important thing is that the LABs will begin to grow and put out lactic acid if you keep it covered in water. LABS produce anaerobically so you want the feed under water. Believe me, they'll take off on their own. If you want to jump-start the cultures, add a little of any of the following:

-Whey from raw cheese making
-Kefir
-Cultured buttermilk (mesophillic not thermophillic cultures; yogurt uses thermophillic cultures, buttermilk uses mesophillic cultures)
-A Culture pack
-Juice from fermented sauerkraut, pickles or other veggie if you make your own (not the canned kind)

You don't need to add any of those unless you want to speed things up!

What if I already have a ff going from ACV, can I add Kefir (or other option) to it to kind of change the ff to a more anaerobic ff? Or would I need to start a new batch that doesn't have ACV? If you use both in the same ff, would they balance each other out so you don't have an extreme one way or the other?

 

[jockeyeba]

For me there really isn't a recipe.  It all depends on the number of birds you have and how much you need.

Enough water to cover about 1" above which will vary depending on how much soaks up.  Check it from time to time and if it needs more just add more water to it.

I don't use vinegar in mine unless I'm trying to correct a yeast imbalance.  But when I did, I only started out w/about 1T.  Again...based on the amount you're making.

The important thing is that the LABs will begin to grow and put out lactic acid if you keep it covered in water.  LABS produce anaerobically so you want the feed under water.  Believe me, they'll take off on their own.  If you want to jump-start the cultures, add a little of any of the following:

-Whey from raw cheese making
-Kefir
-Cultured buttermilk (mesophillic not thermophillic cultures; yogurt uses thermophillic cultures, buttermilk uses mesophillic cultures)
-A Culture pack
-Juice from fermented sauerkraut, pickles or other veggie if you make your own (not the canned kind)

You don't need to add any of those unless you want to speed things up!

but what is the base? how much crumbles/pellets & what else so the crumbles don't turn into complete liquid? scratch & what other grains do you use?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I just do mine in a single container because I use a "mash" feed. I don't ferment my whole grains - I prefer to sprout those for the extra nutrition value - but it works the same for the grains.

I just take a large spoon or scoop and scoop right down the to bottom of the bucket or container and lift up a scoop full (don't stir it up before scooping!), smash it a little on the side to drain out a little of the liquid, then put it in the feed bowl/trough. Sometimes I've done the same (scoop from the bottom) then put in a colander with very small screen but I usually don't do that - only because I want them to get the items that drain out when I do that.

My feed contains fish meal and fertrel nutribalancer that is just powder...If I strain out the fine material, those end up in the bottom of the ff container and they don't get a good mix of the feed and nutrients.

And...even if it is a little wet...they eat that too! If that bothers you you can add a little dry feed into the trough/bowl and mix it in to soak up some of the extra liquid.

 

[Leahs Mom]

What if I already have a ff going from ACV, can I add Kefir (or other option) to it to kind of change the ff to a more anaerobic ff? Or would I need to start a new batch that doesn't have ACV? If you use both in the same ff, would they balance each other out so you don't have an extreme one way or the other?

Yes... just start with your current container of ff.

You can add kefir any time.

And the "starter" is just that....a starter You don't have to continue to add it but you can if you like. The main thing is to keep the feed under the liquid.

 

[Leahs Mom]

When you take some dry feed out, add some dry feed and water (enough to cover) back in and stir.

Since I don't ferment the whole grains - Delisha and others......do you have a ratio of grains to regular feed you use or do you just do it "by eye"?

 

[rambunctious]

Stupid, but I'm going to ask anyway.

I don't make my own milk and cheese etc...where can I get kefir?

If I use kefir, I don't use UnACV? Do I still add UnACV to their water? What does the kefir do differently than the UnACV?

 

[Toast n Jelly]

My giant 3 5/16" X 5 1/2" WR egg was a double yolker-it took up the entire 8" skillet

Wow! Hen gets a

 

[Noncentzter]

My ratio: 40% Rye Grass Pellets, 30% Layer Pellets and 30% Grains.
I use Rye Pellets instead of Alfalafa Cubes because they are cheaper.