What exactly is fermented poultry feed?
Maybe you think you have some idea, or perhaps you have never heard of fermented poultry feed. To summarize, it is a process by which your chicken’s food is transformed by lactic acid bacteria (LAB’s) into a dynamically supercharged feed with considerably improved nutrition and bio-availability. It is a daily dose of probiotic goodness that enhances absorption and digestion activity for your flock.
Wild yeasts and bacteria are present on everything, including the grains in your chicken’s feed. When you ferment their feed, you are essentially harvesting wild yeasts from your environment and combining them with those already on the grains and causing them to proliferate. All you need to do is place the feed in a container and cover it with water.
The grains will swell and expand as they soak up some of the water. Allow plenty of room for this. Fermentation is a naturally-occurring process which will take place in approximately three days. As the wild yeasts are captured you should cover your fermentation loosely just to keep insects and critters out that would naturally be attracted to the feed.
Let me encourage you to try this with you chicken’s daily feed, especially if it consists largely of grains. If you are feeding a layer mash or pellets, fermentation will still take place, but the resulting feed may be a bit less than appetizing. However, fermenting your commercial feed is still better than not fermenting at all.
Longer fermentation allows alcohols to develop within your feed, so be sure to stop after 3-4 days to avoid any boozy effects. This will allow sufficient fermentation to take place. You may be unfamiliar with the smell of your newly-fermented feed. It is a little yeasty and sour, but absolutely not rotten. You will soon become accustomed to how a good ferment smells and your chickens will grow to love the taste.
Why should you feed your flocks with fermented poultry feed?
The easiest way to understand why you might want to ferment your chicken’s feed is by remembering the Three P’s:
Probiotics:
Just as when you soak grains for your own consumption, the phytic acid is neutralized. This also takes place as your ferment begins it’s first few hours in the water. Next, the LAB’s begin to feed on all the sugars on the grain which causes them to proliferate.
As they multiply they also produce more Lactic Acid which discourages the growth of any bad bacteria in your ferment. These good guys are called probiotics. You want them in your chicken feed because they do so much to support a healthy digestive track and maintain a good immune system for your flock.
Protein:
Quality chicken feed is expensive. This is due primarily to the high-protein requirement of a laying flock. When you ferment your chicken and duck feed, you are increasing the availability of the protein in that feed. This is excellent for both your flock and your wallet.
Phosphorus:
Do you know what your chicken’s egg shells are made from? Correct. Calcium. Hens require a lot of calcium to form strong, sturdy shells. We often supplement their calcium intake with oyster shells, etc. However, your hens cannot take up and utilize calcium without phosphorus. Phosphorus ensures proper calcium assimilation and utilization.
General observations when feeding fermented feed to poultry and waterfowl.
Young chicks and ducklings will thrive on fermented feed. In fact, even if you just wet their feed for them in the early days and serve it as a wet mash, they will perform better. Many early fatalities are due to poor hydration. Serving a wet feed helps to ensure adequate hydration early on while chicks and ducklings are beginning life.
Fermented feed is not only nutritionally superior, but it makes better financial sense as well. Chickens and ducks are messy, wasteful eaters. They often knock dry feed around and onto the ground as they peck and drill through the dust of their feeders. This waste does not take place with fermented feed since it is wet.
More of the feed they take in is also utilized rather than sent out the back end. Through the fermentation process, the nutrients in the feed become more available for use by your chicken’s digestive system. Don’t you prefer their feed to be used to make eggs and meat vs poop waste? Me too!
Because you are soaking their feed in water to begin the fermentation process, the grains will naturally swell. As the grains take on water, they begin the germination process. However, they also “bulk up” as well. Most homesteaders have noticed that their flock needs a lot less of their feed because of this.
Most say their flocks consume only about half as much of the fermented feed as they did the dry feed. This is not just because of the expansion that takes place, but also is due to the fact that the feed itself is also more nutritious and satisfying to the birds. Another win for the wallet!
There are also other reasons many homesteaders choose to ferment their chicken and duck feed. One of those reasons is that hens fed fermented poultry feed lay bigger and better-tasting eggs. These findings and many more are detailed in this study published by the National Institutes of Health. Take the time to read it if you are interested in better growth performance and improved immune response in your flock this year.
How to make your own fermented poultry feed for chickens or ducks.
Congratulations! I am so excited you have decided to try fermenting your duck or chicken feed. They are going to love it and you are going to love the results. Here’s what you need to get started:
Large Flock 12+ Chickens – you will need several (3 to 4) 5-gallon buckets.
