Quote: ok thanks... next question. how MUCH do you feed for a certain number of birds?
I've got a number of pens plus free rangers plus babies (working on the next 2 pens currently!) and would like to get an idea of HOW MANY of those 2 gallon containers i'm going to need. LOL
by groups, I have 6 sg dorkings, 5 mottled cochins, 6 mille fleur cochins, 4 sfh, 4 assorted age, 6 blrw & red dorkings. the rest are free ranging (4 ee, 3 sg dorking, 1 colored dorking, 1 buff orp & 1 bantam blrw roo). now i'm down to 5 older chicks (3-4 weeks) and 10 younger chicks (1 week) and the one new girl in quarantine.
you know, I haven't added that up yet. LOL not sure I want to know. (ok I did.) ok not too bad. 57 total. oh! wait. I forgot the 6 red cochins and 4 silver laced cochins. LOL make that 67.
wondering too, if my horses will stop trying to inhale the chicken feed if it's fermented. LOL that in itself would save me $ on feed. LOL
and another question that just popped in... does anyone use FF and keep pellets available too (for penned birds that can't forage?) or how often do you feed them the FF?
Here's an easy way to estimate how much FF to feed adults...
The average weight of 1 lb of dry feed when it is fermented is 2.25
The average adult production bird eats .25 lbs/day... the average large fowl heritage eats .33 lbs/day
Take the amount your birds would eat in dry and multiply it times 2.25
That's "approximately" what they will eat IF they have no other feed and are not free ranging.
This is a good place to start.
Now... as time goes on and you want to refine... adjust according to what they are consuming in a day.
For instance... I feed in the mornings. I don't fee twice a day like a lot of folks unless I have chicks (chicks eat more often).
So... when everyone roosts at night is there any left... any at all? as in, it looks gone, but the feeder is still dirty, or is the feeder clean?
I like for there to be "evidence of a little feed" left at roost time... that way I know they are getting plenty but not too much.
If it's totally clean then maybe I need to "slowly" increase. If there is FF left, then decrease.
It varies from group to group, so adjusting after the first few weeks of feeding FF is necessary.
For instance I have one group of 20 production layers... they are not big eaters and eat only 7-8 lbs of FF/day.
If you multiplied 20 x (.25 x 2.25) = 11.25 lbs... so they obviously don't require the full amount and are eating several lbs less each day.
On the other hand, I currently have a group of 10 HRIR cockerels who are eating machines... they are going through more than their estimated 7.4 lbs/day
But... my two replacement (possible show) cockerels are in that group, so I am feeding them more than enough on purpose... yet there is still no waste.
They are eating me out of house and home, so I really need to cull some more... having a terrible time deciding. LOL
So... that gives everyone a place a start.
Keep in mind... these amounts are with NO supplements. If you feed BSF, meat, veggies and/or free range these requirements change.
Also keep in mind when developing your own custom rations that poultry don't just need protein, they need animal protein.
One other comment I'd like to make when developing rations and beginning to feed FF is one of my favorite words from our dear recently departed friend Bob Blosl... KISS.
You don't need dozens of ingredients... you don't need a lot of fancy equipment...
I used to feed a lot of variety of grains... they all have their uses, but many can be easily over fed.
I now have only 3 grains in my FF... organic corn, peas, and oats... that's it.
It's my premix that changes according to season, and even then it is just a few ingredients... nutribalancer, and various amounts of fish meal, kelp, alfalfa meal, limestone.
I feed BSF year round, so that keeps the fish to a minimum when feeding adults... I use more fish meal for chicks.
Yes, you can add other ingredients... flax seed, BOSS, and a list of others.
What I have discovered is that if you stick to the basics, provide fresh water, fresh air and sunshine, the other things are simply not necessary.
Health of your birds will dictate what is necessary for your situation... so KISS... if it ain't broke don't fix it.