Fermented Feed for Chickens
Fermenting feed for chickens is a simple process.
Fermentation of feeds has been used for thousands of years for many purposes, from beer and wine making to silage (the Chaffhaye we use here is a form of silage).
Fermentation increases acidic level in the chickens gut. By lowering the Ph, the bird is able to absorb more nutrients in the feed. resulting in less feed intake; some claim as high as 30% gain on feed used. This is gained without compromising nutritional value.
Secondly, by making the digestive tract more acidic, parasites are reduced; they do not like acidic environments.
Many people report larger, heavier and even cleaner eggs, with harder shells.
I have found that birds seem to feather our nicer and maintain excellent body condition. Several people report that excrement smells far less as well, but I am unable to verify that because chicken poop dries out so fast here in Southern California. Let me know if this is true!
Chicks do very well on fermented feed. I have experienced less "pasty butt" syndrome, as they take in a lot of moisture with their feed.
Now let's look at what's involved. Lazy people like myself will be happy to hear that it is not hard or time consuming. Bonus!
Determine how many birds you are feeding, and experiment with larger or smaller batches until you have enough to supply your flock.
At Gyphon Tor, we have about 60 birds and use approximately 50lbs of feed per week (if I have extra, and I usually do, the piggies get a treat!). You can use layer pellets, whole or rolled grains. I use a combination of all of the above, and it varies from time to time.
Buy a heavy duty PLASTIC garbage can. Aluminum cans break down with the acid and there is a risk of metals and chemicals leaching into your feed. I use a standard 18 gal trash can with lid, available at any hardware store. I prefer the kind with little wheels underneath for moving the bin when full.
Fill the container about 1/3 with water and then fill with feed. Add water to cover the feed by 3 or 4 inches.
We will leave the top third empty for expansion as the food swells and ferments.
Stir the mass as best you can to ensure that all the feed is wet, and then let it sit. Check on it every half hour or so and add water as needed such that the mixture attains the consistency of runny oatmeal. Mmmmm, runny oatmeal.
Put the lid on and
You can add apple cider vinegar to jump start fermentation (I add a cup or two), but there is enough appropriate bacteria in the air to start the process without.
Let your bin sit for 3-4 days and you should find a white film coating on top of the mixture. This is normal; it's the beneficial bacteria needed for fermentation. Stir up the feed and scoop some out to feed your birds!
As you use the fermented product, simply add more feed and water to the original level. and stir it up. The feed will continue to ferment automatically.
This feed will not go bad if done correctly and the same bin can be used for several months.
If your birds are leery of the new food, just sprinkle some of their regular food on top and they'll get the idea. Note that fermented food will NOT work well in gravity feeders with small holes at the bottom - it will just pack in there and jam up. Feed it in open containers and you'll find they don't waste much (it doesn't fly all over like dry food).
Enjoy!
Fermentation of feeds has been used for thousands of years for many purposes, from beer and wine making to silage (the Chaffhaye we use here is a form of silage).
Fermentation increases acidic level in the chickens gut. By lowering the Ph, the bird is able to absorb more nutrients in the feed. resulting in less feed intake; some claim as high as 30% gain on feed used. This is gained without compromising nutritional value.
Secondly, by making the digestive tract more acidic, parasites are reduced; they do not like acidic environments.
Many people report larger, heavier and even cleaner eggs, with harder shells.
I have found that birds seem to feather our nicer and maintain excellent body condition. Several people report that excrement smells far less as well, but I am unable to verify that because chicken poop dries out so fast here in Southern California. Let me know if this is true!
Chicks do very well on fermented feed. I have experienced less "pasty butt" syndrome, as they take in a lot of moisture with their feed.
Now let's look at what's involved. Lazy people like myself will be happy to hear that it is not hard or time consuming. Bonus!
Determine how many birds you are feeding, and experiment with larger or smaller batches until you have enough to supply your flock.
At Gyphon Tor, we have about 60 birds and use approximately 50lbs of feed per week (if I have extra, and I usually do, the piggies get a treat!). You can use layer pellets, whole or rolled grains. I use a combination of all of the above, and it varies from time to time.
Buy a heavy duty PLASTIC garbage can. Aluminum cans break down with the acid and there is a risk of metals and chemicals leaching into your feed. I use a standard 18 gal trash can with lid, available at any hardware store. I prefer the kind with little wheels underneath for moving the bin when full.
Fill the container about 1/3 with water and then fill with feed. Add water to cover the feed by 3 or 4 inches.
We will leave the top third empty for expansion as the food swells and ferments.
Stir the mass as best you can to ensure that all the feed is wet, and then let it sit. Check on it every half hour or so and add water as needed such that the mixture attains the consistency of runny oatmeal. Mmmmm, runny oatmeal.
Put the lid on and
You can add apple cider vinegar to jump start fermentation (I add a cup or two), but there is enough appropriate bacteria in the air to start the process without.
Let your bin sit for 3-4 days and you should find a white film coating on top of the mixture. This is normal; it's the beneficial bacteria needed for fermentation. Stir up the feed and scoop some out to feed your birds!
As you use the fermented product, simply add more feed and water to the original level. and stir it up. The feed will continue to ferment automatically.
This feed will not go bad if done correctly and the same bin can be used for several months.
If your birds are leery of the new food, just sprinkle some of their regular food on top and they'll get the idea. Note that fermented food will NOT work well in gravity feeders with small holes at the bottom - it will just pack in there and jam up. Feed it in open containers and you'll find they don't waste much (it doesn't fly all over like dry food).
Enjoy!