Current Internet Theory

[Missa4848]

3yo's will never lay like first-year pullets, but if they're healthy and producing then you're doing the right things for them already.

Thanks I'm trying to read as much as I can there's  so much info on this thread I'm confused

 

[Sally PB]

I got one egg today. (It's 3:30 now, and I rarely get eggs that late in the day this time of year.) I think it's from one of the 3 yo hens, but not certain which one. It's not from the 1.5 yo who has been laying fairly regularly. I've used one of the 5 pound bags of Purina feed, and this is day 3 of my Purina feed experiment.

 

[NatJ]

Thanks I just wish I could give them a supplement or treats to help them lays a little better

Since the days are getting longer, they probably will lay better in the next few weeks or months. That might count as "supplementing" light naturally.

For a "treat" that they will probably like, you could add water to some of their usual feed, so it becomes a wet mash. Most chickens like that, and of course it's quick and easy to make. (But it's not likely to have any real effect on egg production.)

 

[NatJ]

Thanks I'm trying to read as much as I can there's  so much info on this thread I'm confused

Considering what's in this thread, I am not surprised that you are confused!

I know some of it is contradictory, because some people have different views than other people, and at present there is no easy way to prove which ones are correct.

 

[Missa4848]

Considering what's in this thread, I am not surprised that you are confused!

I know some of it is contradictory, because some people have different views than other people, and at present there is no easy way to prove which ones are correct.

The bad part is there's been so much craziness over the last couple of years it's hard to believe what's what

 

[Sherry68lynn]

Was it 19 or 21? 10 minutes ago, it was 21 on a different thread.

If you read it I got 19 the first day. THEN 21 the next day..

 

[Sherry68lynn]

Aww @Sherry68lynn you don't want to play anymore.

You people are really brutal, telling you what I noticed with my flock and all I get is backlash from people who don’t even know me. From insulting my intelligence, to being out right nasty, to overly trying to discredit what a lot of people ( not just me) are saying about the feed causing an issue. If your content with your chicken feed then keep it. But, if you are experiencing issues with laying you might want to try changing the food and see what happens. End of story. Just because some people don’t have an issue doesn’t mean everyone doesn’t. Be kind, grow up and stop with the insults. Doesn’t become anyone on here.

 

[DavidReaves]

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

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.

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

Another possibility is using the "Wayback Machine" at archive.org/web. This is a sample of the label from May 2020 compared to the current label at

https://www.purinamills.com/chicken-feed/products/detail/purina-flock-raiser-crumbles

Purina Flock Raiser, May 5, 2020

Crude Protein MIN 20.00 %
Lysine MIN 1.10 %
Crude Fat MIN 3.50 %
Crude Fiber MAX 5.00 %
Calcium (Ca) MIN 0.80 %
Calcium (Ca) MAX 1.30 %
Phosphorus (P) MIN 0.60 %
Vitamin A MIN 7000 IU/LB
Vitamin E MIN 14 IU/LB
Methionine MIN 0.55 %
Salt (NaCl) MIN 0.30 %
Salt (NaCl) MAX 0.80 %
Phytase (A. Oryzae) MIN 227 FYT/lb

Purina Flock Raiser, Feb 2, 2023

Crude Protein MIN 20.00 %
Lysine MIN 1.10 %
Methionine MIN 0.55 %
CrudeFat MIN 3.50 %
Crude Fiber MAX 5.00 %
Calcium (Ca) MIN 0.80 %
Calcium (Ca) MAX 1.30 %
Phosphorus (P) MIN 0.60 %
Salt (NaCl) MIN 0.30 %
Salt (NaCl) MAX 0.80 %
Sodium (Na) MAX 0.55 %

 

[Alagirl]

one thing that should be considered is that we probably ought to save a sample from each batch of feed.
Heaven knows I don't do it, however it can be beneficial to get a timeline if/when things go pearshaped.
Like I mentioned a little while back (maybe another thread dealing with this topic):
I once heard from a lady who had done this. She had a small herd of goats. She ordered a special feed from a mill and was assured it was exactly what she had ordered.
Then her goats died.
The mill denied responsibility until she could produce said samples with a history of feed she provided and the screwup from the mill.

For those of us who can't get the wayback machine to work. ever.

 

[CloneFly]

one thing that should be considered is that we probably ought to save a sample from each batch of feed.
Heaven knows I don't do it, however it can be beneficial to get a timeline if/when things go pearshaped.
Like I mentioned a little while back (maybe another thread dealing with this topic):
I once heard from a lady who had done this. She had a small herd of goats. She ordered a special feed from a mill and was assured it was exactly what she had ordered.
Then her goats died.
The mill denied responsibility until she could produce said samples with a history of feed she provided and the screwup from the mill.

For those of us who can't get the wayback machine to work. ever.

I agree. I'm not too sure about everyone else, but I believe that a majority of the feed problems arising are from bad feed batches. I recently bought some feed that smelled and looked downright nasty. I opened a much older bag of the same brand and it's been fine. I do agree that certain, if not most brands are slacking a bit on the nutrition, but that shouldn't impact laying as dramatically as it has for some people.

You people are really brutal, telling you what I noticed with my flock and all I get is backlash from people who don’t even know me. From insulting my intelligence, to being out right nasty, to overly trying to discredit what a lot of people ( not just me) are saying about the feed causing an issue. If your content with your chicken feed then keep it. But, if you are experiencing issues with laying you might want to try changing the food and see what happens. End of story. Just because some people don’t have an issue doesn’t mean everyone doesn’t. Be kind, grow up and stop with the insults. Doesn’t become anyone on here.

I'm sorry about any backlash you may be receiving. Some get a little cocky when blessed with experience and instead of sharing or helping, they like to wave their knowledge above others... there are still a lot of amazing folks on here though!! Unfortunately, some people aren't very good at expressing their opinions, which in return reflects badly on the rest. No matter how amazing a community is, there'll always be a few that like to stir the pot (Just like family!)


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.