Vitamin C for chicken - i found this article, would like to share with you guys and listen to opinion.

[glib]

If someone ferments the feed, there is surely very abundant vitamin C even if none was present initially. Sauerkrauts have some ten times the vit.c of oranges.

 

[BackToTheBeginning]

I used to use Em in chicken feed mix as well back at paso.. but i found out as layers that not used to EM, using em a bit too much will causing the egg layers to reduce egg production..

 

[BackToTheBeginning]

chickens don't require any vitamin c in their diet, as they produce it internally (like almost all animals - except primates, guinea pigs, some bats, and of course humans )

i don't see any sources linked for the claims in that article. it is so poorly written that it looks like content mill or even bot-written stuff. remember anyone can write any old crap on the internet.

I don't know about that.. as i just bought a bottle of poultry vitamin supplement for feed.. there is vitamin C listed in it.. I mean if chicken produce vit c internally, why should the complete supplement for poultry include vitamin c ?

 

[glib]

Speaking of fermented feed. I saw quite a lot of people doing fermented feed, said it will increase absorption of 18%..
However, i am considering, if just soak the whatever feed mix for 3 days.. isn't mold and bad bacterial also thrive ? and hence, isn't that bad for chicken as well ? i mean, feed got fermented (good for absorption) but bad bacterial and mold also proliferate , so how can that be good ? unless one pour in EM so that good bacterial take over the whole thing..

You have to inoculate the ferment properly, initially, then always inoculate with 10% of the previous batch. For a good lactic fermentation, start with sauerkraut juice as your inoculator. fermenting in the 60-70F range will do a lot to keep your ferment healthy (lower temps are fine, but too high and it will start to stink).

 

[BackToTheBeginning]

You have to inoculate the ferment properly, initially, then always inoculate with 10% of the previous batch. For a good lactic fermentation, start with sauerkraut juice as your inoculator. fermenting in the 60-70F range will do a lot to keep your ferment healthy (lower temps are fine, but too high and it will start to sti

Yes, it is a lot more work, furthermore have to make sure they finish up the fermented feed daily.. and makesure the feeder won't get mold on prolonged wet feed.
However i would like to try it out.

What starter should i use ? sauerkraut ? can i use apple cider vinegar ? can i use yogourt ?
I have crashed the grain mix (from feed store, they included dry shrink in the feed mix) for the chick.. a crashed grain still ok to ferment ? some of them already become powdery..

Thx

 

[glib]

Yes, it is a lot more work, furthermore have to make sure they finish up the fermented feed daily.. and makesure the feeder won't get mold on prolonged wet feed.
However i would like to try it out.

What starter should i use ? sauerkraut ? can i use apple cider vinegar ? can i use yogourt ?
I have crashed the grain mix (from feed store, they included dry shrink in the feed mix) for the chick.. a crashed grain still ok to ferment ? some of them already become powdery..

Thx

No, you can not use ACV. It has to be a lactic ferment. Yogurt, whey, or sauerkraut juice.

 

[BackToTheBeginning]

i've heard it's also good for preventing sour crop (which seems to be due to yeast overload rather than sour-making bacteria,

Can you explain that in detail , please ? I don't get it. Thanks

 

[AntiqueB]

My best fermenting experiments were with chick starter, which is ground grain. 1-2 days seemed optimal. The whole grain doesn't do as well for me.

 

[Cazook]

Can you explain that in detail , please ? I don't get it. Thanks

I mean that people might mistake 'sour crop' as being caused by acid-producing bacteria (like used in lactofermentation) rather than yeast, due to the name.