I just started to try fermented feed for my old chickens. I think it is a great way to save on feed and make sure your chickens get their feed digestive and absorb more nutrients. I also added dog kibble (dry food) for the feed for more protein during winter. What are your thoughts on Dog food given to chickens?
Thank you for watching! If you would like to offer some dog feed, we would suggest that you do that a treat only. Extra protein is helpful, but you want to be sure the chickens are eating their regular feed first. Hope this helps!
How can you tell what a proper amount is to feed daily? I currently have 19 hens. I'm sure they will eat as much as I put out but I would rather feed efficiently. Thanks!
Thanks for your question. We have a great reference on Poultry Feed Guidelines on our Help Desk. This covers the types of feed per age and poultry type, and the approximate consumption per week. You can find this information here: meyerhatchery.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360010037771-Poultry-Feed-Guidelines
@MeyerHatchery can u also incorporate scratch grains feed along with the layer feed for the fermentation process? Thanx 4 any input. I buy my supplies n vacciness directly frim yur Polk, Ohio hatchery. Yur the Bomb!!
Great question! You could use a more flatter style conventional feeder for this. The mixture will be more watery than traditional feed, so you will need a container that can hold that.
Is this something that you do in the summer, and also how often do you give them a batch of it (weekly, monthly)? I've mostly ever heard of it being something people do in the winter time to give them a boost. Can't wait to make some!
Fermenting feed is something you can do at any time of the year. Many people choose to do so in order to reduce their feed costs. Let us know how you like it when you give it a try :)
I’m new to raising chickens and I’m getting 10. I plan on fermenting the feed, but I was wondering how many feeders I need or how big of a feeder. My plan was to make a feeding trough. Also is it better to feed them in the coop, outside or does it not matter?
A medium sized feeder would work for 10 birds, or your trough idea if you are using fermented feed sound great. Many like to feed outside the coop, but you can put the feeder in the coop as well. If you place your feeder in the coop, be sure there is no feed on the floor of your coop. Thank you for watching!
I’ve been feeding my chicks fermented feed for a few weeks now, they are 5 weeks old. I’ve been leaving dry food in with them as well. They will pick at the fermented food once in a while but don’t really seem to like it. Will they eventually grow to like it, or should I wait till they are older and reintroduce to them?
I'm starting out with 6 chickens pretty sure 5 hen 1 roo lol 🤞 how much feed would you suggest I fement for each chicken roughly and 1 or 2 times daily feedings?
Just be sure to have food available all day as they are foraging animals picking all day. I give fermented feed as a supplement and it's not their only choice of food but they sure do love it and it is keeping them healthy 😁
Confused...I'm just starting out with 6 chickens...I have a hanging feeder for their pellets and now I want to try fermenting food for them. My question is when I ferment food for them on the day I give them the fermented food do I not offer them the dry pellets?
Great question! You can offer both to your flock. For example offer the flock fermented feed in the morning and then in the afternoon hang up the pellet feeder. It will all depend on your birds and how much they eat.
Thanks for your question! We recommend to offer Oyster Shell in s separate feeder as a free choice option for your chickens. Oyster shell will not ferment and could cause the ferment to go bad.
Do you feed them these feed all the time or just sometimes?. Reason is because sometimes they don't seem to get too excited about it except for my Cornish cross and that's not saying much 😜
Great question! It really depends on your flock. Some like to feed the fermented feed all the time, and some like to offer it a couple times per week. Jess in the video offers her flock the fermented feed a few times a week.
Johnny, Thank you for reaching out to Meyer Hatchery. Well water is suitable for poultry and does not have to be filtered. All of our livestock and poultry survive on well water and we do not filter. If you have any additional questions, we would be happy to help. Have a great day!
Once the fermented feed is ready to serve, what sort of shelf life does it have? Does it keep in the fridge at all, or does it need to be served right away? I am wondering if this can be done in larger batches, and less frequently (1/week in a 2 gallon bucket)? I realize it’s a matter of trial and error, but I’d like to skip mixing batches daily if I can help it. 😅🤓
Great question! You want to give your chickens their fermented feed fresh. If you try to store the fermented feed too long, the feed could go bad. Fresh is always best! Another thing you can do is feed your flock the fermented feed just a few days out of the week, and you won't be making as much as everyday. You can definitely mix up bigger batches so it lasts a day or two as well! It really all depends on your feed, how quickly it is fermenting, etc. Thank you for watching!
