Winter Feed Cost and Growing Fodder

[U_Stormcrow]

Thank you. You just gave me a great idea. I have been dumping the "dust" that collects in the bottom of my feeders because it clogs them up. I guess I can use that dust in my fermented feed.

In some feeds - particularly the whole grain feeds, the "dust" is the most important, nutritious, part - generally a multivitamin, enzyme, amino acid booster like one of the Fertrell's products. Wet mash, as a management method, helps fix a lot of different issues, with a lot of different feeds - from picky birds with whole grain feeds to waste crumble and bottom of bag powder. But nothing's perfect - it ain't so great below freezing (rather time-limited) or in most feeder designs.

Finding a method that works for you, your birds, your situation is part of the process. There is no "one, right, way" - though there seem to be tens of thousands of wrong ways.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Hi. I don’t have experience with freezing. But I do ferment and grow fodder for my 4 girls. I get grains from:
https://www.trueleafmarket.com/
They also sell in bulk and have a huge variety.

 

[curlyq76]

Fodder System Success!! Greens in the winter, lots of snow and -20 Celsius

 

[Sally PB]

I have some fenugreek seeds sprouting. They are just barely popping now, so I should see something tomorrow. Then they'll move out onto the counter under the light.

 

[TOPChickens14]

Fodder System Success!! Greens in the winter, lots of snow and -20 Celsius View attachment 2966897View attachment 2966898View attachment 2966902View attachment 2966903View attachment 2966904

That operation looks amazing! Where do you buy your grain from? Your birds look beautiful!

 

[goldenyears]

What are the odds

9%…

 

[Doriss]

I have the problem of freezing with fermented feed as well. During the recent polar vortex I used aluminum or plastic food containers. I would often heat the food in the container by floating it in warm water in a pot on my wood stove. I fed them 2 to 3 times a day with multiple containers. They ate as much as they could until it froze. Then I served another one warm and thawed out the remaining feed and added new feed to it for the next serving. I have sprouted scratch grain in the summer for fodder but I am feeding alfalfa pellets in the winter and no scratch grain.

Worried about all this heating, freezing, then re-heating, even though the freezing is unintentional. Won't something get food poisoning? Bacteria are killed by thorough cooking, but the toxins they produce in the time you let them off the hook at room temperature, are not.

 

[NatJ]

Worried about all this heating, freezing, then re-heating, even though the freezing is unintentional. Won't something get food poisoning? Bacteria are killed by thorough cooking, but the toxins they produce in the time you let them off the hook at room temperature, are not.

We already know it is safe to leave wet food available for several hours in above-freezing temperatures. That happens frequently, with many different flocks, at other seasons of the year.

So as long as the food does not spend more total time unfrozen, I would not expect a problem. (Unless you expect the freeze/thaw cycle to make the bacteria grow faster than they otherwise would?)

 

[Vicker]

I hadn't learned the trick of using a light to increase the egg-laying until last week. From what I had read, you're supposed to increase the light by an hour each week until you have sixteen hours a day. So that's why they haven't laid much yet. Before the winter they were laying a ton of eggs and I was selling them. But now in the winter, they are barely laying eggs so I don't have enough to sell and they are going through more food. When I was selling their eggs, the money I was making went to buying their food.

Using artificial light may bump the egg production, but it doesn't allow the hens to go through a natural resting period. This shortens their laying lives, so you will be replacing them sooner. It's kind of a trade-off. If you absolutely depend on the eggs daily, then that's the way to go.

 

[Saskchickens]

It is winter here in New York. My flock has been cooped (pun intended) up inside for the past month and a half. They are going through food like crazy and not laying eggs. I need a solution to this and I found two options, fermenting feed and growing fodder. I already have the fermenting process working but one issue that has arisen is because of the cold temperatures, the feed freezes if the chickens don't eat it fast enough. Any suggestions on this would be helpful!
Growing them fodder is my next excursion in chicken keeping. I have read around the web looking for inspo and articles on how to do it. I found a few that use aluminum pans, I got those today. I understand the process of growing the fodder but finding the grain is where I'm having issues. The articles that I have read on fodder don't say where they get the said grain. Most of them say that they get their grain from their feed store but TSC neither Runnings sells grain like that. The few articles that do state where they get the grain online, it is usually very expensive. I found that the articles say that growing fodder is economical. From what I am seeing, it isn't. Where are you all getting your grain? I would prefer to grow wheatgrass/ wheat berries but I am having no luck finding them. I have also seen people suggest using BOSS in YT videos and in articles. Would BOSS work well? I could easily find this inexpensively as a worst-case scenario. Thanks for all the help

Hello, I just wanted to double check your ladies were getting light in the coop? I’m in Canada and have some vicious winters so the ladies are “cooped” up a lot! Lol
Without adequate light hours the laying will stop/slow. I use a regular LED bulb in mine, stays cool to the touch but nice light for the ladies!