Small Flock 1-11 Chickens – you will need to get several (3 to 4) half-gallon Mason jars or 1-gallon plastic buckets.
Day 1: Put 2/3 of your daily feed ration for your flock in the container (bucket or jar) and cover with water plus 1/3 container more of water. Also, make sure your container has room for the feed to expand as it ferments. Stir, cover, and set aside until tomorrow. Feed your chickens regular dry feed today.
Day 2: Put 2/3 of your daily feed ration for your flock in Container #2 and cover with water plus 1/3 container more of water, allowing for expansion. Stir, cover, and set aside for tomorrow. Stir and re-cover Container #1. Feed your flock regular dry feed today.
Day 3: Put 2/3 of your daily feed ration for your flock in Container #3 and cover with water plus 1/3 container more of water, allowing for expansion. Stir, cover, and set aside for tomorrow. Stir and re-cover Container #2. Stir and re-cover Container #1. This is the final day you will feed your flock regular dry feed. You can also serve them their regular feed with water mixed in to prepare them for what is coming.
Day 4: Pour, scoop, or scrape contents of Container #1 into chicken feed dish and take to your flock. Put 2/3 daily ration into Container #1 and cover with water plus 1/3 container more of water. Stir, cover, and set aside for tomorrow. Stir and re-cover Container #2. Stir and re-cover Container #3.
Day 5: Pour, scoop, or scrape contents of Container #2 into chicken feed dish and take to your flock. Put 2/3 daily ration into Container #2 and cover with water plus 1/3 container more of water. Stir, cover, and set aside. Stir and re-cover Container #1. Stir and re-cover Container #3.
Day 6: Pour, scoop, or scrape contents of Container #3 into chicken feed dish and take to your flock. Put 2/3 daily ration into Container #3 and cover with water plus 1/3 container more of water. Stir, cover, and set aside. Stir and re-cover Container #1. Stir and re-cover Container #2.
Day 7: Pour, scoop, or scrape contents of Container #1 into chicken feed dish and take to your flock. Put 2/3 daily ration into Container #1 and continue as on Day 4. Day 8 as Day 5. Day 9 as Day6…
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do you ever wash the containers?
Yes and absolutely. This is done on an as-needed basis. Many theorize that quicker and better fermentation takes place when there is a bit of “starter” left in the container from the previous batch. Do not feed mold or filth to your flock. Wash each container every 1-2 weeks.
My fermentation is dry. What should I do?
Add more water. You may notice this the next morning after the grains have soaked overnight. This is a good time to re-adjust and make note of how much water your feed needs to stay submerged by about an inch at all times.
My fermentation seems soggy. What should I do?
You and your flock get to decide the consistency of your fermented poultry feed. If it seems too soupy to you, then back off some on the water. Just be sure that it is submerged under at least an inch of water to avoid mold growth. This is especially important in the warm summer months when your ferment will process faster and seems to be alive as it bubbles and puffs. Drain off any excess water before you serve it if your flock does not prefer the extra liquid.
Nothing is happening after 4 days. Did I do something wrong?
Probably not. It may just be too cold. If your feed room could serve as an outdoor refrigerator in the winter months then it may be too cool in there to allow fermentation to take place. Move your fermentation indoors, if possible, or wait until warmer weather.
You could try adding some ACV to serve as a “starter” for your fermentation, but I have not found this to be beneficial or necessary.
My chickens won’t eat their fermented feed. Did I just waste my time and money?
Definitely not. I would encourage you to keep trying. Maybe start with half regular feed mixed with half fermented feed and increase it slowly until you are feeding completely with the fermented feed. If they are hungry, they will eat it. Just be sure your batch has not over-fermented. Most chickens do not prefer that taste. In fact, it is not uncommon for chicken owners to discover that their flocks actually choose the fermented feed over regular feed. The majority have not experienced any trouble getting their flocks to switch.
I feed regular layer pellets. How can I add fermented poultry feed to our flock’s diet?
This is simple to do. Just find any whole grain or a combination and ferment it. For example half barley/half quinoa is a great choice. Half cracked corn/half wheat or BOSS, etc. Since you are already feeding a nutritionally balanced feed you do not have to worry that the fermented grains are in any specific ratio. Remember, this method is just a supplement to their regular pellet feed.
Please comment below if you have loved feeding fermented feed to your flock. If you have questions, we’d love to hear them as well. Until next time, let’s plant a seed and grow sustainability.