Fermenting chicken feed is just as good for your chickens as fermented foods are for you. And there's nothing more to making it than adding water to chicken feed and letting it sit. If you can make Cup-a-Soup, I can teach you how to ferment chicken feed.
I love all of my chickens with all of my heart and unconditionally except for Baby, whom I hate. She bites, she chases, she terrorizes. If you have a small flock chances are you love them all too so you want to do what's best for them. But you're busy. So no, you might not be willing to buy all the individual ingredients to make up the right nutrients of chicken feed and mix them yourself.
You MIGHT however be willing to just add a bit of water to your own feed in order to create a nutritious fermented concoction for them. You will even feed it to Baby.
If this is your first foray into raising chickens this post contains all the questions and answers you probably have about keeping chickens for the first time.
Fermenting your chickens’ feed can have huge health benefits for your flock, can lower your feed bill and can even make your chickens lay bigger eggs. Fermenting is also nowhere near as much of a pain as you might think!
So – Health Benefits:
Yes! Fermented chicken feed is actually quite a bit healthier for your chickens than regular ol’ dry feed for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that fermented feed has naturally occurring probiotics. Gone are the days you had to run to the store to grab sip-and-go yogurt drinks for your hens.
Just like with humans, the gastro-intestinal tract is important for a bird’s immune system. Probiotics balance that system and create a barrier against disease and illness. So basically, feeding fermented feed with naturally occurring probiotics is like setting loose an army of microscopic disease fighters inside your chickens… every time you feed them.
The second big health benefit of fermentation is that the fermentation process breaks down the antinutrients that are naturally present in grains. These anitnutrients in grains and seeds act as a protective barrier that can prevent the grains from being fully digested.
Why?? This is a kind of whacked-out, mutant survival mechanism of the plant world. Having these antinutrients will boost the chances that, even if eaten, the grains can still grow once they have made their journey all the way through a critter and are planted in a ball of fertilizer when the animal poops them onto the grass.
Fermenting these grains naturally strips them of antinutrients and helps break down the proteins so that your chickens can get the full nutritional benefits from them.
Lowering your feed bill:
Because your chickens are getting more accessible nutrients from their feed, after a few weeks, they’ll start to eat less of it.
They'll also start to lay bigger eggs with thicker shells and larger yolks. Your hens will also be far less likely to be mortally hurt by diseases and pests carried by the local wild birds.
Fermenting!
OK – so now that you’re ten-kinds of excited about having healthier chickens and lowering your monthly feed costs, you want to know HOW to properly ferment feed because the last thing you need is a yard full of drunk chickens.
There are two kinds of fermentation – Lacto-Fermentation and Alcohol Fermentation. The first kind is the really healthy kind and teh sekund kiind ish jusht rewey… wheeeeeeeeee!
(So please… ferment responsibly)
There is a common misconception you’re likely to run across if you research fermented chicken feed online. Many people use unpasteurized apple cider vinegar (U-ACV) as a fermentation “starter.” U-ACV does have a lot of health benefits for your flock when you put it in their drinking water but for fermented feed… not so much!
Why? In short, the enzymes in U-ACV are PREbiotics and not PRObiotics. They can actually prevent the growth of good probiotics when put into the wet feed. I’m not going into a huge amount of detail (because this post is already going to be way long, but if you’re interested in more information you can see our ridiculously information-packed, long-winded article on the Natural Chicken Keeping blog).
Using vinegar to start the fermentation process can also start an alcohol fermentation. (Not the goal.)
No – if you want to grow your own little army of immunity-boosting PRObiotics, you need to have lacto-fermentation. If you make dill pickles in a crock like I do, it's the same thing.
The good news is for lacto-fermentation you just need water.
If you are the anxious type and really want to get the probiotics marching about the feed sooner, you can add one of these starter cultures:
- 1+ Tbsp. juice from raw lacto-fermented pickles or sauerkraut
- 1+ Tbsp. cultured buttermilk (the cultured stuff will have nice shoes and an expensive haircut)
- Whey from cheese made with a mesophillic culture
- A mesophillic starter culture for cheese-making
- *not whey from yogurt because that type of culture only works at a higher temperature than what you keep your house at.
Understand you don't NEED to add any of these things. You'll get lacto-fermentation from just using water - these starters just help to speed things up by a few days.