How often do you feed fermented feed? Also, how is it "fermented" with just water? I expected apple cider vinegar or something. What is the benefit of giving fermented feed? Please forgive my ignorance. I'm new to raising chickens and trying to learn everything possible to make sure my 9 RIR girls, and my 4 Buff Orpingtons have the best of the best when it comes to caring for them. I was going to get 6 birds to go with my "move in/he adopted me RIR rooster". I now have 13 ladies, plus my rooster, Colonel Sanders. I have now learned what chicken math is..... XD
Hi! You can ferment your feed as often as you would like. Many like to have more than 1 batch going at different time intervals so you have fermented feed always available. Fermented feed is known for helping your chicken's digestive system, lowers feed consumption (the chickens are eating more effectively), and gives your chicken's a boost of vitamins just to name a few benefits. The simple mix of water and grain does create the good fermentation process without needing any other ingredients. Hope this helps! Chicken math is the best! Let us know if you have any other questions, we are happy to help. Thank you for watching!
I know this comment is 2 years old, but organic grains have natural wild yeasts and bacteria on them! So when added with water in ideal conditions, you're able to cultivate those naturally occurring microorganisms which give you great health benefits :-)
@@justamags Thank you sooooooo much! Can I mix a grain/corn mix with regular pellet feed when fermenting? My chickens eat SOOOOOOOOOO much "all flock" feed even as free rangers so I'm trying to find and more economical, yet beneficial, feed option for them.
@@CarolinaGirlCreationZ Hey! No problem! I'll be honest I've not mixed scratch and peck and pellets to ferment before 😬 so I'm not sure. Some folks say just use scratch and peck for fermentation, but I think it was Chickenlandia who also showed pellet fermentation before?? I can't remember which video I watched 😂 I imagine you can give it a shot though! As long as it's organic you should have the microorganisms available! Let me know if you try it though lol 😆
You don't want it to smell "off?" What does that mean? Is it supposed to smell like vinegar/pickles? Can you be more specific about what "off" means? Thank you.
An off smell would be almost rancid, smell really bad, or signs of visible mold. The fermented feed should have almost a sweet vinegar smell. Thank you for watching!
You don't want to put the fermented feed in the fridge as this could stop or slow down the fermentation. You can try putting out smaller amounts, just enough for your flock to finish in one day. Thank you for visiting!
Fermented feed is very similar to the chicken's regular feed, and does not affect their egg production. Please feel free to let us know if you have any other questions. :)
Thank you for watching! Every chicken is different when it comes to the amount of feed they eat per day. Some even note a chicken can eat up to 1/4 pound of feed per day! I would suggest measuring the feed you put in your feeder, and monitoring your chicken's habits for a few days. This will give you a ballpark estimate of how much your chickens are eating.
The recipe in the video is suggested for chickens, you might want to do some additional research before offering this diet to turkeys, since turkeys have different dietary requirements.
Great question! The amount of feed per chicken depends on your flock, and the age of the birds. I would start with 2 cups of fermented feed, and see how quickly your flock eats the feed. Then you can adjust from there. You want there to be no more fermented feed left in the coop at the end of the day. ~Jess
Scarlet, unfortunately there is no recommendation for feed floating to the top. That is completely normal. If you have any additional questions, we would be happy to help. Have a great weekend!
I’ve read to add acv with mother to help with fermentation process.
I just started to try fermented feed for my old chickens. I think it is a great way to save on feed and make sure your chickens get their feed digestive and absorb more nutrients. I also added dog kibble (dry food) for the feed for more protein during winter. What are your thoughts on Dog food given to chickens?
I feed my chickens dry dog food,as a treat for extra protein
Thank you for watching! If you would like to offer some dog feed, we would suggest that you do that a treat only. Extra protein is helpful, but you want to be sure the chickens are eating their regular feed first. Hope this helps!
@@MeyerHatchery yes only as a treat, they always have plenty of their regular feed fruits veggies and ferments as well
@@MeyerHatchery Thank you for the advice
@@MeyerHatchery I’m using starter for my chicks now that they are bigger I’m starting w vegetables
How can you tell what a proper amount is to feed daily? I currently have 19 hens. I'm sure they will eat as much as I put out but I would rather feed efficiently. Thanks!
Thanks for your question. We have a great reference on Poultry Feed Guidelines on our Help Desk. This covers the types of feed per age and poultry type, and the approximate consumption per week. You can find this information here: meyerhatchery.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360010037771-Poultry-Feed-Guidelines
@MeyerHatchery can u also incorporate scratch grains feed along with the layer feed for the fermentation process? Thanx 4 any input. I buy my supplies n vacciness directly frim yur Polk, Ohio hatchery. Yur the Bomb!!
