I have been asked to give a little more detail of fermenting feed so am going to copy and paste my original post on the experiment I did on fermented feed. WARNING it is a very long post.
If anyone actually stays awake long enough to get to the end and wants more detailed info on exactly what I am doing I will happily answer any questions.
CAVEATS:
1. I am NO ‘expert’ and certainly NOT a scientist - just trying to learn from them and passing on what I believe I have proved for myself.
2. I am not trying to tell ANYONE they are ‘doing it wrong’ – or that I am ‘doing it right’. This post is purely to inform you of my findings from an experiment.
Some of the scientific studies, forums, blogs and excerpts I have read before starting this and some of the quotes and statements you will see later on come from these:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19373724/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed...373724/relatedhttp://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/82/4/603.abstracthttp://www.unboundmedicine.com/medli...e_of_broilers_http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspo...nted-feed.html
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/64...for-meat-birdshttp://www.backyardchickens.com/t/72...ad-ots-welcomehttp://www.backyardchickens.com/t/70...their-progressJust copy and paste them in your browser if the links do not work
Background
I was thinking (I do that occasionally) about my hens one day – after having to take one to the vet to sort out a problem - but got to thinking about what would happen after any sort of SHTF situation. No vets.
This got me onto thinking about the way my parents and grandparents brought up their chickens i.e. never worming them, never having an egg-bound hen, never having fleas or mites, never had a feather plucking hen etc.
I started to think of the differences between the way I feed and keep mine and how theirs were kept and immediately found lots of differences - and so I started researching - LOTS of researching. One such foray took me to a 4 year old thread on an American Chicken keeping site - and after reading over 2,500 posts on one thread(not finished yet) – which lead me to search the ‘official research studies’, and around 1,000 on another thread (still not finished) I decided I had to try some of their methods – to find out if it was just ‘hype’ or ‘old wives tales’.
The Reason for the experiment
I read one thread theory – then read the official scientific studies (there are unfortunately not very many) - of the benefits of fermenting the feed for chickens. The original thread was for meat birds but no reason not to use it for layers only.
Benefits spouted on the thread and other sites (and mostly confirmed by scientific studies) In no particular order:
1. Cost - after feeding fermented feed – a lessening of feed costs of between 1/3 – ½ were reported – the hens actually ate much less of the feed. Fermenting feed also reduced the amount of wastage by hens flicking food around (and therefore feeding lots of little furry rodents as well).
2. Improved ability to digest the nutrients of the feed - therefore gaining more nutrition from less feed
3. Improved shell quality and strength after about a month on FF.
4. Greatly increased immune system function – “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” This quote is taken from a scientific study :-
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19373724/5. Improved ‘poos’ no more squirty sloppy messes – nice solid and white topped (urine) poos.
6. Vastly reduced ‘poo’ smell in the coop and run
7. Much deeper coloured yolks – and larger yolks after about a month of feeding FF (fermented feed).
“The whole concept behind giving FF is this increased intestinal health that decreases chance of parasite overload, probiotics that increase immune system health and aid in digestion, increased ability to absorb and utilize the proteins and other nutrients in the feed, increased reproductive health resulting in better laying and heavier eggs, prohibits overgrowth of cocci, e.coli,shagella, salmonella bacteria/protozoa in the bowels.” This quote is from Beekissed on the Backyard Chicken forum – I could not have put it better myself.
Somewhere in the articles listed above someone mentions about gaining another 12% protein. FF doesn't ADD 12%, but it can allow up to that much more of the available proteins in the feed to be utilized by the animal. For instance, if you are currently feeding 16% layer mash, your birds may only be getting the benefit of maybe half or three quarters of that protein because a monogastric animal has a hard time absorbing the proteins in some grains (corn is one) and it depends on how much protein in your feeds is derived from those particular grains. Fermenting these grains breaks the proteins down into a more easily digested and utilized nutrient by the chicken, so you may actually be giving them a truer representation of that protein listed on the feed bag.