How to Make Fermented Chicken Feed
How to Ferment Chicken Feed
How to ferment feed for your chickens to reduce feed costs and improve hen health.
Materials
- 1 glass, ceramic or plastic crock (size depends on the amount of chickens you have but around 2 gallons should be good for a backyard flock of 4-6)
- Water
- Starter Culture (optional)
Instructions
- Put 2-3 days worth of feed in a container.*
- Cover the feed with water. You should have an inch of water above the level of the feed.
- If you want to use a starter add it now.
- Check on the feed in a few hours. It may have absorbed all of your extra water already. Add more water so that the feed is again covered by 1".
- Cover your container with a dish cloth or something else that allows air to pass through because things are going to get bubbly. You don't want a tight fitting lid that might explode off.
- Stir the mixture up a couple of times a day. This helps to incorporate oxygen and speeds up the fermentation process.
- You can start feeding it to your chickens right away, but it won't become truly fermented until you start to see bubbles in several days.
- Add more water and feed every few times you take some out to maintain your ferment. Doing this you can keep the fermented feed going forever.
Notes
*Chickens eat about ¼ cup of food per day per chicken.
The warmer the environment, the more quickly the feed will ferment.
This CAN be fed to chicks and is in fact very good for them.
Remember to always keep at least 1" of water covering the feed to help protect it from harmful bacteria growth.
Your fermented feed should smell sour. This is normal and in fact, the goal.
Both crumble and whole grain feeds can be fermented. Crumble feed will turn to a sludgy sort of mix. Just scoop it out with a strainer or slotted spoon and let the liquid it drain back into the fermentation container.
Starter Cultures
- 1+ Tbsp. juice from raw lacto-fermented pickles or sauerkraut
- 1+ Tbsp. cultured buttermilk (the cultured stuff will have nice shoes and an expensive haircut)
- Whey from cheese made with a mesophillic culture
- A mesophillic starter culture for cheese-making
- *not whey from yogurt because that type of culture only works at a higher temperature than what you keep your house at.
Recommended Products
I'm an Amazon affiliate some I get a few cents when you buy something I've linked to.
I used to ferment my feed all the time, but I fell out of the habit of it. I'm BACK on the fermenting train now and if you watch my Instagram stories you might just see me slinging this hash to my chickens.
Yep. Even Baby.
I've updated and rewritten this post which was originally published on my site by Leigh Edwards of Natural Chicken Keeping.
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
Janet Timinsky
Hi Leigh...let's ferment some grapes and just get to the real real here! The chickens can have a glass if they would like. It was great doing the blogging webinar, wasn't it? I had wanted chickens for months until my sister in law got some. If I didn't have a day job, I would do it, but it is a lot of work that my hubs probably doesn't need. You know, he would do the work and I would reap the fun part... I already had the names picked out, but just couldn't pull the trigger. Lily, Petal, Flower, Daisy and Cluck!
Leigh
Awww - well hopefully you can get some some day.
Kat
Can you talk about the feed you use? Whole grain? Rolled grain? Pellets (ha ha!)?
Leigh
Grain and mash are the best in my opinion, but currently I can only afford to ferment crumbles from the farm store... but you can ferment just about anything!
Kat
Hold your horses!!! I can ferment pelleted feed?!
deb glidden
I used pellets all last winter with good results.
Leigh
Yup! You sure can!
:D
Karen
I second that. I'm fermenting pellets. My chickens hate organic, whole grain feed, lol. They barely eat it. It's like some kind of sick joke on me. ~ karen!
Leigh
Karen - that's too funny!
Your flock may change their tune with fermented organic. All the grains become softer, more flavorful and way more digestible. Give it a try. Goodness knows, if I could afford it right now, my own bird herd would get nothing but organic, gmo-free feeds. :D
Leslie
I believe pellets are the best feed for chickens, and they ferment beautifully. I have over 100 chickens and buy a custom feed from a highly-recommended little local mill. The feed mixer there is incredibly knowledgable and prefers pelleted feed for lots of fancy nutritional reasons. Pellets are also less wasteful when fed dry.
When fermenting grains, I've read the breakdown of the antinutrients is enhanced if the grains are ground first, as they are in pellets.
