Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

Yep...we won't learn unless we apply. If we always wait for someone else to do it we are still are in the same boat as if we merely read it somewhere...we only really learn by doing it. Then you mark that off your list of either successes or failures. You can then relate your experiences as firsthand knowledge instead of something you read somewhere of someone else doing.

 

[Beekissed]

My CX (52 CX and 2 mutt roo chicks, plus one 5 mo. old WR rooster) are 2 wks old today and are on the last of their 50 lb bag of chick starter. They have went through 1.1 lb of feed per chick in 2 wks. That's approx. $.35 per chick/chicken for the past 2 wks.

Anyone out there have a cost analysis of the first two weeks of feeding CX on the regular feed, using the regular schedule? I'd really like to know how much money this fermentation of feed will end up saving me as compared to traditional feed costs for CX.

 

[shadowmane]

Well, the wifie started the first batch soaking today. Just enough for one or two feedings. We'll see how the ladies like it tomorrow. We don't have broilers yet, so we're giving it to our 15 chicks who will eventually be our laying flock.

 

[bj taylor]

the nih article posted by beekissed indicated early introduction to this form of feed was necessary. does that mean older birds won't eat fermented feed unless they've been eating it all along? i'm just trying to get my head around this. the idea of fermented feed being good seems backward to me. until this site, i had never heard of it. it's very intriguing.

 

[Beekissed]

The roo someone gave me last week first ate it like he was eating poop....but he caught on real quick that it was the only game in town and now eats it with vigor. He actually prefers it over dry, whole grains now.

It's sort of like folks who say their dog won't eat this or that food....but I've found a hungry animal will eat just about anything you put in front of them...just give them time.

I've been doing some price comparison on another thread, which is just a little off since the fellow's feed cost $3 less than mine, but it's all I have for comparison. He has been feeding CX also, with a dry free choice feed, and has $.62 per week per chick so far at 4 wks of age~or 1.8 lbs of feed per week.

Mine are 2 wks. and mine have consumed higher priced feed but have consumed $.18 per week per chick~or 0.6 lbs of feed per week.


Quote:
Humans have been eating fermented foods since the beginning of time and the health benefits of doing so have been well-documented. If you've ever drank alcohol, you have had fermented food~and it's good for you, in moderation, especially wine. Same with yogurt, buttermilk, cottage cheese, any other kind of cheese, vinegar, kefir, etc.

Livestock have also been fed fermented foods for just as long and it's pretty much common practice to feed silage(fermented, chopped corn stalks, hay, soy beans, etc.) and brewery grains to cattle and hogs.

 

[BunsNChicks]

Ok so not sure if I was doing it right or not but I started this with my CX chicks (I have 27 of them) they are 1 week old and my feed (organic) is $30 per 50lb bag. I took some of the chick starter and soaked it in water with about 1TB organic ACV for a min of 8 hours (1 TB ACV to 1 1/2 cups chick starter and the 1 1/2 cups water) The chicks seem to love it and are now drinking less water. My question is... if you are using the method where its one bucket sitting within another bucket filled with the fermentation "liquid" how long does that liquid last and will it grow mold on it? Also is this method hard to do when doing chick starter as opposed to whole grains?

 

[Beekissed]

It won't grow mold on it as you are constantly feeding it and disturbing it...all the mold/yeast cultures are throughout the liquid. The chick starter is slightly more difficult because just when you think you have it covered with enough water, it swells and you have to add more. With the starter, I couldn't really sieve the grain out to drain it for feeding, so just scooped the mash(peanut butter or oatmeal consistency)into the feeder.

I'm keeping my original water/ferment for as long as it looks and smells healthy...and it does. Smells just like good pickled corn. Today is the first day they have gotten complete whole grain ration in this manner and the sieve bucket works well. I noticed they didn't have to eat as much of the whole grains to get full but eat it they did. Now they are out on the grass supplementing their breakfast.

If I were you I'd keep my cultures growing stronger instead of starting out fresh each time...you'll get a better and overall fermentation of the feed during the short time it soaks.

 

[shadowmane]

This morning was the first morning I've tried feeding it to the girls. They turned their little beaks up at it. My routine in the morning is to pour what's left of last evening's feed into the brooder (which they really don't stay in, given they're almost 6 weeks old... I'm still working on the coop, but that's another story). They will start eating that while I fill the feeder back up. Only this morning, the feeder didn't have dry food. It had the fermented mash. I have to go check and see if they are eating it now, but they turned their beaks up at it when I put it down for them. And they usually attack the feeder like I haven't fed them in weeks.

 

[Beekissed]

They'll get hungry enough to try it and will develop a taste for it.....just don't give them any choices.

 

[BunsNChicks]

Do you have a picture of your "straining" set up? I need to figure out how to do mine I thought about just using some type of colander type thingy. Oh does anyone know how to make your own ACV? I thought I read somewhere that you could add the "mother" to the cheap colored ACV that doesn't have the mother in it or add it to distilled vinegar.