How To Ferment Your Chicken Feed to Save You Money!
Learn how to cut your chicken feed in half with the simple process of fermenting your chicken feed. Fermenting your feed not only saves you money but has great benefits!
Hi friends!
Navigating your homesteading journey can be tough. You’ll see a lot of “experts” tell you how to do it, and you might feel like me and be left with this overwhelming thought of, “How can I afford all that,” or “That seems too hard.”
When we started building our homestead, we did put some money into it. The truth is it can be an investment. But if you play your cards right, you will get that money back and then some, if you have the right systems in place. I hope this post will help you to think outside of the box and figure out all the different ways you can feed your chickens that won’t cost you an “arm-and-a-leg.”
What Is a Chicken’s Natural Diet?
With most things in life, I like to look back at what is the most natural way to do things. When you look back at what chickens naturally did on their own, you’ll find that they eat a range of things. They’re considered omnivores so it’s beneficial to their health to eat both protein and carbohydrates.
They would have gotten their protein through insects, worms, and even small rodents.
Their carbohydrate source would be through the plant life around them.
And get this… a chicken who was left to fend for itself would NOT lay an egg every day. Yet, if you fast forward to today, we have chickens that are bred for laying and with that requires a specific nutrient profile. If you notice that you are free ranging your chickens solely and they’re not laying as many eggs as is expected, it could be that they are lacking in layer feed that has the correct balance of nutrients they need for laying.
I just want to start with that bit of information, because we all have different ways of raising chickens and you have to do what’s best for you and your lifestyle. But you’ll have to outweigh those factors. If you have a lot of acreage to allow your chickens to free range, great! If you’re okay with them not laying every day, that’s fine too! Keep doing what you’re doing.
But if your chickens are in a run, or you are depending on huge egg production, then a layer feed is pretty much essential. And unfortunately, layer feed ends up being a pretty penny.
Let’s learn how to reduce the amount of feed we’re feeding our chickens (in a good way) to put more money in our pockets!
The Layer Feed I Use for my Chickens
I am willing to spend a little more on my feed if it means my chickens are getting the best quality. My family personally got into raising chickens because health was important to us. We are what we eat, and that means feeding our chickens the best quality diet we can. (Don’t worry, I’ll discuss how I stretch their feed soon!)
If you’re not as picky as we are about health, you can certainly find a cheaper feed that will help you stretch your dollar more.
As for me, I get our chicken’s layer feed from a local feed shop. I do my best to vote with my dollar when I can, and I would rather support them. I also understand how convenience is important, so if Amazon is your preference, you can find the chicken feed we use here. Beware, Amazon’s price is much more than I spend on mine. I get a 50 lb. bag of layer feed from my local store at about $45 compared to the Amazon price of $86.
How Much Do I Feed My Chickens?
If you’ve never had chickens before, they are going to act hungry ALL.THE.TIME. Once they become accustomed to you being their source of food, they will follow you around whether food is in your hand or not! I can tell you from experience, that plays tricks on your mind, and I constantly wonder if I’m feeding them enough.
Giving a formula of how much to feed isn’t my style. There are just too many factors to consider and only you know your chickens best. A chicken’s needs will depend on their breed, physical activity, and the time of year. But I will give you some pointers and places to start.
- Chickens won’t over-eat. If you’re constantly finding leftover feed, then try reducing the amount slightly.
- Check your chicken’s crop to see if it’s full.
- Check if your egg production has declined.
- Are your chicken’s having behavior issues?
Benefits of Fermenting Chicken Feed
- Nutritious: It adds probiotics to their feed which in turn aids in digestion. This also plays apart in making your feed go farther. Because it has more nutritional value, your chickens don’t tend to eat as much.
- Better egg quality: With fermented feed they lay heavier eggs with thicker shells.
- Inexpensive: When you’re fermenting their feed, it expands the volume! Because of this, the chickens will eat 1/2 of what they would with the dry feed. Your bag will last longer. As a bonus, because of its health benefits, you have healthier chickens, which prevents you from any future vet bills.
