Chicken nutrition and feed questions! Advice wanted.

[easteregges]

Herbs and spices do have some health properties BUT not effective doses in normal dried or fresh form. Many herbs and spices have properties that are toxic to us and chickens in high amounts

Ok. Im just trying to make sure my girls are getting a proper nutrition and im not harming them when i think im helping them.

 

[nuthatched]

Ok. Im just trying to make sure my girls are getting a proper nutrition and im not harming them when i think im helping them.

Most herbs do have harmful qualities in high amounts, I'd just not give them any.
Especially alliums.

 

[easteregges]

Can you please explain what was going on when that happened? How long had they been on that Purina feed when they stopped laying? How long had they been laying? What time of year was it (spring or fall)? Was it all of them or just some? Which specific Purina feed was it?

It is really strange that thousands of us use Purina with great results while you had a problem. To me it sounds like something else was going on.

They had been on purina feed for about 6 months Id say. It was Layena, it started in the fall and got really bad that winter. All of them stopped laying and they were almost a year old.

 

[Perris]

Most herbs do have harmful qualities in high amounts,

The OP is not suggesting force feeding her chickens herbs in such massive quantities that they'd be toxic. Please find and cite the quantities (with a reference) for toxic levels of say, 3, common herbs - oregano, parsley and basil, as per the OP's first post ideally.

 

[Perris]

Weird how those who frown on offering real herbs either think they aren't strong enough to make any difference, or are potentially lethal. Perhaps Stormcrow and Nuthatched should compare notes.

 

[easteregges]

And you were right. The article I linked for you was ignored, for whatever reason. Will a short quote from a different paper persuade you to stick with your original research findings?
"5.2.1.2. Dietary supplementation of feed additives. There are current efforts in the poultry industry to use natural antimicrobial agents, such as phytobiotics (herbs, plant extracts), prebiotics, probiotics and antimicrobial peptides to combat bacterial infections, modulate immune responses, and improve growth performance of broiler chickens without the use of antibiotics.5.2.1.2.1. Phytobiotics. These are plant-derived natural bioactive compounds that can be used as alternatives to antibiotics as growth promoters. It has been reported that early dietary herbal supplements enhance immune responses of broiler chickens by promoting splenic lymphocyte proliferation and modulating intestinal microbial populations. Addition of Ferulago angulata to diets increases serum antibody titers against influenza virus (Govahi et al., 2013), reduces the number of coliform bacteria in the ileum and cecum and increases the number of intestinal lactobacilli (Rostami et al., 2015). Similarly, early feeding of a polyherbal nutritional supplement is reported to increase antibody responses following vaccination against NDV and to improve gut function and morphogenesis, enhancing absorption and utilization of nutrients (Kadam et al., 2009)." Taha-Abdelaziz et.al. Effects of early feeding and dietary interventions on development of lymphoid organs and immune competence in neonatal chickens: A review https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2018.05.001

It wasnt ignored. I was just confused because some people say herbs are good for them and have lots of health benefits and other people say they arent good for them and they dont do anything and not to give it to them. Thank you for your help and shared resources.

 

[Ridgerunner]

They had been on purina feed for about 6 months Id say. It was Layena, it started in the fall and got really bad that winter. All of them stopped laying and they were almost a year old.

It sounds like they were molting. They can do that in the fall/winter. They quit laying when molting and can look rough as they drop feathers and replace them. I doubt it had anything to do with the feed.

 

[easteregges]

It sounds like they were molting. They can do that in the fall/winter. They quit laying when molting and can look rough as they drop feathers and replace them. I doubt it had anything to do with the feed.

They were not even a year old and they werent having their first annual molt yet.

 

[Brooks_]

They were not even a year old and they werent having their first annual molt yet.

The daylight was still reduced. Were you supplementing light?

 

[easteregges]

The daylight was still reduced. Were you supplementing light?

Yes.