This past Saturday, I published a post summarizing the benefits of fermented feed and some basic directions on how to get started. Take a look at “Why and How to Ferment Your Chicken Feed” over on Community Chickens! Do you want to save money on your feed bill? Do you want better feed conversion, stronger … Continue reading
Soon after I began fermenting my chickens’ feed, I began experimenting with what I could ferment. The fermentation process makes nutrients more available, increases digestibility, and promotes beneficial bacteria throughout the digestive tract, so I knew that it wouldn’t hurt to try fermenting foods that I already provided as treats. (Read about the benefits of … Continue reading
Fermentation is an inconspicuously complex process. Once thought to be a purely chemical reaction, fermentation is the work of hundreds of species of bacteria, yeasts, and molds consuming, excreting, reproducing, and dying off. Each have their own ideal conditions under which they will grow and flourish. By maintaining the right environment and introducing the species … Continue reading
This summer, I started playing with fermented feed after reading a thread about it on the BYC forum. I wrote a post about my first attempt and the one research article I had read about the benefits, the Enberg1 study, and another post about my second attempt with an improved system. After a great question … Continue reading
My first attempt at fermented feed was successful but became a bit stinky. I filled a medium-sized trash can with dry feed, ACV, some yeast, and dechlorinated water. I scooped out what I needed using a sieve on a handle and stirred in some more dry feed. It worked well, but the smell grew more … Continue reading
This week I began to experiment with fermented feed. You can read a thread about it on Backyard Chickens Forum here. Basically, there was a study done (abstract here) which demonstrated that feeding fermented feed to laying hens resulted in better eggs using less feed. Because the fermented feed (FF) was basically full of probiotics, … Continue reading
Scratch Cradle 