- Hydrating: If you have chickens who aren’t good with drinking water, this helps get a little more water into them.
Which Feeds Can You Ferment?
There are so many feeds to choose from. You can ferment pellets, crumbles, chick starters, crushed scratch grain, and whole grains work well too. The whole grains likely have the most benefits and better success.
I’ve not specifically tried the other ways, but I’ve had success with the feed I’m currently using as well as the Scratch and Peck brand.
*Don’t use on medicated chick starters.
Fermenting Feed Supplies
- container
- lid for container
- chicken feed
- filtered water (or place the amount of water you need on the counter for 24 hours to let the chlorine evaporate)
- Large utensil for stirring
How To Ferment Your Chicken Feed That’ll Save You Money!
(Caution: Never feed your chickens moldy or rancid feed)
- Fill your jar or bucket half-way with chicken feed.
- Pour the water over the feed and fill to the top of your jar or bucket.
- Give it a good stir.
- Fill the container with a loose lid. The lid’s purpose is to prevent mold spores from entering while allowing the gasses from fermentation to escape.
- Store the feed out of direct sunlight. I store mine in a closet in my kitchen.
- Wait about 2-3 days to let it expand and soak in the water. I will also check to make sure the feed is completely submerged in water. This will prevent the feed from getting moldy.
- Feed the fermented feed to your chickens. It should be bubbly, and the mixture will become cloudier as it sits longer. Side note: The longer it sits, the more sour it’ll become. They may become less palatable to your chickens. Remember, do not feed if there are signs of mold or there is a really bad, foul odor. It should smell tangy and sweet, very similar to sourdough bread.
- When preparing the fermented fed, you can drain it. Then reuse that water for the next round of fermented feed. Just add more water because the leftover will not be enough to fill the next batch.
- My daughter is in charge of feeding the chickens, so to make it easier I don’t have her drain it. She’ll place the water and fermented feed into the chickens’ bowls, then she’ll add dry feed until it’s all soaked up. Either way is fine. Experiment with what works best for you and your family.
Additional tips
The temperature at which you’re storing your feed does matter. The warmer it is, the faster it’ll ferment. I like to keep my fermented feed inside for better control.
Also, if you plan on feeding the fermented feed to your chickens daily, make sure you’ve got multiple batches going. I have 3 containers going at a time. One container is new (day 1), another container is a little older (day 2), and then I have a container that is ready to give to the chickens (day 3).
Each day I check on the feed, I also make sure to stir and mix everything up well.
FAQs on Fermenting Feed
How often can you feed fermented feed to chickens? As often as you’d like or daily! If the process of fermenting feed seems overwhelming, focus on just feeding them during stressful times for your chickens.
How much fermented feed do a chicken eat daily? Again, I don’t like formulas. It depends on a lot of factors and if you are supplementing their diet with or things.
With that said, a good starting point is 1/3 – 1/4 lb. of fermented feed per chicken. Play around with that amount and go from there. Starting on the lower end is recommended. And if they free range, you probably would use an even lesser amount of feed.
What if I have leftover fermented feed? If I made way too much fermented feed for whatever reason, only feed the chickens what they need, and then make sure the rest if topped off with water to keep it fresh.
Can I use the fermented feed for other birds? Absolutely! Meat birds, ducks, geese, and turkeys can all benefit from this nutritious meal.
Do I Need to Add a Starter Culture? No, it is not necessary. But if you’d like, you can reuse the water your drain from day 3 to inoculate your feed. You can also try kombucha or apple cider vinegar with the Mother.
Hi. What kind of feed do you use? The only thing that I know about are pellets, which turn to mush when they’re wet. My girls don’t like feed and refuse to eat it. I need something that they like and will eat consistently. Thanks!
Hi Rebecca! We get ours from a company called Country Organics. I can give you an Amazon link so you can see what it looks like, but truthfully I get it WAY cheaper from a local feed store. Our chickens really like it! Here’s the feed: https://amzn.to/48O0mjB