You can incorporate scratch grains in your fermented feed, many like to do that! Thank you for watching!
I feed fermented feed every afternoon as a treat.. I just keep my fermenting vessel ongoing .. I use Henhouse Reserve as my fermented treat
Looks like a great idea
what type of feeder do you use? I saw you used a flat bowl; would a conventional dry feeder work?
Great question! You could use a more flatter style conventional feeder for this. The mixture will be more watery than traditional feed, so you will need a container that can hold that.
Thank you for a wonderful video!!!
❤️🐓❤️
Glad you enjoyed it!
So do you have about 2-4 jars fermenting at all times to keep the process going?
Hi! Yes, we keep a rotation of jars going to we have fermented feed at all times. The jars about 2 days apart from each other. Thank you for watching!
Thanks for sharing
I also keep reading that fermented feed will lead to cleaner eggs!
Is this something that you do in the summer, and also how often do you give them a batch of it (weekly, monthly)? I've mostly ever heard of it being something people do in the winter time to give them a boost. Can't wait to make some!
Fermenting feed is something you can do at any time of the year. Many people choose to do so in order to reduce their feed costs. Let us know how you like it when you give it a try :)
I’m new to raising chickens and I’m getting 10. I plan on fermenting the feed, but I was wondering how many feeders I need or how big of a feeder. My plan was to make a feeding trough. Also is it better to feed them in the coop, outside or does it not matter?
A medium sized feeder would work for 10 birds, or your trough idea if you are using fermented feed sound great. Many like to feed outside the coop, but you can put the feeder in the coop as well. If you place your feeder in the coop, be sure there is no feed on the floor of your coop. Thank you for watching!
I’ve been feeding my chicks fermented feed for a few weeks now, they are 5 weeks old. I’ve been leaving dry food in with them as well. They will pick at the fermented food once in a while but don’t really seem to like it. Will they eventually grow to like it, or should I wait till they are older and reintroduce to them?
I'm starting out with 6 chickens pretty sure 5 hen 1 roo lol 🤞 how much feed would you suggest I fement for each chicken roughly and 1 or 2 times daily feedings?
Around 1/4 cup per chicken per feeding is a good starting point. You can start there and adjust watching how your flock eats. Thank you for watching!
Just be sure to have food available all day as they are foraging animals picking all day. I give fermented feed as a supplement and it's not their only choice of food but they sure do love it and it is keeping them healthy 😁
Confused...I'm just starting out with 6 chickens...I have a hanging feeder for their pellets and now I want to try fermenting food for them.
My question is when I ferment food for them on the day I give them the fermented food do I not offer them the dry pellets?
Great question! You can offer both to your flock. For example offer the flock fermented feed in the morning and then in the afternoon hang up the pellet feeder. It will all depend on your birds and how much they eat.
Thank you for your quick reply...greatly appreciated!
Thanks for the details. Why not let the feed be on the ground, since chickens forage on the ground all the time anyway?
Many people choose to do so in order to reduce their feed costs.
Would it be any benefit to add oyster shell grit in with it?
Thanks for your question! We recommend to offer Oyster Shell in s separate feeder as a free choice option for your chickens. Oyster shell will not ferment and could cause the ferment to go bad.
Hi! One video I saw on another channel added apple cider vinegar to his fermenting feed. Is that necessary?
Some do add apple cider vinegar, but it is not required at all. Following our recipe will ferment your feed quickly and efficiently.
@@MeyerHatchery Thank you very much!!
Hi, should we throw away the water? The excess
Thanks
You can drain the extra water off and discard. Thank you for watching!
Do you feed them these feed all the time or just sometimes?. Reason is because sometimes they don't seem to get too excited about it except for my Cornish cross and that's not saying much 😜
Great question! It really depends on your flock. Some like to feed the fermented feed all the time, and some like to offer it a couple times per week. Jess in the video offers her flock the fermented feed a few times a week.
I have well water. Is that ok or does it still need to be filtered?
Johnny,
Thank you for reaching out to Meyer Hatchery. Well water is suitable for poultry and does not have to be filtered. All of our livestock and poultry survive on well water and we do not filter. If you have any additional questions, we would be happy to help. Have a great day!
Meyer Hatchery Thank you.
Once the fermented feed is ready to serve, what sort of shelf life does it have? Does it keep in the fridge at all, or does it need to be served right away?