I offer the chickens some whole grains here. I use them as scratch, so I don't ferment them. I'd think soaking whole grains for long enough to ferment would start them to sprout, which is another way to enhance the nutrition.
Jane S
My husband still talks about the time his family fed the chickens the rice left over from making sake. Little bantams flopping all over the yard.
Nancy Blue Moon
Actually..I think a yard full of drunk chickens could be quite entertaining..
Lisa
You can do this with grain for any animal, not just chickens! I know people with a cattle ranch who ferment corn, although in much larger batches using tarps.
Feral Turtle
I wish I would have known about this a few years back. I swear my chickens were the biggest food wasters there ever was.
LazySusan
I really have no interest in having chickens, but I thoroughly enjoyed the article, and read every word of it. Very nice writing style, very informative. If the subject of chicken feed ever comes up in conversation, I'm armed for it!
kate-v
Thank you - I love learning something new!
Christina
Saving this for the day I finally get to have chickens!
I'm a HUGE believer in probiotics--for us and animals. Our Golden Retriever used to have major seasonal allergies and seizures (several a month). We were told it was just "normal" for Goldens, so we just dealt with it for his first 5 years. When I read how helpful probiotics were for human allergies, I started giving them to the dog with every meal. His allergies disappeared and he hasn't had a single seizure in almost a year!
sheila
Christina,
Do you happen to have a particular brand name of the probiotic product you use? My mixed breed dog has allergies as well, and I'd really like to not have to put him on Prednisone every Summer and early Fall. Any info is appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Sheila
Christina
We used to use American Health chewable Acidophilus (up to 8 tablets a day in allergy season for our 75 pound dog). It was one of the most affordable options at the grocery store. But now I make my own water kefir, so he just gets a big scoop of the kefir "grains" with his food every day.
extravagantgardens.com
Thanks Leigh! I've got my first flock of 8 lovely girls and I'm looking for every scrap of information I can find. Thrilled to have found you and I'll be trying fermentation soon.
Caroline
Leigh
Great to meet you, Caroline! Aren't chickens FUN??
Be sure to check out the Index Page on my blog (in one of the tabs near the top of the page). All kinds of links to all the Natural Chicken Keeping articles from the past as well as articles from another top chicken blog.
Link: NCK Article Index
Oh - and of course be sure to subscribe to my blog! LOL - gotta put that plug in. :-)
CBuffy
I've been fermenting with Leigh since we both first learned about it 2+ years ago on another forum. Here's my plug. My neighbor has 80 chickens. I have 120. We both feed the exact same DNA tested, non-GMO organic feed. (we order it together) I go through four 50# bags each week. They go through a bag a day. I ferment. They feed dry. They also feed all the local birds, since their chickens pick through, fling feed all over the yard, and waste a TON of feed. (Literally) MY girls practically lick the bowl! And I get WAY nicer eggs. (We sell them together as well...) So whether you have 4 chickens or an entire flock, fermenting is TOTALLY the way to go! (And it's EASY PEASY and kindda fun in a mad scientist sort of way...)
Lori Hall
Just curious...where do you get your feed from and what do you buy?
Leigh
Is this "J"?
HI!!
XOXOXOX
Tracy
How many days does it take for the feed to be fermented? From putting feed and water together in a bucket until I feed it to them. Or how do you tell when the right time is if its all up to the environment. I am thinking about doing this in my kitchen, good spot? My house is usually 75* Thanks for any help!
CBuffy
Because I live in Florida, I get a good ferment after 24 hours. In the summer I'm getting a good bubbling ferment in 12 - which is good because I feed twice a day. I hang the buckets out in the barn (I wouldn't like to do it in my kitchen - smells like a BIG bucket of sauerkraut - which I like the smell of, but might be overpowering indoors.....)
You'll know its good when it smells like sauerkraut. Mine kind of bubbles too. And the chickens, horses, dogs and even rabbits I raise for meat go absolutely NUTS for it. (I have to keep it covered with more buckets or the raccoons help themselves overnight as well... they don't mess with my chickens, knock wood, but they sure go for that fermented feed!)
Good luck!
