Soaking or fermenting feed

Many plant based foods have enzymes in them that block the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Fermenting, soaking or cooking break down these enzymes helping us obtain the nutrients we need from these foods. Grains contain many nutrient blocking enzymes. Our goal is to provide better nutrition for our flocks, so we should be soaking or fermenting our feed. Soaking the feed for a few hours in de-chlorinated water will help greatly in breaking down these nutrient blocking enzymes and aid digestion.

Fermentation?

While a longer process, fermentation is an even better option. The enzymes break down over several days, good bacteria (lactobacilli) on the grains flourish while soaking in de-chlorinated water. Bad bacteria dies without exposure to oxygen and the acidic environment produced through the lacto-fermentation process. Keeping the feed submerged below the water is critical. The good bacteria feed, breaking down the anti-nutrients and proliferate. The end product is feed that is ready to be absorbed and put to work. Full of probiotics, it often has an increase in the available vitamins and minerals. This includes B vitamins which are produced in the process.

The process with chicken feed takes 1-3 days depending on temperature, type of water and consistency of the feed. Temperature is important 70 degrees Fahrenheit works well. Whole grains will take longer versus chopped or pellets. Distilled or reverse osmosis water is recommended however, any water will work. When it starts to bubble regularly and smell a bit sour it is ready. The key here is sour, not Foul. If it smells Foul throw it out and start over.

Don’t waste it!

Feeding fermented feed is fairly simple. It will need to be strained to remove the excess water out of the feed before using. Let it drain thoroughly. A batch that is too wet will cause loose droppings. Don’t throw away the water! It can be reused with the next batch of feed since it will have loads of good bacteria ready to go to work.

The water from your last batch of fermented feed can speed the fermenting process for the next batch. Take a new bucket and fill with 3/4 of the reverse osmosis water that we want to use to make our batch, then add 1/4 of the previous ferment water. This way the water is inoculated with beneficial bacteria, but salt buildup is reduced. Add the feed and your ready to go! Clean the old bucket and your ready to continue repeating the process going forward.

This is the way that works for us

Supplies:
4 – (5)gallon buckets with lids
4 – (2)gallon buckets with lids
4 – large nut milk bags
Mop bucket with a down press wringer

Fill the 2 gallon buckets with regular water and seal with lids.
Pour 2 gallons of reverse osmosis or distilled water, into the 5 gallon buckets.
Place a days worth of feed into each nut milk bag and place into the 5 gallon buckets.
Holding the tops of the bags, place the 2 gallon buckets on top of the nut milk bags to submerge the feed.
The string from the bags can be placed on top of the 2 gallon buckets to prevent them falling in and soaking up water. Then the lids for the 5 gallon buckets can be placed loosely into position. Place the buckets in a row and use the one the one in the first position each day, sliding the rest down the row to replace the previous. This makes it easy to keep track of which one to use next.
Use one bucket of feed each day, straining the excess water out with the mop bucket.
Empty into feed bins and clean the bucket and nut milk bag.
When done feeding refill bucket and bag using same process as before.
Nothing needs to be done with the 2 gallon buckets, just reuse.
The newly set up bucket always becomes the last in the row to avoid confusion and keep things going.
After the initial 3 days, you will be feeding 4 day old fermented feed every day.