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←
terri
i used a 5 gallon bucket (as you did) and for my fabric i used a cloth reusable grocery bag.
my girls really enjoy the new style of feed. i also give them a layer of scoby from my kombucha,
Karen
I haven't fermented their feed in a while terri! I should do it! Thanks for the reminder, lol. I have 3 ages right now, 6 week old chicks, a 5 month old that just started laying and then the old ladies. :) I'm gonna start a crock tonight! ~ karen
Madi
Another Kombucha brewer! I was just asking if a pellicle could be a good treat for them. So you feed fermented and pellicles? Do you think just the pellicle would be sufficient to get the good bios into their systems? Can you use starter tea to boost the fermentation of the feed?
TYLER
I love this article! We are getting good chick's soon. My questions are: how long does the fermentation take at first and are you able to feed this to chick's? Also, do does feed store feed crumbles work for this ? Thanks!
Karen
Hi Tyler! How long fermenting takes depends on the ambient temperature. If it's hot it'll ferment within a few days. If it's cooler, it'll take a week or so. It all depends. And yes, you can absolutely use feed store crumble. ~ karen!
Brittany
Hello!
My supervisor just sent me a link to another article which brought me to your blog to learn more about fermenting chicken feed (I'm lucky and get to hand out with chickens at work ;)!
Does the feed need to be crumbles or can you do this with pellets?
Wendy
Love this article, thanks so much for the great info! Question-I currently mix in dried herbs for their health benefits into my layer crumbles (I use this list as my guide http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2014/02/common-herbs-and-their-health-benefits.html) . Is it ok to add the herbs to the feed before I ferment it or should I add it after it is fermented?
Thanks again for the fun and informative article.
Wendy
Karen
Hi Wendy. The dried herbs will be fine to ferment. It's much like how you put dill in with pickles and water when you ferment them. They'll be fine. ~ karen!
Wendy
Thanks so much for information, my 30 ladies will be getting a new treat soon. I love your blog keep up the great work!
Karen
Thanks Wendy. Just remember feed ferments more quickly in warmer weather or temperatures so if it's cold outside wherever you are in the winter you'll have to ferment inside. Inside it should just take a few days for it to start to ferment. ~ karen!
Nicole
Hi, just wondering if I can ferment my feed it contains oyster shell already.
Karen
Hi Nicole. Yes you can. Most chicken feed contains oyster shell. Both pelleted feed and whole/cracked grain. It'll work just fine. ~ karen!
Mimi Iannillo
Well, it's more of an answer to a question than a comment. Can other things be added to the mash such vegetables or yogurt when the mash is finished? I don't cook but when it comes to my hens, I get very creative when making a warm dish for them.
Karen
Hi Mimi! I add other stuff to the mash all the time but I don't add it in with the mash. I add bits to the mash once it's fermented. I'll just scoop out a cup of it (sometimes I'll warm it up) then I add raisins, nuts, yogurt or whatever scraps I have around that I think they'll like. They LOVE when I add a bit of molasses to it. ~ karen!
Bernie
Thanks for the information. I am raising 70 chickens and save some from feed bill. At first the chickens dont feed on the fermented grains but now they loved it. Can I ferment fresh coconut meet for them too?
Karen
Hi Bernie. Glad your chickens like it. Mine love it ... and then they get sick of it ... and they they love it again. Technically you can ferment anything. I've never fermented coconut but from what I've read to do it, just chop up the coconut, or put it in a blender, add water and a probiotic capsule (the kind you'd get in the drugstore). It will be fermented in 1-2 days. I'm not sure about what the purpose of the priobiotic capsule is but I'm guessing its added to speed up the fermenting process. ~ karen!
APRIL
I think I am going to try this. Maybe it will keep the chipmunks from eating the food. Darn things are cute but they sure like the chickens feed.
Karen
Don't count on it, lol. Chipmunks are notoriously annoying. Cute. But annoying. :) ~ karen!
Roy
I use Countryside Organic Layer crushed. I put it in a plastic container with half feed half water and by morning it is fully saturated and smelling quite strong. Less than 12 hours between mixing it and serving it. Does this mean it's working too well or is this another issue?
Karen
It's probably just in a warm area Roy. Is it over 80 degreesF where you're keeping it? It sounds to me like it's just fermenting quickly. If you see a white layer on the top, that's definitely what it is. White or grey "mold" is fine. It isn't mold it's the fermentation ... yeast I suppose. It will smell almost sour. ~ karen!
Roy
Ok, that's kind of what I thought was happening. It is pretty warm here in Florida, though I do the food preparation in the house, it is between 74-78 degrees inside. The white/grey mold has only showed up if I kept the food for more than 24 hours. I keep it covered, so we don't get fly issues, and because it smells strong, my wife really dislikes the smell it creates. I've just gotten used to it, since I am the chicken keeper around here, and that smell is the least of 'chicken smells' :-) Thank you for the advice and direction!
Kari Hill
I found this post after typing "Is there any reason not to feed my chickens sourdough starter" in my search engine. I am so excited - can't wait to get started! Thank you for posting!
Roger
Great article! Can I add different grains to the crumble ferment, such as oats, wheat, flax meal, barley, or any other grain that is good for the ladys.
Karen
Yes you can Roger! ~ karen
Allison Heck
This may seem like a silly question, but when you say feed, do you mean like starter/grower/layer pellets/crumble?
Karen
Yup. That's what it means Allison. Any feed. Pellets, crumble, whole grains ... you name it and it can be fermented. :) ~ karen!
Becky Raslan
Can chicks be started on fermented feed? I don't use medicated starter, but could one use it and still get an active ferment? Also, I have a flock of Pilgrim geese -does anyone have any experience with geese and fermented feed?
Karen
Hi Becky. I've never put tiny chicks on fermented feed myself but I can't think of any reason you couldn't. It's really the same feed as grown up hen feed other than the protein amounts as far as I remember. Fermented food is good for pretty much everyone and everything and I expect that would include geese. I suppose it's just a matter of whether they like the texture. ~ karen!
Ryan
I was wondering could this be done with starter feed? Or is it recommended to wait until they are at laying age?
Heidi
I want to try this. I currently feed my girls a mix of cracked corn, wheat and laying pellets. (and they free range). Will laying pellets ferment? Hoping to cut down on feed costs....and hoping my 4 month old hens will be joining the year old ones in laying very soon.
Karen
Hi Heidi. You can absolutely ferment layer pellets. If it's warm out the feed will ferment within a couple of days. Your chickens will love it. ~ karen!
Pamela
I have a few questions about fermenting feed.
First, I understand you have to use a non-reactive container for the actual fermentation but can you use metal as a feeder or must the feeder also be non-reactive?
Second, I live in Ohio and for the past two winters, we've had wicked, bitterly cold weather where the temperatures did not reach above freezing for weeks at a time. I probably cannot ferment this in the house due to the smell and the presence of a family member with a hyper-sensitive olfactory nerve. How can I ferment in winter when it's so cold?
I was going to post these on the NCK Forum but couldn't get there - I'm not sure if it is active anymore.
Karen
Hi Pamela. I, personally, don't use a feeder for the fermented feed. Not a traditional one anyway because the feed is more like an oatmeal after it's been fermented. I use a sieve to remove some from my bucket or bowl and then I dump that into a bowl for the chickens. Either old Tupperware or an old glass kitchen bowl. You feed this kind of feed in portions as opposed to just leaving it out for days or weeks. Since you're just putting out what your chickens will eat for a feeding using a metal bowl is fine. The feed won't ferment if it's frozen (obviously, :) but it can work in cold areas like a garage. It just takes much longer to ferment. So if you have an area like that in your house that's about the only way you could get away with fermenting through the winter. In the winter I do it in my mudroom. Hope that helps a bit. ~ karen!
Farmtech
I've done it once and though time consuming, I'll do it again. But I won't be feeding solely FF. The main thing I need for my chickens are the probiotics that will give them a strong immune system.
Jackie
Hi there! Great article. I am looking to try the fermented feed. I have 6 16 week old pullets. Its hard to say how much dry feed they actually eat. Which is costly to say the least! How much fermented feed per chicken is enough? You don't have to be exact, just a ball park figure. I also have 8 2wk old silkies, do you think I could feed them fermented feed to? Btw, they all are eating chick starter.
Farmtech
Are they suppose to be eating chick starter at 16 weeks? It's suppose to be grower and then layers feed when 5% start laying. To estimate how much feed they'll consume, this guide will help: Feed and body weight plan for egg layers, but it is for isa brown and hyline brown layers.
Lara
That was the most fun reading an article on the internet I've had in ages, and I actually learned something, too. About feeding chickens, even, which I've been doing for ten years or so and thought I had figured out, more or less. So just... thank you. I'm going to go find a bucket.
helen
HI do you rinse the feed before you give it to the chickens, and would it be ok to ferment in a poly tunnel I am in uk
Karen
Hi Helen. You don't need to rinse the feed, just feed it right to the chickens. I sometimes lift it out of the bucket with a strainer, then rest the strainer on the bucket for a few minutes so it isn't quite so sloppy. I'm not entirely sure what a poly tunnel is. ~ karen!
Paula
A bit late, however; A poly tunnel is a plastic covered hoop house. You can ferment in the poly tunnel but not if it goes below 40F or 4.4C.