Darlene skinner
Ok so when starting the fermentation process, you add feed and water... so while feeding from the bucket do you drain it or give them the liquid.. also do you ever need to completely empty the bucket to clean it a d start over, or is this one time how uou go.. im confused on that
Karen
Hi Darlene - You have to drain out some of the water, so you can either scoop with a perforated spoon that does the draining automatically or you can do what I do which is use a mesh sieve. I just dip it (large) sieve down into the feed, pull up a huge scoop of it then let the sieve rest on the top of the bucket/bowl for a couple of minutes to let the feed drain. IF it's still too watery then you just have to shake the sieve a couple of times. Just keep adding feed to your bucket as you go so you'll always have a supply of fermented feed. ~ karen!
Kerri Clarke
I have been fermenting chicken feed for a while now in a 20L food grade container and have found in the last month that the feed liquid is really thick and stringy. I was just adding feed and enough water to top up to cover most days. The fermented feed doesn't smell at all and every few days I have been draining most of the liquid off and adding more filtered water when I add the grain. The thick stringy liquid returns daily. I feed everyday and top up with a days worth of feed and filtered water. Is the thick liquid stringiness good bacteria? I don't want to be feeding the chickens loads of yeast. Would like to know the condition of others fermenting chook food :) Kerri
terri
thanks for that bit of knowledge on how it saves feed
Kipley
I've done this and have a question: Once I ferment a batch can I freeze the results? Also, can I add electrolytes and oyster shell to the mix, just to have everything in one?
Thanks.
Leigh
Kipley - the best place to ask all your Fermented Feed questions is on our forum where our Fermented Feed Goddess (who goes by the name of Leah's Mom) lurks. She is like a FF Encyclopedia. Click HERE - it's free. It's kind of a quiet forum, but the people out there are VERY knowledgeable.
And yes - you can add electrolytes. I'm not sure if freezing will kill the probiotics - the FF Goddess will know - and no - I wouldn't toss oyster shells into the FF. Free-feed it separately in a bowl or feeder.
:-)
SuziCat
The link is no longer available. :(
I have questions -are you still manning this feed for q's and a's?
I've had chickens for 10 years and somehow have never heard of fermented feed. (I need to get out more.). I currently keep the feed in a large galvanized aluminum garbage can with a lid in the coop right next to their feeders. It's easy and it works to keep mice out - (MICE - this is another question altogether!)
So if I start this fermentation process, how long do I have to wait to use it; AND how do I keep it varmint-free using a loose-fitted lid?
Any advice would be highly appreciated!
Karen
HI SuziCat! In case Leigh doesn't get back here I can answer your question. :) The speed your feed will ferment will depend entirely on what temperature it is out in your coop. The colder it is the longer it takes to get the fermentation process going. If it's in a warm environment like inside the house during the winter or outside during the summer the feed will start to ferment in as soon as 2 days. You'll know it's ready because it'll get that very distinct fermentey smell and it'll be bubbling a bit. Instead of using a metal lid try just covering it with a dish towel or cheesecloth. Keep it secured over the top with bungee cords. ~ karen!
SuziCat
Thanks Karen! :).
One more question - we feed in a hanging feeder. Does this stuff need to be plopped on the ground or in a certain type of feeder? How much should I feed per chicken per day?
They are cooped because of predators around here...neighborhood dogs and such.
Thanks again :D
Tigersmom
I have no need to know how to ferment chicken feed as I hate eggs, except for their cool shape and soft colors and what they symbolize, yet I kept reading to the very end because I like your writing style. Nice work, Leigh.
Leigh
Tigersmom -
Karen just likes me because I'm the single wide trailer version of herself... but with more chickens. :-)
What about chicken art? Do you like chicken art? If so, go check out some of the chicken art I've been working on at my blog: Natural Chicken Keeping ... no eggs involved!
LilyMacBloom
Liz:
You made me spit coffee all over 36 inches od Canada AM!
LOl,
Amanda Rudack
Really, really, really want chickens. Leigh's post makes it worse.
Leigh
Doooooooo iiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttt!
3:)
Terry Obright
I just love having my chickens and have sit watching them for hours before, they can be so entertaining! The eggs are just an added bonus. I am about to build a second coop & run for a different breed of chickens Iwant me some silkies and Frizzle chicks, or to even let my bantam set some fertile eggs when she goes broody next time. I can't wait, I am so excited to get them. I have been seeing pictures of them on the backyard chickens facebook site, and I cannot take it anymore I just have to have me some of these babies!
