Tried fermenting their feed for a month straight

I started soaking my layers feed in water with a splash of apple cider vinegar for 24 hours before feeding, thinking it would boost their gut health. Instead my whole flock got runny droppings and stopped laying for about 10 days after the third week. Has anyone else had fermentation go wrong like this or did I just mess up the ratio?

2 comments

2 Comments

parker_campbell23d ago

Dumped the ACV and started with just plain water for a 12 hour soak instead. Did a smaller batch at first maybe a cup of feed to test it out. Let the container breathe with a loose lid and stirred it once a day. My birds actually started laying better after about two weeks once I got the routine down and the poops firmed up quick too.

west.alice23d ago

That's the thing with fermentation, you kind of have to treat it like a science experiment and one little change can throw everything off. I see this same pattern everywhere with people jumping into new health trends or DIY projects going all in too fast without testing the waters first. It's like trying to bake bread with a new starter recipe and wondering why it's a brick, you have to find the right balance for your specific situation.