The Poultry Keeper

stephen · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 6:41 am Post subject:

For the chucks, we use EM treated bran and add it to the normal straw, etc, we use in the houses and pens. For that it works great. You can make your own bran from the liquid you produce.

This link tells you how to make yours from the EM/Bokashi liquor: http://www.cityfarmer.org/bokashi.html

And this one shows you how to do it:
http://kitchengardenfoods.com/2006/07/12/how-to-make-bokashi-fermented-wheat-bran/

Around the house, we used it for treating the drains (the utility room and pump room have open grates) and it treats those brilliantly. We treated them once a day for a week in early summer, and have not had to do it since!

I must say the most positive thing, though, was its effect on Jyrkï's nuclear bottom... He was treated with bokashi in his water for one week a month for a couple of months, and his gut has been fine ever since.

em-chicken · Joined: 04 Jan 2008 Posts: 18 Location: Lancashire

ntsmama asked?

CP · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:08 pm Post subject:

I'd like to use it but it all sounds too complicated for me. Embarassed

Sparklepeeps · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1901 Location: Cheshire

I use bokashi bran in with my chicken feed. I am just wondering if I should slip some into my cats food as his breath is atrocious!!

Would it be OK for my Mum to use some of this EM liquid diluted to disinfectant strength around the house, as she only has septic tank drainage? She is sick of using ECOlover cleaning solution.

...I am guessing that it wouldnt do the septic tank any harm?

stephen · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:19 pm Post subject:

It's not complicated. Brewing the bokashi is very quick and easy. Using it is just as easy. Anyone can dilute a tablespoon in a litre sprayer, or whatever.

em-chicken · Joined: 04 Jan 2008 Posts: 18 Location: Lancashire

You can feed bokashi to your cat - my dogs have it! Great for horses too.

EM is great for scepic tanks too!

ntsmama · Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 234

ok, a very stupid question....

how do you feed bokashi bran to the chooks?

If I put it in the galvanised feeder the bran falls at the bottom and gets left. To be honest i don't think i've sussed those feeder thingies...they're always falling apart...or the pellets don't come out and stay stuck even if it's on the largest setting

em-chicken · Joined: 04 Jan 2008 Posts: 18 Location: Lancashire

Either mix it in with the food - or if you use EM, spary some activated EM on the feed - you won't want much - so when the chucks eat the food, they take in the EMs as well.

The other option is to add activated EM to their water, which should work just as well. Wink

nigel · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:14 pm Post subject:

We added the liquid to their water

Bhindi · Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:13 am Post subject:

I have just ordered 2 bokashi units with a tap on, which I expect to keep 1 in the kitchen. I understand that I need to add some bran every day, but the resulting liquid that occurs in the unit I understand can be used for putting on plants, but is this the liquid you are then adding to pets drinking water, or is this the 'mother',.... I'm getting myself very confused.

I think I would like for £ reasons to make my own bran up eventually, if I can work out where I'm going to store yet another big bag.

How quickly can I break down chicken poo, I loathe to throw it out, and consequently am storing around the garden vast bags of the stuff, waiting for it to age.

I am also thinking about getting a 'compost tumbler' and my thinking is that chicken poo and bokashi can be put in that, could I just add the liquid thats created in the kitchen or would I have to add the bran to it, I would also be adding grass clippings etc.)

CP · Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:07 pm Post subject:

I got very confused as to what is used, when & where. Embarassed

Please can someone give some extremely simple directions?

I'd like to use it but as I'm usually rather hap-hazard in my approach to these things, I fear It would end up being a rather expensive failure! Rolling Eyes

Bhindi · Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:27 pm Post subject:

Thats what I'm fearing CP, like you I need it all spelt out for me, what to use, when, why, It sounds like excellent stuff, but to justify the fiddlyness of it, it must work.

My wish list is to improve chook poo, Despite all my girls appearing brilliantly healthy, Im getting some horrible oily brown thin looking ones frequently, (im suspecting its a plant a particlar hen is eating)... it would also be nice to make them slightly drier.

As said before, hope to break down garden waste, quicker,better, including chook poo,

Improve cat litter tray: But ive got concerns about feeding it to the cats , I have 1 who is prone to getting Struvite stones in bladder and is on a strict vetinary diet, not sure if I should fiddle in things I dont know, the cat has twice been close to death, through bladder blockages.

Have non smelly kitchen waste (in the kitchen), that doesnt need to be changed every few days, and requires me to include a compostable bag, that I have deemed necessary.

So Im expecting a few miracles from EM

ntsmama · Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 234

Bhindi - don't get a compost tumbler - we had one given to us by friends as it didn't work and we have now given it away ourselves bc we too found it useless.

I think bokashi bran breaks down compost faster. i'm no expert though.

I've poured a little em liquid on the chooks pellets and they gobbled them all up.
my cat has had some bran on her kitekat and also wolfed it all down.

i'm sure em-chicken will help us with these queries. I've spoken to him on the phone about bokashi and he was really helpful and friendly.

come on em, i've put you centre stage! Laughing

em-chicken · Joined: 04 Jan 2008 Posts: 18 Location: Lancashire

Bhindi

Don't add the liquid from your bokashi bucket to your animals drinking water, just dilute it and feed it to your plants.

Although it will contain some EMs, it also contains all the by-products of the fermentation process that takes place in the bucket - i.e. nutrients that are better suited to plants than animals.

As for how much bran to add, just sprinkle some on top each time you add some scraps - you don't need to add much, many folk tend to heap it on and so get through too much bran.

The bran is full of bugs and adding some each time you add scraps ensures everything gets 'innoculated' with them.

Hope this helps? Wink

p.s. If anyone has any questions relating to EM/bokashi ec, feel free to PM me and I'll do my best to answer your questions.

CP · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:57 pm Post subject: