Current Internet Theory

[U_Stormcrow]

So I had a thought. Lots of people are blaming feed for a lack of laying. Feeds have gauranteed nutritional labels - feeds that don't match the label get recalled. We've watched, during the pandemic, as a number of feeds have changed their ingredient lists to be somewhat less specific in their ingredients. Some of the major feed ingredients, between the Pandemic, the War in Ukraine, some weather factors, gotr very expensive these last couple years.

What if the nutrition of some major feeds did decline, AND THEY TOLD US. Wait, what?

I know for a fact that the nutritional value of my local mill feed has declined, even though the Crude Protein, the Fat, and the Fiber numbers haven't changed. All I have to do is compare the new label with the old, and look at the Methionine and Lysine levels. My local mill is providing the same amount of Crude Protein, but the amino acid profile has changed - it says so right there on the tag (if you have an old tag to compare it with) - with the aminos obtained from some of the more expensive ingredients are now guaranteed to be present in smaller amounts. SO I got to wondering, how would I check to see if others did that - I don't have old labels from lots of feeds I don't use, and when I talk about a feed on BYC, I link it - so any changes to the feed label disappear into the dustbin of history when they update their web page, leaving nary a trace.

THEN I REMEMBERED!!! Waaahaaahaaahaha! @Kiki to the rescue, and Kiki's feed spreadsheet - historical numbers from whenever the label was entered!


Lets do a few together, shall we? We can do science together, testing a hypothesis...

 

[3KillerBs]

Something occurs to me,

It was 2020 during Covid when chicken-keeping exploded.

Those chickens would be in their 4th winter -- a very likely time to see a dramatic slowdown in laying.

A lot of people are too sentimental to cycle their flock in order to keep new, higher-production layers and are unaware of the natural drop-off in laying seen in more mature hens.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

^^^ and there we have it. We have history we can go back to.

I am NOT going to go through every feed every person uses - but there is absolutely no reason why we can't crowdsource this. Link your favorite feeds label right off the manufacturer's page. Post the current Lys, Met, Phos #s. Then go to Kiki's Spreadsheet, or a really old BYC post where it is printed/imaged, not linked, and get the same numbers from there.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Instead of changing why don't everyone stay feeding what you're feeding. That would be a more accurate study than changing.

Give it time. I expect someone will soon come out to claim that by "exposing" the problem, the shadowy cabal of "them" was forced to end their devious plan. The people can declare victory, all thanks to the tireless work of the pundit - stay tuned for the next incredible claim they need to warn you about...

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Here's Dumor Brand's Layer feed. Here's a BYC post from 2017 with its label breakdown.

Crude Protein (min.) 16.00%, Lysine (min.) .70%, Methionine (min.) .35%, Crude Fat (min.) 2.50%, Crude Fiber (max.) 7.00%, Calcium (Ca) (min.) 3.80%, Calcium (Ca) (max.) 4.80%, Phosphorus (P) (min.) .50%, Salt (NaCl) (min.) .25%, Salt (NaCl) (max.) .75%, Ruminant meat and bone meal free.

Here it is on TSC today.

Methionine

0.30% min

Lysine

0.70% min

Phosphorus

0.45% min

Yup, they told us. Met and Phos have both dropped.

and if you look on Kiki's spreadsheet, you will see the old numbers - 0.35% Met, 0.5% Phos

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thus far, my theory is coming up snake eyes. That makes me happy, actually.

Yes, my mill (Harrell Milling Co) dropped Lys levels and Met levels both, and Dumor has reduced its Met level and its P level (still within "acceptable" range however, and equal to many at higher price point), but in the main, it looks like Producers have mostly stuck to targets (and in a few cases, upped Met levels to the 0.3% Dumor when down to...)

Thanks all!

 

[Aunt Angus]

What??!? The YouTube videos? The blogs? The anecdotal stories? I'm so disappointed. I was hoping my chickens were just better than everyone else's because they are laying just fine on their TSC feed.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

This whole thing is way out of hand. It went from backyard chickens are being fed tainted feed, to farmers have been feeding tainted commercial feed. It was Dumor & Producer's Pride & then went to all of Purina. Today I viewed a guy on Youtube reading the Nature's Best statement on their feed & saying Nature's Best manufactured the feed at TSC & were covering their butt. Where will it all end? If my chickens weren't laying since last June, I would have done more digging before now. Whisper down the lane at its best. There might be a problem with the feed but find out before you trash everybody.

Worst part is its taken over my youtube suggestions. I follow literally 1 chicken channel and new I barely have any good suggestions because it's all tinfoil hat chickens

This entire episode has really become a phenomenon and a prime example as to how a social media urban legend is born.

Something I’m seeing now is a strong Mandela effect among the proponents that insists this theory has been taking the backyard chicken community by storm since last August. When challenged that this theory didn’t exist until January 2023 thanks to some specific YouTube videos and requested for proof to show such theory being discussed since August 2022, the response is an angry “I know what I’ve been reading since then and I don’t have to prove anything to you.”

I suspect the people claiming they’ve been reading about this since August of last year are sincere but mistaken, with the power of suggestion conflating the typical “why aren’t my hens laying?” posts that happen every year after the summer solstice with this theory, and now that the two are combined there is no separating them in the minds of the believers.

 

[Kiki]

And for those wondering what Kiki and I are talking about??? The Thread is HERE - and represents a LOT of work on Kiki's part

My sheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...Sj3Bt5CUQfX1PlTEhg799sDT-qM/edit?usp=drivesdk

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Scratch and Peck's "Naturally Free" Organic Layer.

Lys 0.7, Met 0.3, Phos 0.5 (those are already pretty minimal)

NO CHANGE(except Price)