In the heat I'm finding I need to use up the grain within a few days. In the winter is seems to slow ferment indefinitely. If it sits in poor conditions it will grow mold and stinky ecoli bacteria. VERY bad for fowl. iWhen I add things like scratch or corn to the spent grains they get up fermenting quickly. The trick is getting the right mix of nutrient, I'm not sure I've figured it out though I do try to calculate it. Im not sure I've really figured out how to quantify the spent grain, there are several variables to it nutritionally (how wet, how efficient the mash was, how much protein was in the grains to begin with.) One cool thing about spent grains is not only are they fermenting, they were presprouted before malting.
So far when it starts to go bad I am adding it to the compost pile, which has been rocking the compost pile, it's awesome. Still, not the best use since I am paying for feed. I'm going to try two new things to try to use up more of it for the ducks directly.
1. I'm going to try using my extra eggs and some scratch grain with the spent grain and yeast to make baked flock blocks that I will freeze. Maybe even if they don't like them I can sell these to chicken people to offset feed. I don't think there are regulations around here about doing that..
2. I'm going to try adding a deep compost pit to each paddock, I think I could use this as an anchor point to help revitalize each paddock while also persevering grain for the ducks. Sort of like for pile chickens, but due to the harsh climate I'kk use the earth insulation, maybe even add some strawbales on it. I'm thinking Ill dig at least 4'x4' square hole 3' deep, adding not moldy grain and then recovering with dirt and mulch. I'll start the next couple paddocks at the same time so we can see if there is an ideal incubation time to break into this for the ducks. I'm interested to see what insect activity it brings at which stage. I do have 3 chickens that follow the duck flock, scratching their caked poop areas. It might make sense to incorporate them directly w/ the compost style feeding.
I feel like some sort of insect farm is a no brainer..but I'm embarrassed to admit how many worm farms I've killed. lol. I can dig you piles of worms from my compost but a worm bin lasts me a couple of months.
I'm not sure how to quantify if these things are working, I have so many ducks (41) in so many different stages of growth in a mixed flock. I've considered dividing the flock into my "keepers" and those that are being raised for slaughter or are up for sale. I've also considered dividing the muscovy and anconas, though there are some things I like about having them together.
