Ash in feed?

[BackyardinWales]

I know there are more knowledgeable people on here than me, so, why does my new bag of layer pellets smell like it contains cigarette ash?

It is a different brand than I'm used to, and my first thoughts were of sheep nuts, and after mixing what remained of the old bag in with the new, my hand smells of cigarette ash (I don't smoke). Why is ash necessary in their diet?

Thanks.

 

[nuthatched]

Does it list ash in the ingredients? There's a very small amount of ash in most animal feeds for some reason, but it shouldn't smell at all. Maybe someone was smoking near it at one point.

 

[Al Gerhart]

It has been many decades since Vo Ag classes, but the ash content in feed isn't indicative of actually having ash as an ingredient. It is the amount of ash percentage wise left over after a calorie test (where they burn the feed and measure the heat output).

Either way, it isn't going to harm the hens.

 

[Perris]

I know there are more knowledgeable people on here than me, so, why does my new bag of layer pellets smell like it contains cigarette ash?

It is a different brand than I'm used to, and my first thoughts were of sheep nuts, and after mixing what remained of the old bag in with the new, my hand smells of cigarette ash (I don't smoke). Why is ash necessary in their diet?

Thanks.

I assume you are aware of the problem of adulteration of food in the human food chain (e.g. horsemeat scandal, melamine in infant milk formula, more honey for sale than the world's entire population of bees could possibly produce etc. etc.); it happens in the animal feed chain too, and probably more because less people care/are checking it.

If your chickens reject it, I would not force them to eat it. Who knows what is really in it?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I know there are more knowledgeable people on here than me, so, why does my new bag of layer pellets smell like it contains cigarette ash?

Do you have a link to that product that shows ingredients and analysis? That could be interesting and maybe even helpful.

Can you contact the manufacturer and chat with them about it? I think you are much more likely to get useful information from someone that knows that specific product than from people like me that don't have a clue what product you are talking about.

Why is ash necessary in their diet?

Ash is not a necessary ingredient. Different manufacturers use different ingredients to provide specific nutrients. That's part of why I suggest you contact the manufacturer. They know more about their product than any of us.