Chicken Behavior

[Fluffy Lambs]

That's totally fine, I was just reffering to your knowledge of feeding. I wish I could remember every thing you post about it. Thanks though!

 

[21hens-incharge]

That layer feed has me scratching my head a bit. Everything looks ok BUT why the ash and why in up 18% quantity in the feed??!

The amount of treats seems excessive to me. In what volume are the treats being given? A measured cup, a handful, a big scoop? How many birds are the treats being shared by?
Giving just 1Tablespoon per large bird equates to about 10% of the daily intake so try to stick to that volume.

I am betting the small eggs are from the marans. Not every marans will lay that sought after dark color.

How many birds in the flock? Ages? Breeds? How many eggs a day are you currently getting?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'm not sure what them mean by ash on the label, either.

On the one hand, ash is high in minerals - calcium and phospherous mostly, and I've seen claims that adding up to 1% wood ash into your poultry feed can be of benefit. There's a popular belief that ash increases protein digestibility. Most of what I've read suggests that not the case, and in the case of meat and bone meal, higher ash% correlates with a reduction in some of the amino acids (like lysine) chickens most need.

More likely, however, its talking about the gross mineral content if you cook the feed at very high temp, such that all the moisture, fats, carbs, and proteins cook away, leaving only things like calcium, phosperus, iron, etc...

 

[21hens-incharge]

I found the ingredients on their website...I am no expert in what SHOULD be in a layer feed but I don't see anything jumping out as bad here.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yeah, nothing objectionable. No need for some of those things (like the grit), but not objectionable.

That's why I'm thinking its being used in the "burn it all up, weigh what's left" sense of the word.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Out of extreme curiosity I sent them an e-mail asking. If I hear back I will post what they say.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

...and i was wondering if the whole thing about ash making it more digestible doesn't originate with the "discovery" of the "New World" and the need to mix ash with the corn of that time period so that **we** could get nutritional value out of it.

[^^^ this is why I often appear to have the veneer of knowledge on so many subjects. I collect odd facts and obscure trivia]

Thank you @21hens-incharge for acting on the more useful of our various musings.

 

[21hens-incharge]

@U_Stormcrow is correct it is after a burning.

Here is the response.

Ash content is just a relative expression of the mineral content of the feed. Lay feeds have a higher ash content because of all the calcium carbonate in them for the egg shell. The way ash is determined in the lab is by combusting a sample of the feed in a furnace and then determining the leftover ash as a percentage of the feed.

Let me know if you need anything else.

 

[aart]

One thing about cracked grain feeds, is that the fines(vitamins/minerals/amino acids) get lost at the bottom of the bag and feeder. It's best to ferment or at least soak the feed to capture some of those fines where the birds can eat them.
....or go to a crumble or pelleted feed.

 

[LaFleche]

I would not consider a chicken feed containing just 16% crude protein and listing cracked corn as their main ingredient an appropriate feed for laying hens.

16% crude protein does not mean that all of these 16% will be digestible and thus useful for the hens egg production abilities.

And corn as the main ingredient will make them develop fat pads real fast while still shoving the breast bones due to lack of protein.

Especially Marans will need a feed containing peas or soy beans to provide the necessary protein % of at least 18-20, and then barley and only some wheat.