I am wondering if this can be done in larger batches, and less frequently (1/week in a 2 gallon bucket)? I realize it’s a matter of trial and error, but I’d like to skip mixing batches daily if I can help it. 😅🤓
Great question! You want to give your chickens their fermented feed fresh. If you try to store the fermented feed too long, the feed could go bad. Fresh is always best! Another thing you can do is feed your flock the fermented feed just a few days out of the week, and you won't be making as much as everyday. You can definitely mix up bigger batches so it lasts a day or two as well! It really all depends on your feed, how quickly it is fermenting, etc. Thank you for watching!
How often do you feed fermented feed? Also, how is it "fermented" with just water? I expected apple cider vinegar or something. What is the benefit of giving fermented feed?
Please forgive my ignorance. I'm new to raising chickens and trying to learn everything possible to make sure my 9 RIR girls, and my 4 Buff Orpingtons have the best of the best when it comes to caring for them.
I was going to get 6 birds to go with my "move in/he adopted me RIR rooster". I now have 13 ladies, plus my rooster, Colonel Sanders. I have now learned what chicken math is..... XD
Hi! You can ferment your feed as often as you would like. Many like to have more than 1 batch going at different time intervals so you have fermented feed always available. Fermented feed is known for helping your chicken's digestive system, lowers feed consumption (the chickens are eating more effectively), and gives your chicken's a boost of vitamins just to name a few benefits. The simple mix of water and grain does create the good fermentation process without needing any other ingredients. Hope this helps! Chicken math is the best! Let us know if you have any other questions, we are happy to help. Thank you for watching!
I know this comment is 2 years old, but organic grains have natural wild yeasts and bacteria on them! So when added with water in ideal conditions, you're able to cultivate those naturally occurring microorganisms which give you great health benefits :-)
@@justamags Thank you sooooooo much! Can I mix a grain/corn mix with regular pellet feed when fermenting? My chickens eat SOOOOOOOOOO much "all flock" feed even as free rangers so I'm trying to find and more economical, yet beneficial, feed option for them.
@@CarolinaGirlCreationZ Hey! No problem! I'll be honest I've not mixed scratch and peck and pellets to ferment before 😬 so I'm not sure. Some folks say just use scratch and peck for fermentation, but I think it was Chickenlandia who also showed pellet fermentation before?? I can't remember which video I watched 😂 I imagine you can give it a shot though! As long as it's organic you should have the microorganisms available! Let me know if you try it though lol 😆
You don't want it to smell "off?" What does that mean? Is it supposed to smell like vinegar/pickles? Can you be more specific about what "off" means? Thank you.
An off smell would be almost rancid, smell really bad, or signs of visible mold. The fermented feed should have almost a sweet vinegar smell. Thank you for watching!
@@MeyerHatchery, thank you!
Nice video
Thank you for watching!
What do I do with leftovers? Can I refrigerate and give to them the next day?
You don't want to put the fermented feed in the fridge as this could stop or slow down the fermentation. You can try putting out smaller amounts, just enough for your flock to finish in one day. Thank you for visiting!
Can fermented feed be given to pullets/layers birds? Thanks
Yes, absolutely
Really and negative effect on their egg production
Fermented feed is very similar to the chicken's regular feed, and does not affect their egg production. Please feel free to let us know if you have any other questions. :)
How much (dry) layers feed should You recommend per chicken?
Thank you for watching! Every chicken is different when it comes to the amount of feed they eat per day. Some even note a chicken can eat up to 1/4 pound of feed per day! I would suggest measuring the feed you put in your feeder, and monitoring your chicken's habits for a few days. This will give you a ballpark estimate of how much your chickens are eating.
whole corn during the winter brings on fat n fat gives off warmth
yes, corn is a carbohydrate so giving it as a treat in the winter will definitely help warm up your flock
Will this work with turkeys also?
The recipe in the video is suggested for chickens, you might want to do some additional research before offering this diet to turkeys, since turkeys have different dietary requirements.
How many cups of fermented feed per chicken?
Great question! The amount of feed per chicken depends on your flock, and the age of the birds. I would start with 2 cups of fermented feed, and see how quickly your flock eats the feed. Then you can adjust from there. You want there to be no more fermented feed left in the coop at the end of the day. ~Jess
@@MeyerHatchery Thank you
My feed likes to float up to the top. Any suggestions for preventing that?
Scarlet, unfortunately there is no recommendation for feed floating to the top. That is completely normal. If you have any additional questions, we would be happy to help. Have a great weekend!
Just let it soak, and add more water. When it soaks up the water it will sink
Chicken don't like wet foods.
Some birds do prefer the fermented feed. All depends on the birds in your flock. Thank you for watching!
My chickens love wet bread