Fermenting animal feed is not really a new thing. Come to find out, farmers have been fermenting feed for a lot of years. It seems like recently though, fermenting feed has been gaining popularity, probably due to the the increased number of urban chicken farmers and hobby farmers. I have had chickens and goats for a long time, and I think I must be one of the last chicken farmers to hop on the feed fermenting wagon. I am not one to do things just because everybody else does them. I probably should have done my fermenting research years ago, but, I guess that life got in the way. My husband would likely tell you that the chickens eat better than he does anyway, so why mess with a good thing. The last few months have been filled with “ahah” moments, and understanding the practice and benefits of fermentation has been one of those. I am just beginning the feed fermentation practice with all my animals, not just chickens, and I don’t have all of the final results in, like who finds it tasty and who doesn’t and how much money I will save, but I would like to share some of the things that I have learned.
All grains, seeds and legumes contain phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. These protect the grains and seeds, and act kind of like preservatives. That is why grains, like wheat, have a long storage life and why seeds stay viable in the dirt through the winter until conditions are good for growing. Phytic acid is referred to as an anti-nutrient because it inhibits the absorption of iron, zinc and calcium. It only inhibits the absorption of these nutrients during the meal that phytic acid is being consumed. If you eat a food containing phytic acid during lunch, than it will inhibit the absorption of specific nutrients only during that meal. It will not affect future meals where foods with phytic acid are not consumed. In some countries where grains and legumes are eaten frequently, cases of malnutrition can occur. People who eat well-balanced meals are generally not affected. But, if our animals eat grains, seeds and legumes at every meal, it leaves me to wonder just how their diets and especially their nutritional needs are being impacted.
Avoiding foods that contain phytic acid is not necessarily the right thing to do as these foods offer a variety of valuable nutrients, and it is thought that phytic acid might actually be beneficial as a protection against kidney stones and some cancers. Fortunately, there are methods of preparation that will reduce the phytic acid in grains, seeds and legumes. Soaking these foods in water overnight will reduce their phytate content. Sprouting grains, seeds and legumes will further degrade it’s content, and fermentation is the third option for reducing phytic acid. Using a combination of all three methods can significantly reduce the phytate content of grains, seeds and legumes. I hope that wasn’t too confusing. In a nut shell, phytic acid does offer nutritional benefits and should be consumed, but if eaten every day at every meal, it can negatively affect the absorption of other important nutrients.
I presently sprout lentils, a legume, for my birds. I know that they love them and I did it initially as an inexpensive way provide my hens with greens during the winter months. I knew that they had added health benefits, but I didn’t exactly understand how. Now that I have a basic understanding of the workings of phytic acid, the benefits of sprouting makes a little more sense.
Fermentation takes the nutritional benefits of sprouting one step further. Fermented feed aids in digestion, strengthens the immune system, improves food conversion, increases the bioavailability of vitamins and minerals, forms kind of a natural barrier to pathogens like E. coli and salmonella, and has been known to increase egg weight. In addition, because fermented food is easier to digest and nutrients are absorbed more readily, animals do not have to eat as much and as such, they poop less too!
How does fermenting work? Fermentation is a chemical process by which molecules are broken down without air. The fermentation process begins by taking your grains, seeds and/or legumes and covering them with water. They will expand as they absorb the water, general doubling in size. Lactobacillus, a good bacteria is what actually starts the fermenting by consuming the sugars making lactic acid. The lactic acid creates an environment that is inhospitable to bad bacteria. It’s kind of the same principle that works with sourdough starter, if you have ever worked with that. As long as your grains are submerged in the water, they will be preserved and won’t spoil or mold. The fermentation process can take 24 to 72 hours depending on the temperature of the environment you are fermenting in. You can let your feed ferment longer, but the sour taste will get stronger the longer it ferments. You can tell that the process is working when you see bubbles forming, a sign of gasses being released, and by a slight sour smell, again a process similar to that which takes place with sourdough starter.
I tested out the fermenting process on a small scale, I didn’t want to ruin a lot of feed if I goofed. I filled a quart jar halfway full of dry feed mix and then filled it full of tap water. I covered it loosely and let it sit. Pretty simple. (You can make your batch as large or as small as will work for you and your animals.) The feed absorbed the water quickly and expanded. Within about 12 hours I noticed bubbles forming. I checked on the mix occasionally throughout the process to make sure the grains remained submerged. The sunflower seeds in my mix rose to the top and floated, so I will probably add them in at the end of the fermentation process in future batches, just to prevent the chance of any spoilage. After 72 hours, my mix had some good bubbles, and a slight sour smell. The first batch I fed to the chickens and they gobbled it right up. It was a small sampling, so they also had their dry mix. With some hens, the fermented feed seemed to be their first choice, while others, they enjoyed their dry mix and then sampled the fermented feed. In any case, it didn’t stay around long. The second batch I tried out on the ducks. They weren’t quite as excited about it, but ended up eating it all. Because it’s kind of soupy, I thought the ducks would love it! I read where some farmers drained most of the water off their fermented feed to obtain a drier texture, but I figure if the grains are good for my animals, then why wouldn’t the water be good as well. It all depends on what my animals like and will eat. You can also add some of the fermented water to future batches of grain to jump start the fermenting process.
I also decided that if eating fermented food was good for people and chickens, why not the rest of the farm animals. So, today I started three different batches of fermenting feed: one for the chickens and ducks, one for the goats and one for the rabbits. (Note: for the rabbits, I am fermenting grains, not processed rabbit food pellets.) I am anxious to see if the health benefits are readily noticeable, and to see if cost savings are evident. With the cost of everything increasing, it would be nice to be able to provide my animals with a healthier diet for less money!
Resources:
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Biological_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_(Biological_Chemistry)/Metabolism/Catabolism/Fermentation
https://naturalfactors.com/en-us/articles/fermented-foods-for-better-nutrition/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/phytic-acid-101#section5
https://permaculturenews.org
http:// https://www.gardenbetty.com/why-and-how-to-ferment-your-chicken-feed/
http:// https://homesteadingfamily.com/raising-healthy-chickens-make-your-own-fermented-chicken-feed-in-6-easy-steps/