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

[KRack]

Btw, I have "bad" feed samples. Sending on Monday. However, I don't think it will make any difference. Results won't appease anyone.

This has been an interesting social experiment, though. It's shown me that folks will believe what they want to believe, even when faced with truths.

I feel very defeated.

That really is a sad fact. However, it’s still important to plant the seed of truth. It may not take root right away, but it might with time!

 

[Joel Just Joel]

It's still not too late for anyone else who wants a sample of the TSC PP feed I gave my hens immediately before their egg laying dropped off. Step right up and get your free samples, folks! In the name of science, join the fun! Give your hens some free meals and prove there's nothing wrong with this feed. I dare ya!

 

[Joel Just Joel]

So, our hens have been laying just 1 or 2 eggs/day for a full week after a sharp drop-off in laying that I initially thought was feed-related. But then I wondered since an immediate switch to different feed did not fix the problem. Yesterday and today they laid 3-4 eggs/day. Not much change in weather or other conditions, so maybe it was indeed bad feed that took them a week to get over...? Or took a week to adjust to new feed...? Next step: when they are consistently laying 3 or more eggs/day, I plan to put them back on the suspect feed and see if their egg laying drops off again. Any other suggestions for adding control to this experiment and not overstressing our birds?

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

So, our hens have been laying just 1 or 2 eggs/day for a full week after a sharp drop-off in laying that I initially thought was feed-related. But then I wondered since an immediate switch to different feed did not fix the problem. Yesterday and today they laid 3-4 eggs/day. Not much change in weather or other conditions, so maybe it was indeed bad feed that took them a week to get over...? Or took a week to adjust to new feed...? Next step: when they are consistently laying 3 or more eggs/day, I plan to put them back on the suspect feed and see if their egg laying drops off again. Any other suggestions for adding control to this experiment and not overstressing our birds?

I don't have any suggestions but mine have been giving me a few eggs a week and now I'm getting two a day again. I haven't changed their feed brand at all and the weather hasn't been drastically different (we had one snowy day then one sunny day but otherwise all gray). I only have two active layers right now (out of 12 birds) due to age/molt/random things so two eggs a day is great lol! I had switched to layer from all flock for a minute because I couldn't get the all flock but when I did I mixed them together. Same brand I've always used and my girls always have oyster shell and/or egg shell so the calcium in the layer (and less protein) doesn't seem a likely reason they would pick up laying a week later either.

 

[aart]

Next step: when they are consistently laying 3 or more eggs/day, I plan to put them back on the suspect feed and see if their egg laying drops off again.

Would be worth a try.

Any other suggestions for adding control to this experiment and not overstressing our birds?

Just changing one thing, the feed, is the best for clearer results.

 

[PapaCharles]

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.

Yeah. I scoff. You have absolutely no evidence of a conspiracy, only the paranoid rantings of internet conspiracy theorists. That's it. Dude, it's February.

 

[Joel Just Joel]

Yeah. I scoff. You have absolutely no evidence of a conspiracy, only the paranoid rantings of internet conspiracy theorists. That's it. Dude, it's February.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I'd be delighted to send you a sample of my suspected bad feed so you can help me determine that there's nothing wrong with it. I promise I have not tainted it in any way. Interested?

 

[saysfaa]

I would do it if we can work out the details. Patience would be needed for the results; I'll be out of state from next week until the second week of March. This isn't something to leave for my dh to do.

My hens will be 2 in May so age shouldn't be a big factor yet; especially further into the spring.

How soon after starting this bag did your hens start laying fewer eggs? I'm looking at how much shipping might be... I have four hens so together they eat about a pound per day.

I realize the topic has largely passed but I could not do it earlier and do not want to waste the effort and postage.

I switched to the feed Joel Just Joel sent me, starting yesterday morning. I switched all at once. I plant to feed it exclusively until it is gone - probably a week or so.

My hens hatched early May of 2021. I don't have supplemental lights. All four stopped laying last fall and they (collectively) started again about a month ago. I know two started earlier than the other two but three lay brown eggs. The leghorn stopped sooner and started later - as she did last year.

All four hens are laying now. At least most are not laying everyday - possibly one is.
We've been getting two or three eggs most of the time for the last couple of weeks.
Sometimes we get four and sometimes one. Getting one egg has been getting quite infrequent.

Two eggs yesterday. Both brown.

Edit to add: two eggs today. One brown, one white.

 

[casportpony]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I'd be delighted to send you a sample of my suspected bad feed so you can help me determine that there's nothing wrong with it. I promise I have not tainted it in any way. Interested?

You got any feed left?

 

[aart]

I switched to the feed Joel Just Joel sent me, starting yesterday morning. I switched all at once. I plant to feed it exclusively until it is gone - probably a week or so.

Gotta wonder if 'testing', and only for a week, now older feed will be worth any kind of quantification?