Fermentations for the Flock

Many of us have heard about the benefits of adding fermented foods in our own diets, including reduced risk of sickness, better nutrient absorption, and higher digestibility, to name just a few. The same is true for your poultry flock and other animals.

Fermenting feed for your flock is actually very easy, and the benefits range from increased egg production in winter to lower feed consumption.

When I first inherited a flock of chickens, I fed them organic chicken pellets from the local feed store. I liked the convenience of filling a feeder once a week and not having to think about it. Then I added ducks, turkeys and guinea fowl, along with more chickens. That’s when I started to think about ways to increase the health of my flock and decrease my feed bill.

I found a source of inexpensive whole grains from local farms and began researching feed-mix ratios and digestibility. In my search, I turned to vintage livestock books, which are a wealth of information