Egg production going up when back on Layena

[chkinut]

Quote:
may be a dumb question...but what's GMO mean? i will start searching now about this food. i sure hope i can get it somehow. i hope my store will order it for me.....or i hope they ship to my store. thanks! oh, i just noticed that they're pellets....and your girls like them ok? my girls were on pellets once and they seemed to do ok....but prefer the crumbles.

later......forget it! i checked into it and i'd have to drive way to far! that stinks!

 

[augustmomx2]

I completely agree OP! I was buying locally produced feed for my girls this summer. Not only locally grown but also cheaper! But, I have noticed that production does drop when I use the local stuff vs. Layena. So, for now, we're back on Layena... I may try another "experiment" come spring

 

[Toril]

Wow, lots of interest in this since I posted last night!

I have used a variety of feeds, both organic and non-organic. I absolutely prefer organic (I own a health food store!), but getting 3 eggs/day max from 11 hens was just not feasible. We are towards the bottom of the bag and we're starting to see an increase in production. I would not have expected that immediately following a hawk attack and two snowstorms!

I initially used Layena, then switched to have used organic Blue Seal Layer pellets and organic feed from Countryside Naturals - a Virginia small-scale producer of organic feed.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I have had hatching issues with hens on Layena. I have switched back to the co-op food to see if I can get chick health back up. Layena worked great for my eating eggs. I was not happy with it for the hatching eggs.

Just for what it is worth...

 

[believer01]

Now hey! Remember that I'm the new kid on the block here, ok?
Wanting to learn, but trying to see both sides of the issue.....
Could the reason Layena produces so many more eggs be that there's something in there that is 'pushing' the hens to lay? Seriously!
Please don't think I'm putting down all y'all's experience - but I've seen for myself (for the past 20 yrs) just what a difference it makes for people to eat organic vs conventional!
So is it possible that Layena is artifically triggering the egg laying at the detriment of the hen's quality of life....and the health of the eggs which we are then eating?

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I don't think that Layena is a bad food at all. Mine all did fairly well on it and it is really easy for me to get. That is why I switched from co-op food to Layena in the first place.

I think perhaps there is some random combination of nutrients or nutrients lacking that is causing my hatching issues. Or more specifically causing my chick development issues (wry neck). The hatch I did while the hens were all eating co-op food all came out with zero problems. The other hatches I did this summer had terrible issues with wry neck. The food is the only thing that has changed.

Just to be safe I switched back to co-op food. I'll try hatching again next season and see if the food change really makes the difference.