MEAT BIRDS THREAD ~Plans, pics, pens, pluckers, processing! GRAPHIC!

[Beekissed]

The more I read on the studies done on feeding fermented feed to poultry, the more I am impressed with the information found in the results. It concurs with what we know about the health benefits we ourselves derive from the same kind of diet.

I don't know why it didn't occur to me before but all these years I've been placing UP/ACV in the chicken's water I had been doing more for their health than I ever knew. All along I'd been directly preventing all the common bacterial poultry diseases, increasing feed utilization by the small intestines and increasing egg quality, as well as egg chemical composition(THAT one I knew as I got rave reviews from my customers after I started using the ACV every single time instead of sporadically).

If anyone would like to read the studies I found, I've bookmarked many of them. Some of them are hard to work your way through to get to the results of the experiments but it is very interesting reading if one is wanting ways to improve animal health and cut down on feed costs by increasing feed efficacy.

I know I saw remarkable results in the sheep and even in the cow after drenching with the ACV and garlic, particularly the new ram lamb and his weight gains.

 

[the funny farm6]

Ok I feed scratch grains to my chickens- sometimes store bought other times I mix my own. Cracked corn, oats, wheat, millit, black oil sunflower seed... so would they be better if I soaked them 24-48 hrs before I feed them? If so how offten per week do you feed these?

 

[peteyfoozer]

what feed will u be fermenting? I am really interested in this to see if i will NOT have to buy the expensive lay crumbles.

 

[Beekissed]

Ok I feed scratch grains to my chickens- sometimes store bought other times I mix my own. Cracked corn, oats, wheat, millit, black oil sunflower seed... so would they be better if I soaked them 24-48 hrs before I feed them? If so how offten per week do you feed these?

I'd say as often as you feed them dry...but chances are you will find that they don't have to eat quite as much to maintain their current weight. I'm new to it myself and have just been reading up. The only fermented foods I've been feeding to my chickens thus far have been the unpasteurized apple cider vinegar but I really want to step that up after reading all the studies I have been researching.

Of course, those studies have been done in the interests of commercial growers but how much easier to do it small scale and get the same results?

From what I've read, corn, wheat and oats all are great for fermenting, as is soybean and millet. I'm not sure about the BOSS but you can always try. All the grains in the experiments have been cracked or ground to speed the fermentation process, so I'm not sure about how quickly whole grains will ferment. I'm going to find out, though, because I will be feeding whole grains as well.

what feed will u be fermenting? I am really interested in this to see if i will NOT have to buy the expensive lay crumbles.

For the laying hens I'll be feeding what I always feed~laying mash. The difference will be that I will ferment it before feeding. Mash was traditionally fed wet anyway, so this won't be a problem.

You will probably want to stay with a laying ration but should be using less, if the studies are correct.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19373724

The use of fermented feed reduced the litter DM content.

4. During the experimental period, the body weight gain of hens receiving fermented feed was 80 g higher than of hens fed the dry mash. Presumably because of an extended adaptation time to the feed, the onset of lay occurred later when hens were fed on fermented feed, resulting in non-significantly reduced total egg production (75 vs. 82%).

5. There was no significant difference between groups with respect to the total egg mass production (g/d/hen, 42 and 45 for fermented feed and dry mash, respectively). Throughout the experimental period, the feed DM intake of hens fed with fermented feed was lower than that of hens receiving the dry mash (110 vs. 125 g). From week 26 to 37, fermented feed improved the feed conversion as compared with the dry mash (g feed DM/g egg mass, 2.28 vs. 2.53).

6. The use of fermented feed increased egg weight in the period from 34 to 37 weeks (61.4 vs. 60.0) and increased shell weight (g/100 g egg weight, 10.2 vs. 9.9) and shell stiffness (N/mm, 161 vs. 150) of eggs collected at 37 weeks. 7. The feeding of fermented feed increased intestinal health by acidification of the upper digestive tract, forming a natural barrier towards infection with acid sensitive pathogens, e.g. E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.

