Anyone Want to Test my Suspected Bad Feed on Your Egg Laying Hens?

[DuckyDonna]

I feed Purina Duck pellets. They look the same as they always have, and I've had zero issues.

well, that's great that you have no issues but as you can see, mine don't look the same at all, not even close.

 

[Painted Calls]

well, that's great that you have no issues but as you can see, mine don't look the same at all, not even close.

Yeah that's super strange. Did it smell any different?

 

[DuckyDonna]

Yeah that's super strange. Did it smell any different?

I didn't really notice any difference in the smell.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I didn't really notice any difference in the smell.

Would you happen to have both bags? I'd be interested in the mill dates, and if they came from the same mill at all. Its not uncommon for a producer to change recipes (resulting in visual changes in the feed itself) based on local availability and pricing, while still maintaining the same guaranteed nutritional targets. Think of it like them guaranteeing that they will produce a "chocolate cake" - sometimes its german chocolate, sometimes its dutch chocolate, sometimes its double chocolate, Belgian, Fudge, but always a flour-based chocolate cake.

Damn it, now I want dessert!

But I would definitely look at the mill date, see if the new, darker feed is either a much older milling, or has an adjunct like molasses or dried spent brewers grains that might account for the much darker color by comparing ingredient lists.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

My hens recently went from laying 7-10 eggs/day to laying 0-1 eggs/day with a surprise 4-egg day in the mix. I don't think it's weather-related and I suspect the feed is to blame since I'd just changed to a new batch of the same feed I'd been using for almost a year. I know there are many people out there who scoff at the idea of a conspiracy to intentionally contaminate chicken feed and attack our food source. This post is not aimed at you unless you are open to new ideas. Another BYC member is graciously having lab testing done on a sample of my feed, which I appreciate. I'd like to suggest another approach: Is anyone out there willing to test a sample of my feed on their best egg laying hen(s)? If the bad feed theory is all fake, then you have nothing to lose and in fact you will help expose the fallacy. I promise I have not done anything myself to taint the feed (wouldn't know how!) and I also promise that none of my birds have died. Contact me if you'd like a free meal or two for your hens and if you're willing to volunteer them as participants in this loosely controlled experiment.

I'd take you up on the offer, but the shipping cost is prohibitive, and 50# of feed is about a week for me - not enough time to show any sigificant differences. Flock below. Also, I free range (or 50# wouldn't last 4 days), which would further skew the experiment.

Essentially, I don't make a good test subject.

 

[Hypacha]

Purina? I wouldn't buy a product from them if it was the last food in the store..

 

[Brooks_]

Purina? I wouldn't buy a product from them if it was the last food in the store..

Care to expand on that?

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I used to use Purina all flock and had no problems with it. I switched because Nutrena actually smells like food and the Purina always smelled stale. I never used to check the dates so there's one lesson. I am interested to see if the people having problems continue to see low egg production into the summer. I would take you up on some free food but I only have three decent layers right now-the rest are old, too young or still traumatized from the raccoon attack. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Joel Just Joel]

I'm willing to risk the biosecurity issue; it is less important to me than it would be to many people - I don't depend on the eggs and so on. Maybe you can package it now, though, since there isn't a reason not to. If it ends up coming to me, 4 to 5 pounds should do it. I can message you an address once it is decided.

Sure, I can send it now rather than later. Either way, any living or dormant microbial biohazards should die in the mail. I have your feed sample in temporary packaging, which may change before shipping if it makes sense. Wrapped in paper rather than plastic to allow it to breathe. Message me an address and it's headed your way.

 

[Joel Just Joel]

Sure, I can send it now rather than later. Either way, any living or dormant microbial biohazards should die in the mail. I have your feed sample in temporary packaging, which may change before shipping if it makes sense. Wrapped in paper rather than plastic to allow it to breathe. Message me an address and it's headed your way.
View attachment 3401166

P.S. - This is probably the batch that contained your sample: