Current Internet Theory

[3KillerBs]

I've been very blessed with reliable layers that give me eggs, even during molt, but I wonder if that in part is due to the amount of hands-on interaction I give them. I hold each if my girls daily- lots of cuddles, mental stim and love. (And plenty of healthy treats!) I totally get that most don't have the time or ability to do the same, but I can't help but wonder if this could be another contributing factor.

Probably not.

I'm rather hands-off, but I haven't had any egg issues.

 

[Red Horse]

I don't know if anyone is still keeping track, but I've been feeding Purina flock raiser crumbles since the onset of laying last year with Purina brand oyster shell on the side (thats just what's available at the mill in my area). I haven't seen any decreases in production but I have had an increase according to my egg logging app. The boys are nice and glossy too. What I have noticed though is that I'm getting more elongated eggs than usual but the girls are really going to town on the oyster shell. I have had to tarp around their run for the last month because the weather has been so bad, maybe they're not getting enough Vit D from being in decreased light? Just wanted to add some more data.

 

[Missa4848]

Sorry for the stupid question I've read some people feed the flock raiser with oyster shell on the side has anyone tried mixing layer feed and flock raiser together or will that be too much of some thing ie too much protein?

 

[NatJ]

Sorry for the stupid question I've read some people feed the flock raiser with oyster shell on the side has anyone tried mixing layer feed and flock raiser together or will that be too much of some thing ie too much protein?

Mixing layer feed and flock raiser will not hurt laying hens.
They will still need separate oyster shell, because the mixture does not have enough calcium for their needs.

The mixture will have too much calcium to be good for chicks or roosters or other not-laying birds (not as bad as feeding those birds straight layer feed, but not as good as feeding them straight flock raiser.)

Nothing in those feeds is too high for any chicken, except the calcium in the layer feed. Mixing them together will not make a feed that is too high in anything except calcium.

 

[Missa4848]

Thanks right now I don't have any chicks or roosters my hens are 2-3 years old and one is 4 so I expect some kind of slowing on laying I am taking notice despite a little extra light every day the colder it is the less they lay I'm in berks county pa and it's 35 outside right now

 

[saysfaa]

...

On a separate note, I'm guessing a lot of the egg production issues may have something to do with how happy the girls are... (not saying anyone on here is a bad chook owner.) I've been very blessed with reliable layers that give me eggs, even during molt, but I wonder if that in part is due to the amount of hands-on interaction I give them. I hold each if my girls daily- lots of cuddles, mental stim and love. (And plenty of healthy treats!) I totally get that most don't have the time or ability to do the same, but I can't help but wonder if this could be another contributing factor.

I agree with happy hens or not being a part of it. I don't think so about the cuddles though. At least not directly.

Chickens are prey; being cuddled (held and or petted) is not a good thing according to their instincts. They can learn that it is ok but it isn't fundamentally a good thing like it is for many mammals.

Feathers, or the nerves the stiff feather shafts are connected to, are particularly sensitive during molt, if I understand correctly.

Indirectly, I can see cuddling contributing to happier hens through paying more (or different) attention to them. If one doesn't otherwise. I think that is why talking to plants benefits them. We are more likely to notice things and be more responsive to small changes, good or bad.

The key is: if one doesn't pay as much attention otherwise.

 

[Sherry68lynn]

I don't know if anyone is still keeping track, but I've been feeding Purina flock raiser crumbles since the onset of laying last year with Purina brand oyster shell on the side (thats just what's available at the mill in my area). I haven't seen any decreases in production but I have had an increase according to my egg logging app. The boys are nice and glossy too. What I have noticed though is that I'm getting more elongated eggs than usual but the girls are really going to town on the oyster shell. I have had to tarp around their run for the last month because the weather has been so bad, maybe they're not getting enough Vit D from being in decreased light? Just wanted to add some more data.

Now that you said that..I did get elongated ones when I was feeding the old feed. I was getting about 6-8 eggs a day. I would say about half of that were elongated. Give or take. But since I’ve switched food I haven’t seen any elongated ones at all, yesterday was 24 eggs and they were all normal..Humm makes me wonder... i didn’t even think about that, but my son was commenting all the time. Weird looking eggs.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'm not saying there are no aflatoxins in the feed supply - that would be stupid and ignorant of me.

I do find it remarkable that the same "experienced chicken owners" who have "never had their birds stop laying completely or for this long" who diagnosed (without testing) widespread and persistent feed problems [insert various implausible and sometimes incomprehensible and/or completely ignorant conspiracy theories] somehow failed to notice either the symptoms of persistent malnutrition or the symptoms of profound (and/or prolonged) aflatoxin poisonings, particularly where reduced rate of lay is not one of the primary symptoms associated with aflatoxin exposures.

Either they are experienced chicken owners whose opinions we should trust because they are "experienced", or they aren't qualified to to diagnose a feed problem based on observation, in part because they've failed to make notice of the other symptoms they should be seeing in association with their diagnosed cause.

 

[saysfaa]

If it is the aflatoxins, why are only the two brands singled out?

 

[Chicken Heel]

Probably not.

I'm rather hands-off, but I haven't had any egg issues.

Same for me.