8. It was concluded that fermented wet feed offers potential benefits for health and nutrition, but may become suitable for layers only after the practical problems related to this feeding form have been overcome. However, an early adaptation of the birds during the rearing period seems to be necessary.

They had started this experiment on hens aging 16 wks. to 38 wks. and felt the hens had trouble adapting to the feeding of the wet mash(3. Fermented feed seemed to loose attractiveness for the birds quite rapidly, resulting in a more aggressive behaviour and a poorer plumage condition than in birds given dry feed~from the study) as opposed to the dry and felt also that this could be overcome if the wet, fermented feeds were introduced at a young age so that the birds were used to that method of feeding.

One can only try it and see the results, which I plan to do. Another study I found about feeding it to layers stated that the omega 3 and other fatty acids were increased on fermented feed and the total cholesterol in the eggs were decreased.

 

[Beekissed]

FYI: Anyone wanting a cheap source for the CX chicks should try Central Hatchery out of Madison, NE. It is very hard to get through on their lines but I finally just prayed about it and got right through! All praise to the Lord!!!

Anyhoo, I got 50 chicks for $40 + $5 for ordering less than a 100 + $15 s/h for a total of $60!!!! Everywhere else was from $1.74-$2.49 per chick plus shipping, so this is $.12 per chick as opposed to say, Meyers where I think it would have been approx. $2.20 per chick. I asked about their success rates on live delivery and he stated they were good barring bad weather....had 4500 chicks freeze on their way to Montana, I guess. Those chicks were replaced at no cost to the buyer, so I feel pretty good about this order.

 

[shadetech]

Bee, I'm very interested in the fermentation and sprouting links you spoke of. As much for my coming laying herd as well as my hopeful Dark Cornish herd. I will continue to follow this thread with great interest. Always looking to learn.

henry

 

[rebecca100]

Thanks for posting that hatchery Bee! I was looking today for cheap CX chicks! I think I'm going to go ahead with them if I can get enough money saved to get them!

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, I'm very interested in the fermentation and sprouting links you spoke of. As much for my coming laying herd as well as my hopeful Dark Cornish herd. I will continue to follow this thread with great interest. Always looking to learn.

henry

Welcome to the forum! Please feel free to add to this thread with all your meat chicken plans and progress.

 

[Beekissed]

Thanks for posting that hatchery Bee! I was looking today for cheap CX chicks! I think I'm going to go ahead with them if I can get enough money saved to get them!

I think you can only buy them in increments of 25(I tried to order 40 but had to order 50) and they charge you the $5 for ordering less than 100. The guy on the phone sounded like a crotchety old curmudgeon but he answered my questions and the ordering took mere minutes. They have you send a check any time before shipping date, so you would have plenty of time to get the resources together. They hatch and ship every 3 weeks, from what I understood.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm getting real excited about the coop I'm designing and the ideas go round and round in my head! I'm amazed at how much space it will have and how versatile this mobile coop will be...if I hadn't had a coop already all these years, I might have designed one of these long ago. Now I wish I had anyway just to sell them.

Unlike most mobile coops out there, this one can be repurposed into a storage shed if one no longer wants chickens and you could even park a lawn mower or four wheeler under there or even turn it into a greenhouse. After the meaties are done with it, I'll be housing layer hens in it and the transition will be so easy. This coop has enough floor space to give 4 sq. ft. to 20 hens, if needed. With waterers, feeders and nest boxes off the floor, the floor is wide open.

We'll only be housing 8-10 hens in it, so they each will have 8-10 sq. ft. per bird if they have to be confined for any length of time..say winter has deep snows, rain storms, etc.

It can shed snow and rain easily, can be easily insulated with the addition of hay bales inside for the winter, it can let light in or shade it out, it can be anchored down in windy places and additional ventilation is added easily by rolling up the tarps, moved easily by one person in any direction, etc. Nest boxes can be added, taken away, moved, etc.

I can't wait to show you all the finished product! It will be awhile yet as the storms are moving in.