Every now and then, a new idea starts scratching around the chicken-keeping world. Lately, it’s fermentation.
You’ll hear whispers in forums and at the fence line — “It’s better for their gut,” or “It unlocks more nutrients.” And like most things in animal care, there’s a grain of truth… and a need for discernment.
Let’s break it down and take a proper look.
Why people are fermenting feed
The idea behind fermentation is to encourage beneficial bacteria and, in some cases, improve nutrient availability. This can be helpful for certain animals – especially those with a rumen designed to ferment food before digestion.
But here’s the thing: chickens aren’t built that way.
Your hens’ digestion works differently.
Chickens rely on their gizzard – a strong, muscular organ that grinds whole and cracked grains before enzymes do the rest of the work in the small intestine. Any fermentation that happens naturally occurs later, in the caeca, after nutrients have already been absorbed.
So, pre-fermenting feed doesn’t replicate the same benefits seen in ruminant animals. In fact, over-softening feed can work against healthy gizzard function, and that gizzard is a quiet hero in your flock’s wellbeing.
Where fermentation can go wrong
Fermentation needs careful control. Done incorrectly, it can encourage the wrong microorganisms – and that’s not something we want anywhere near the VIPs of the coop.
With a high-quality organic feed, grains are already more bioavailable because they haven’t been chemically treated.
Their natural biological integrity is intact. In many cases, there’s simply no need to intervene further.
If you choose to soak or ferment
If curiosity gets the better of you (it happens to the best of us), the safest path is:
- Trial it with straight whole grains only.
- Think of it as occasional, not everyday.
- Understand that light soaking may lead to gentle sprouting – which is different again from fermentation.
- Seek advice from an animal nutritionist, not just the internet.
The quiet wisdom
Sometimes the most caring choice is to trust a feed that’s already been thoughtfully formulated. Organic feed, batch-crafted with care, is designed to honour the natural digestion of chickens – not override it.
Your VIPs deserve the best – and often, that best is simple, consistent, and true.
Want to know more about the gizzard and how chickens use it to digest their food? Check out “The Missing Tooth.”