In just over two weeks I have proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt in my own mind, 5 of the above 7 benefits. The experiment is ongoing – but from the evidence I am already seeing I will now continue with FF.
CONTROL SAMPLE
As this part of the experiment was purely for the eggshell quality, egg weight, yolk colour and size – I took one egg each from two different hens (the eggs are easily differentiated as one hen’s egg is smaller than the other – I only have two currently laying hens). I will then directly compare this egg with an egg (during and after experiment) from that same hen.
THE EXPERIMENT
First off I had to learn about fermenting feed Most of us with chickens use ACV (apple cider vinegar) - but the sort I got for my hens was not the one required for fermenting as it had been pasteurized. Unpasteurized RAW ACV with “the mother” is what is required.
The ‘mother’ is the dark, cloudy substance in the raw ACV formed from naturally occurring pectin and apple residues - it appears as molecules of protein connected in strand-like chains. The presence of the ‘mother’ shows that the best part of the apple has not been destroyed. Vinegars containing the mother contain enzymes and minerals that other vinegars may not contain due to over processing, filtration and overheating.
For those interested: AVC with the mother contains:
Vitamins: A, C, E, P and the B1, 2 and 6 complexes.
Minerals: as iron, manganese, calcium, copper, silicon, chlorine, sulphur, sodium, phosphorus and fluorine
Amino acids and enzymes
AVC with the mother is more expensive – but you only need to buy it once. Shake the bottle and add a couple of ‘glugs’ to your ordinary AC vinegar and leave it in a warm dark place with the top off for a week – you will then see the ‘mother’ growing in your usual AVC. When you are getting ready for a new bottle, just pour the remaining AVC into the new bottle and start the mother growing in that as well.
There is another way of fermenting using LAB (lactic acid bacteria) that you can make at home easily from ingredients in the kitchen - will be detailed later in another but related and MUCH shorter post.
You can ferment your current layers pellets, layers mash or growers crumbles – you don’t have to buy anything else! You can feed it to day old chicks, pullets and laying hens.
I use layers pellets (but will be changing to mash next time I need one), and supplement this with rolled steamed oats, barley and wheat whole grains. These were purchased from a local horse feed supplier - half a bag of each – which cost a total of £13.50 and filled a dustbin sized feed-bin full to the top and will last my girls a year or more. I am only using roughly half pellets and half grains – previously a bag of pellets would last me around 5 weeks and cost £9. I estimate a bag will now last me around 3-4 months (no waste of the pellets now). In addition I sprout mung beans, alfalfa, lentils verdes, & raddish as I have little or no lawn or pasture for my girls.
SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS: Avoid metal containers – the acid will eat into the metal eventually and become toxic to your girls.
1. Get a container (NOT metal). I used a plastic 10 litre kitchen container I had spare.
2. Shake the bottle of ACV with the ‘mother’ and add a couple of ‘glugs’
3. Add warm water about half way and stir to get it all mixed in evenly
4. Add whatever you currently feed your hens to about 2-3” below the water line – the mix will swell up and you need to keep it submerged. Stir well. Aim to have about 1” of water/AVC left at the top when absorbed
5. Cover with a tea-towel or loose lid (not an air tight lid – you need air to get to the mix) and place somewhere warm (mine is in the under-stairs cupboard)
6. Check after a few hours and if necessary add more water.
7. Stir at least twice a day – getting some of the mix to the surface
8. When you start to see bubbling – it is fermenting nicely – usually takes a couple of days depending on the temperature. ALL THE HARD WORK IS NOW DONE.
9. Depending on how dry you want the mix to be when you feed, lift out with a slotted spoon and drain slightly – or put into a strainer to get off excess moisture.
10. Pour the excess drainage back into your container – and add a bit more feed – less than you need for the next feed if you were feeding dry. Always leave about a quarter of the feed in the container – this helps to kick start the next batch.