They're Eating More Than They Produce! Help!!!

[Chambertin]

Cat burglar? Ninja? Super Spy Assasian?

Hell no. If I need it done I'll send a rat.
Those things can get anywhere they please in ways we could never concieve. If you have available feed, they will find it.
Always trap.

 

[Joe Jordan]

No Donrae, none are pets. All have their own job. The two roosters are the guardians from hawks and owls with the smaller rooster also acting in the subservient role along with the crested polish. Without these birds to fulfill their role at the bottom of the pecking order the others wouldn't be laying so well.

Yes Cindy, they do cover their bill, but barely. They go through a 50 lbs bag every three weeks at the moment. I'm just looking for a better way.

Centrarid, I was unaware that "fermenting" could not produce ethanol. What do you do to stop this natural process? If it doesn't produce ethanol is it really fermenting, lol?

I may try this quasi "fermenting" method. I can see how it may work, I'll just have to take the "ORGANIC" sticker off the egg cartons.

 

[centrarchid]

No Donrae, none are pets. All have their own job. The two roosters are the guardians from hawks and owls with the smaller rooster also acting in the subservient role along with the crested polish. Without these birds to fulfill their role at the bottom of the pecking order the others wouldn't be laying so well.

Yes Cindy, they do cover their bill, but barely. They go through a 50 lbs bag every three weeks at the moment. I'm just looking for a better way.

Centrarid, I was unaware that "fermenting" could not produce ethanol. What do you do to stop this natural process? If it doesn't produce ethanol is it really fermenting, lol?

I may try this quasi "fermenting" method. I can see how it may work, I'll just have to take the "ORGANIC" sticker off the egg cartons.

When my feed / seed ferments, ethanol or lactic acid is produced that I can recognize. It is not enough to use as a mash for making hooch and will would likely taste terrible if you tried. Other volatile fatty acids like acetic acid also likely produced. Depending on timing of process, subsequent changes may occur in some of the by-products like ethanol but ethanol is usually detectable when fed out.

For fun, buy some whole corn and / or oats and look into soaking before applying to birds. Research how to soak. Still keep so less than a 1/3 of total intake. Also look into applying alfalfa pellets like used for horses.


With six birds you should be able to get by with less 50 lbs every three weeks. I go through a little more than 80 lbs per week with 60 free-range birds so you have some feed either going to rodents / lost on ground or free-range is not providing well. What does your foraging areas look like?

 

[Tivona]

Centrarid, I was unaware that "fermenting" could not produce ethanol. What do you do to stop this natural process? If it doesn't produce ethanol is it really fermenting, lol?

I may try this quasi "fermenting" method. I can see how it may work, I'll just have to take the "ORGANIC" sticker off the egg cartons.

Pickles, kefir, vinegar, yogurt, sourdough, soy sauce, sauerkraut, cheese and many other products are fermented and don't have alcohol in the end product. For the case of the ff its more like the yogurt and vinegar. Note that to actually make vinegar you first need to make alcohol then bacteria change the alcohol into the acid. So there is a small amount of alcohol in the ff that is constantly being eaten/changed by the bacterial vinegar mother.

As far as the "organic" goes, as long as your feed products your fermenting are organic you can still make the same claim. Stores carry organic alcohol, yogurt, and vinegar but whatever they are claiming is organic must start with organic and not be contaminated with other non-organic products. Same principle for the ff.

 

[JeffOeuf]

Not to hijack this thread, but if you're putting the word "Organic" on your egg cartons, you're opening yourself up to very close scrutiny by some very resolute people with some very deep pockets. Be careful.

 

[Joe Jordan]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll try some of this out.

@ Jeff, there's always going to be looney leftists in the world. 'Nuff said.

 

[Joe Jordan]

Oh, cent, the foraging area is half wooded and half manicured lawn (though there are still an abundance of weeds), the birds also have access to a corn field that borders our property. Due to a severe storm (winds in excess of 80mph) this year right before harvest, there is plenty of down corn for them to forage. Whenever I can't find them I usually end up finding them in the field.

 

[centrarchid]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll try some of this out.

@ Jeff, there's always going to be looney leftists in the world. 'Nuff said.

From what little I have seen, the biggest resistance to organic would be coming from the right trying to suppress altenative markets unless concern is about false advertising. The right would seem to have the deepest pockets.

 

[Joe Jordan]

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[JeffOeuf]

The looney leftists aren't your problem (in fact, I probably fit in that bin). "Organic" has been hijacked by big business and their lapdog, the USDA. If you use the word, and don't comply with their guidelines, it can get ugly. Now, if you're selling a dozen eggs a week, you may not draw attention to yourself, but I know at least in the area of garden produce, they've been known to use jackboot tactics on some pretty small operators.