There is lots of talk about fermenting chicken feed! Should you do it? Should you skip it? How do you do it? Steve & Brian have the answers to these questions and more in this video. #hobbyfarm #backyardchickens #homestead
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Just found you and "liked and subscribed." I really appreciate the knowlege and research you guys put into your videos. Also, while keeping it simple enough to understand. Keep up the good work and thanks for the video!
I've been fermenting wheat for my 15 chickens for the past year or so. I put 3 cups of wheat berries in a 1-gallon bucket then fill it with water. If I don't fill it full of water, it molds. I keep it for 48 hours and then drain it and feed it to the chicken in their run, scattered about. It gets them moving around in the morning, and 1everyone gets her fair share. I have not yet tried fermenting layer mash. Great video, guys!
I started fermenting my chickens' feed about 2 months ago. I've found that it does cut down on the cost of feed, so it's well worth the effort for me. I do give them fermented feed daily, but they also free range daily...& get treats. I've also started fermenting feed for my pot belly pigs. Since pigs seem to want to eat all of the time (ha), by giving them fermented feed they seem to stay satisfied for a longer period of time. Thanks for the info!!
@@hayfordsomuah1134 I normally ferment my pigs' feed about 3 days during the summer, & 4 days during the winter. It probably doesn't matter, but it gets hot & humid where I live (Arkansas/Oklahoma border), & I don't want to take chances on getting mold during the summer. I don't know if this is the proper way to do it, that's just the way that I've been doing it. 🙂
@@hayfordsomuah1134 I normally ferment my pigs' feed about 3 days during the summer, & 4 days during the winter. It probably doesn't matter, but it gets hot & humid where I live (Arkansas/Oklahoma border), & I don't want to take chances on getting mold during the summer. I don't know if this is the proper way to do it, that's just the way that I've been doing it. 🙂
I ferment in the summer time, if nothing else, it helps with keeping my birds well hydrated, but I’m also a believer that it cuts physical feed consumption down fairly significantly with no bad effects I’ve ever noticed. It’s already triple digits here where I am, and I been fermenting buckets for a week now, I use all different stuff from COB, to pellets, to scratch.
This was a great video. All the information packed into one. Some went over my head but hopefully I’ll catch up lol. I like how you’re honest about how much to feed. Subscribed and liked. New chicken raiser and glad I found you
I'm too lazy and absent minded. Looking forward to the sprouts video. Most appreciative of this one though because now I know that this particular practice is probably not for me. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!
I doit seasonally, when I free-range my chickens on two acres of irrigated pasture in summer, they seemed to lose interest in when they have their own bugs in summer, then once fall comes again they're not so picky and enjoy it. I make a quart jar for 7 hens and 2 roos
I ferment for about an hour up to ((24 hrs plus)(usually hr average) then solar cook my feed. Birds love when I get the cooking right!!!…heck almost burnt is way more popular than dry!! I did a not to detailed video of it on my RU-vid…may do the details if people want it…or I have some time to use.
Yes you can! I haven’t done this, but I understand that when sourdough starter is used you can keep the water to a minimum…just enough to keep the feed wet.
Some people ferment chicken feed by keeping the feed in a closed container and under water for 3 days. In other words, after 3 days, they open the container and feed the feed to their chickens. Does this method provide a good benefit to chicken feed? Or does it provide little benefit as a simple operation?
I feed fermented feed to my 50 laying hens. They really like it. I have not noticed an increase in egg production which is disappointing, actually their production has dropped significantly. I wonder if it's the feed or something else?
It could be for a number of reasons. Here is a video we did on the subject a while back: Why Chickens Stop Laying Eggs (And What You Can Do About It) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MMrP4xJCnmQ.html
For awhile, I was fermenting their scratch grains as an afternoon treat. I tried to ferment their layer feed once. That was disgusting! I can’t do that. I want to find a grain mix that I can ferment.
I check on my chickens and other poultry daily, but I feed them enough for several days. That translates to two or three times a week. Feeding fermented pellets or crumble would make it a daily chore for me, create a mess, and endanger the birds, if there was any leftover spoiled feed. What I have been doing for years is fermenting scratch grains, so that they are ready for two to three feedings during the week. Of course, I have worked out how much to use for each feeding. The grains sit in a bucket of water and the top is covered, but not airtight. I use tap water with no problems. The trick is to never clean your bucket. I dump the fermented grain into a bucket with holes to drain off the liquid birds. I then add a fresh amount of grain to the old bucket and cover it with water and lid. The small amount of liquid that had been left in the bucket, as well as the coating on the sides and bottom, contain all the bacteria you need to ferment a new batch. It never stinks and the fermentation is always consistent. Besides offering probiotics to the birds, it greatly extends the feed, since it has absorbed so much water.
I think I fermented way too much feed. If I keep it submerged in the fermenting water, how long will it last? Can I refrigerate it to make it last longer? Or could I freeze some of it to make it last longer? I'm heartsick if I have to dump and waste all of this. Please help.
Luckily I’ve never had this problem, but what I have heard from others it that you should not freeze it, but it will last a couple of days if refrigerated. If there is any question of whether it is good, toss it & consider it a lesson learned.
So we can keep fermented grain submerged indefinitely? What time period? Mixed a batch with a 3 day sit with stirring and ended up with a lot of feed- can I feed it out?
My chickens love the fermented feed. I have found that repeatedly using the prior batches water led to mold on top. No wonder the girls wouldn’t touch the last two batches before I saw the white mold! Wash the jars and then put them in the dishwasher to completely remove any residual mold. Just washing the jars didn’t work. I hate to waste expensive feed!
I fill a big container with more than enough grain and water and feed from it for weeks. It smells like a brewery but the birds love it. Is this a wrong metode?
Not wrong...but I would only prepare enough for 4-5 days and then start another batch. After that it starts to lose nutritional value. Not that it will hurt them, they just aren't getting the most out of it. After a while it will go bad.
@@HobbyFarmGuys My chicked are freeranging, and have a huge area to explore, but it is a cold climate. Faroe Islands. I have access to large quantities of what remains from slaughter of cows and sheep. Im trying to figure out how I can exploit this, and use it as chicken food. Chicken love raw meat. But I dont know where to look up information about this
@@HobbyFarmGuyshello I have a question so it’s good for 4-5 days if kept in the refrigerator or can it also last 4-5 days if kept outside in a closed container?
does this formulated feed for layers only? because in my chicken house, there are all stages of chicken, young, adult, roosters and hens, can i give this to all of them? thanks Sir..
You can ferment feed for chickens of any age, sex or breed. Chicks have different nutritional requirements than adults, so it is a good idea to keep their feed separate unless they are hatched and raised by a hen.
I recommend fixing your audio timing because your video have very good information. But it's just so hard to watch because of all the audio stops every 5 seconds after your done with a sentence.
