HOW AND WHY TO FERMENT CHICKEN FEED
Read this article and the other one below under More Information:
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| http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/03/fermented-chicken-feed-why-how-in-3.html |
More information, plus the bucket method for larger scale fermentation, this article has two videos!
http://permaculturenews.org/2016/06/20/cut-your-chickens-feed-bill-by-fermenting/
A very down to earth article: https://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/
January 9, 2016
I mixed up the first batch and covered with filtered water. The process has begun! I only stir once daily and this seems to work fine.
Daily feed ration per chicken is one third pound [1/3#]. It is very easy to overfeed chickens as their nature is to eat all day! A digital scale for weighing feed is worth buying and will pay for itself. Also, I use the digital scale to weigh mealworms, which I raise, and sell to buy chicken feed. [See page on this blog, Mealworm Farm,, if interested.] I marked a big plastic cup with the weight of 3 servings, so, it is much easier to measure portions.
http://permaculturenews.org/2016/06/20/cut-your-chickens-feed-bill-by-fermenting/
A very down to earth article: https://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/
January 9, 2016
I mixed up the first batch and covered with filtered water. The process has begun! I only stir once daily and this seems to work fine.
Daily feed ration per chicken is one third pound [1/3#]. It is very easy to overfeed chickens as their nature is to eat all day! A digital scale for weighing feed is worth buying and will pay for itself. Also, I use the digital scale to weigh mealworms, which I raise, and sell to buy chicken feed. [See page on this blog, Mealworm Farm,, if interested.] I marked a big plastic cup with the weight of 3 servings, so, it is much easier to measure portions.
January 12, 2016
I opened the lid of the glass bowl in which the feed has been fermenting. It was bubbling, just as described in the article! Tonight ends the 3rd day of fermentation before feeding tomorrow.
January 13, 2016
I "poured off" the liquid "starter water" from the fermented feed into a new batch. All the girls were gathered around the pan eating when I left.
January 14, 2016
The pan of feed I took to them today was eaten in no time flat! When I brought their free-choice feeder inside during night closure, it was strangely, hardly touched. Fermenting feed saves cost by being more satisfying, obviously!
January 19, 2016
Picked up two of these containers for my system of fermenting feed. I had been using my Pyrex bowls, but, I needed them for us humans.
January 20, 2016
I wrote on the lid of each bowl with a Sharpie: Day 0, Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 to help me keep up with which bowl to feed to chickens. I add the liquid from Day 3 (the starter) to Day 0 and/or to the feed mix pan that goes to the chicken's that day, such as dry feed, carrot pulp, BOSS, herbs, egg shells, etc.
November 20, 2016
I stopped fermenting feed from mid-March to mid-November, although I continued to add water to the crumble over the summer. Recently, I have again started serving fermented feed, but, this year, to 18 chickens, not 8! I continue to pour off the liquid from the bowls of the day before into dry feed, and add water for it to sit 24 hours. The liquid does bubble and have a nice, nutty smell.
January, 2017:
Sometimes, I alternate a "dry feed day" with a "wet feed (fermented) day", so the feed has more time to ferment.
April 29, 2017
Keith Smith, A Day at the Farm
Fermented Feed Guide [5 gallon food-grade buckets]
We feed our grown chickens a 17% laying crumble. Crumbles tend to ferment better than pellets. You also don't want to EVER ferment medicated feed.
The original fermentation process requires 3 clean, food grade 5 gallon buckets with lids. As this is Louisiana and it's hotter than hades here, we have had to go to a two day fermentation process as 3 days is too long in our summer heat. We will switch back to 3 day in the winter.
The first thing you need to do is measure how much food you are feeding your flock. We have quite a few chickens (over 100) so we use more than a lot. This works whether you have 13, 30 or 300. You just have to know what you need to start with. Once you have an average on what you feed daily you can start fermenting.
Take half the amount of feed you normally feed In a day and put in a bucket and add 3/4 as much water. Stir really well but NEVER with metal. Don't use metal in the process anywhere. Put the lid on loosely. We just lay in on top, never seal it. Label the container number 1. The next day fix a second bucket identical. Label it number 2. Stir bucket 1 really well and put the lid back. On the third day do a third bucket and label bucket 3. Thoroughly stir bucket 1 and 2.
On day 4, stir all buckets and feed bucket one. You will need little containers to feed in. We made little troughs like pig troughs out of PVC. These work really well. After you empty the bucket, start process over with bucket one and put at the end of the line. Repeat process.
Right now we do a 2 day fermentation so we just cut one bucket out of the process until winter. The feed will smell sweet but you don't want it to smell sour and mildew. Dont feed it if you've let it sit too long and let it mildew.
 |
| http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/how-to-ferment-chicken-feed-bigger-eggs-healthier-chickens/ This article says I can keep a batch going indefinitely. |
I "poured off" the liquid "starter water" from the fermented feed into a new batch. All the girls were gathered around the pan eating when I left.
January 14, 2016
The pan of feed I took to them today was eaten in no time flat! When I brought their free-choice feeder inside during night closure, it was strangely, hardly touched. Fermenting feed saves cost by being more satisfying, obviously!
January 19, 2016
Picked up two of these containers for my system of fermenting feed. I had been using my Pyrex bowls, but, I needed them for us humans.
 |
| Rubbermaid Take-Along, 15.7 cups |
I wrote on the lid of each bowl with a Sharpie: Day 0, Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 to help me keep up with which bowl to feed to chickens. I add the liquid from Day 3 (the starter) to Day 0 and/or to the feed mix pan that goes to the chicken's that day, such as dry feed, carrot pulp, BOSS, herbs, egg shells, etc.
I stopped fermenting feed from mid-March to mid-November, although I continued to add water to the crumble over the summer. Recently, I have again started serving fermented feed, but, this year, to 18 chickens, not 8! I continue to pour off the liquid from the bowls of the day before into dry feed, and add water for it to sit 24 hours. The liquid does bubble and have a nice, nutty smell.
January, 2017:
Sometimes, I alternate a "dry feed day" with a "wet feed (fermented) day", so the feed has more time to ferment.
April 29, 2017
Keith Smith, A Day at the Farm
Fermented Feed Guide [5 gallon food-grade buckets]
We feed our grown chickens a 17% laying crumble. Crumbles tend to ferment better than pellets. You also don't want to EVER ferment medicated feed.
The original fermentation process requires 3 clean, food grade 5 gallon buckets with lids. As this is Louisiana and it's hotter than hades here, we have had to go to a two day fermentation process as 3 days is too long in our summer heat. We will switch back to 3 day in the winter.
The first thing you need to do is measure how much food you are feeding your flock. We have quite a few chickens (over 100) so we use more than a lot. This works whether you have 13, 30 or 300. You just have to know what you need to start with. Once you have an average on what you feed daily you can start fermenting.
Take half the amount of feed you normally feed In a day and put in a bucket and add 3/4 as much water. Stir really well but NEVER with metal. Don't use metal in the process anywhere. Put the lid on loosely. We just lay in on top, never seal it. Label the container number 1. The next day fix a second bucket identical. Label it number 2. Stir bucket 1 really well and put the lid back. On the third day do a third bucket and label bucket 3. Thoroughly stir bucket 1 and 2.
On day 4, stir all buckets and feed bucket one. You will need little containers to feed in. We made little troughs like pig troughs out of PVC. These work really well. After you empty the bucket, start process over with bucket one and put at the end of the line. Repeat process.
Right now we do a 2 day fermentation so we just cut one bucket out of the process until winter. The feed will smell sweet but you don't want it to smell sour and mildew. Dont feed it if you've let it sit too long and let it mildew.
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