Too much fermented feed?

[MichelleT]

I am LOVING the fermented feed... I've only been feeding it for a little over 2 weeks but already I'm seeing differences in both my girls and the amount of food that they're needed to eat these days. I don't feed fermented feed exclusively - about 2 cups (4 hens) in the morning and they eat regular feed on the side. I add more feed and water to a little that I leave in the container and by the next morning I've got a new stock of FF.

Anyway - here's the story. It snowed and our feed bin got some snow in it. The rest of the feed bag got wet and so I thought - I'll just go ahead and ferment it. So I added some of my FF to the rest of the feed, and some water, and now I have a jug (empty protein powder - 2 pounds) of fermenting feed. That is a LOT for 4 hens, right? I'm thinking I'll feed a little more than the standard 2cups/day but I figure I've got over a week at that rate. How long will it last? Will it mold or go bad if I don't use it quickly enough?

 

[lazy gardener]

Where are you, what are your temps? It is helpful if you put your general location in your profile. That helps folks to answer your questions that might be climate specific. Is there a reason why you are also giving them dry feed? There really is no need to do so. You can slow down the ferment by keeping it a bit cooler. Did you say that you have a 2# container of FF? That's not a whole lot. Simply stop giving them the dry, and if you feel that it will get "too ripe", set it outside (if you are in a cool weather area) protected from wild life, of course! Or stick it in the fridge.

 

[MichelleT]

To be honest, I'm doing both because feeding the dry (pellets) is easy... bring the feeder in, take the feeder out. Not so much for the fermented feed. It's a little more messy. It takes them more than half the day to go through the FF I give them in the morning, and they nibble on the pellets as well. The 2# conatiner (it was originally protein poweder, which isn't very heavy) is holding about 12-15 cups of FF right now.

Also, with winter coming, I didn't see moving them completely over to FF when the freezing temps are going to make it harder for them to eat it.

I have been keeping the FF inside, as it's been pretty cold this past week (in the 30s during the day time). It's warming up, however, so I may move it back out again. If I can keep it going for 3-4 days without it getting moldy I will feed twice what I usually do tomorrow and see if they finish it off by the end of the day.

 

[Percheron chick]

It will be fine. Many of us have FF that have been going for months even years without dumping and starting over.

 

[MichelleT]

Great, thanks!

 

[lazy gardener]

I feed FF through the winter, only resorting to pellets when the temp dips below 0*F and stays there for days on end. If it gets up to around 20* in the coop, I figure they are good to go for FF.