Tracey
Great post and pictures Leigh! I don't have chickens, but I loved the article. I like sciencey stuff, so I'm going to check out your blog on how to ferment (the scienc version) :-)
Leigh
Lacto-fermentation has lots of uses for human food, too. And real, homemade lacto-fermented products are SO good for you!
Jody
Leigh has a similar writing style to you. Love it. Have you tried the fermentation yet? What did the girls think of it?
Karen
I have, and the first day I set the fermented feed out they loved it. They went NUTS for it. Now they eat it but aren't quite so greedy and maniacal about it. :) They're moulting so I haven't seen or noticed any difference in the eggs or shells. ~ karen!
SeaDee
So when's the post on how to make chicken feed moonshine? :-/
Auntiepatch
LOL!!!
Tracey
LOL!
Leigh
What a lucky lady you are! I just happen to live in the moonshine capitol of the world!
Oh wait! I meant to say "What a lucky lady I am!"
Crazy fact: A local moonshiner actually took out an ad in my daughter's elementary school yearbook last year to sell his home made goodies! (I swear - Virginia has the BEST bake sales EVER!)
LOL!
Robin Howell
OMG you live in VA? When I read "moonshine capital of the world" I thought VA. LOL
Back on topic. I want to do fermented chicken feed, but honesty I am afraid to. I am afraid of messing up and wasting feed, which we cannot afford to do.
I am trying fodder and not have a lot of luck with that.
How long do you let the feed set at the beginning? I mean when you fill your bucket with feed and water, how long to let it sit and WHERE. Cool dry place like a basement or in the house (our house tends to stay on the cool side most of the time) or out on the porch??
JOANNE
That is my question exactly, cant wait for the reply. It sounds very straight forward, but like you, I am a bit scared to try it, thanks
Karen
There's nothing to be afraid of! Just add some water to the feed and let it sit, lol. That is all there is to it. You can do it in your house (although it eventually stinks a bit), your garage, wherever. The warmer it is the more quickly it will start to bubble and ferment. ~ karen!
Stephanie
I so want to do this. I had a fail my first go around about a month ago. I had already found Leigh's WONDERFULLY helpful site & learned a lot from it. I was so psyched I bought various whole grains to ferment. But within days they smelled like sewer. Really awful. Not sweet. My husband brews beer, we live in the country, have a big garden...i know what nice dirty is. THIS was not nice dirty. Not sure what happened. Would like to try again (especially since I have almost 300 lbs of grains in the garage still). I just used clean bucket, water & grains. Any advice?
Leigh
Stephanie - sorry for your sewage issues! Spores from a dusty barn or coop area, or even spores lodged in wood used for fires in your house can get into your fermentation batch and wreak havoc. Try fermenting again - but try changing the location of your fermentation bucket/crock. Put it in your laundry room or a spare bathroom instead and see if you have better luck.
Also, in some cases you can get a batch of grains with mold. It's not that common, but it does happen.
JoDee
So, how do you feed the fermented feed?
Lynn
I use my Kefir that is made with powdered cow milk. My kefir seeds have been growing for about 3 years and I get a big batch daily. I take the daily kefir and add 2 cups of kefir to about 6 cups of oats, and then add warm water so that is one inch above the oats. Stir it up real good and let it soak over night in temperature controlled room around 65-70 degrees. The chickens absoutley go crazy for it. When they see the bowl they come flying from every direction to get their share! I recently added chicken scratch 50/50 with rolled oats and they like that too. Get the oats from the feed store, 50 lbs/$24.
Liz
I read about halfway down this post before realising that the title was fermenting chicken feed, not feet.
I was wondering why and how this was a health benefit, cause I know I don't like soggy feet, but maybe chickens do?
Nice article though, I'm amazed at how much I enjoy reading chicken posts! Keep up the good guest post having work Karen, and Leigh continue with the good guest post writing!
Karen
LOL. I'm sure you could ferment feet too. And you know, before I got chickens (before I even thought I'd EVER get chickens) I absolutely loved reading other people's chicken posts. It just seemed so foreign and exciting! And it is. But it's also filled with festering wounds and fermented feed. :)
Leigh
Pickled chicken feet, anyone? :D
Nathan
Fermented chicken feet are the best a must try I would have eaten 1000 when I was in China last Mmmm yum