Feed Tests - More Results

[SmiYa0126]

It's hardly Purina's fault if the store didn't rotate the stock properly or store it safely.

I didn't have issues for two years though. Why would it be a problem all of a sudden?

 

[RoyalChick]

I am a fan of accurate, financially and politically unmotivated science as well. I know you said this was moved to your mental trash bin, but what is your opinion on dioxins and their effects on egg laying. Curious to learn. Thanks.

I missed this - were the feeds tested for dioxins?
My worry about dioxins would be about me consuming them in the eggs rather than the hens laying less. If eating dioxin reduced laying that might be a blessing. There have been several contaminations of eggs with dioxin (at least in Europe) in recent years and the chemicals are now sadly viewed as being widely distributed in food.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I didn't have issues for two years though. Why would it be a problem all of a sudden?

Mostly because chickens who laid their first winter and going into their third year are due for their first serious adult molt - when they frequently quit laying or near quit for a time. Part of why commercial factories typcially get rid of birds as they come into that heavy molt. There are other reasons specific to the past year which may aggravate - weather patterns, older feed from pandemic related reasons impacting supply chain, etc - but the molt entering third year is real. Like many, I delayed culls because eggs were scarce.

You can see my flock in my Sig, I was down to just 4 -5 eggs a day, and some of my birds were just one-ish.

I free range, and feed a local mill mix at 20% protein.

 

[cash1989]

I missed this - were the feeds tested for dioxins?
My worry about dioxins would be about me consuming them in the eggs rather than the hens laying less. If eating dioxin reduced laying that might be a blessing. There have been several contaminations of eggs with dioxin (at least in Europe) in recent years and the chemicals are now sadly viewed as being widely distributed in food.

Not in his study or any test on here that I know of. Would be nice to see a test like that, but again, money is an issue. I also wonder about the Ohio derailing causing issues down the road in feeds and everything else coming out of that area.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I missed this - were the feeds tested for dioxins?
My worry about dioxins would be about me consuming them in the eggs rather than the hens laying less. If eating dioxin reduced laying that might be a blessing. There have been several contaminations of eggs with dioxin (at least in Europe) in recent years and the chemicals are now sadly viewed as being widely distributed in food.

No they weren't. No need to. This is just Mike going, "Look! Squirrel" to keep people watching, while he preys on their ignorance. (or throwing chicken droppings at the wall in hopes some stick)

How am I so damned confident? Besides being an arrogant ___, I know a little history. The EU has studied dioxins in their feed supply for years now, you see, there was a "problem" in Belgium about 1999. That wasn't the first time (US, 1958 - probably not the first, but well studied), or the last (Ireland, 2008?)

Know what's not a symptom? Reduced rate of lay.

 

[RoyalChick]

No they weren't. No need to. This is just Mike going, "Look! Squirrel" to keep people watching, while he preys on their ignorance. (or throwing chicken droppings at the wall in hopes some stick)

How am I so damned confident? Besides being an arrogant ___, I know a little history. The EU has studied dioxins in their feed supply for years now, you see, there was a "problem" in Belgium about 1999. That wasn't the first time (US, 1958 - probably not the first, but well studied), or the last (Ireland, 2008?)

Know what's not a symptom? Reduced rate of lay.

Yes I am aware that dioxins do not reduce rate of lay.
Dioxins contaminate the eggs which is why I said that it would be a blessing if they did reduce the rate of lay.

 

[cash1989]

No they weren't. No need to. This is just Mike going, "Look! Squirrel" to keep people watching, while he preys on their ignorance. (or throwing chicken droppings at the wall in hopes some stick)

How am I so damned confident? Besides being an arrogant ___, I know a little history. The EU has studied dioxins in their feed supply for years now, you see, there was a "problem" in Belgium about 1999. That wasn't the first time (US, 1958 - probably not the first, but well studied), or the last (Ireland, 2008?)

Know what's not a symptom? Reduced rate of lay.

RoyalChick was concerned about ingesting contaminated eggs, not necessarily the lay rate.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

RoyalChick was concerned about ingesting contaminated eggs, not necessarily the lay rate.

Well, free ranging and organic farming are more likely to result in dioxin exposures on old grounds than factory farming methods, sad to say. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with those methods *(I use one, and not the other - full disclosure)* just that the grounds they are likely to use for production tend to provide more potential exposure routes.

and there are some longer term studies of dioxin exposures. (which I've not read). Initial speculations. etc.

 

[RoyalChick]

Well, free ranging and organic farming are more likely to result in dioxin exposures on old grounds than factory farming methods, sad to say. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with those methods *(I use one, and not the other - full disclosure)* just that the grounds they are likely to use for production tend to provide more potential exposure routes.

and there are some longer term studies of dioxin exposures. (which I've not read). Initial speculations. etc.

Yes. It is sad. The more freedom you give the more likely you are to expose them. Depending of course where you live and how abused the soil has been over the years.

 

[3KillerBs]

I didn't have issues for two years though. Why would it be a problem all of a sudden?

Mostly because chickens who laid their first winter and going into their third year are due for their first serious adult molt - when they frequently quit laying or near quit for a time.

As Stormcrow said, if you've had the same birds the entire time, stopping laying in the winter is normal chicken biology.

My personal theory is that people who got their first chickens in the pandemic (a natural and sensible reaction to the crisis), are being shocked to discover the dramatic drop-off in laying for hens in their second or third winter and mistake that for a feed problem.

But if you ARE getting old feed for the first time, it's probably because of other pandemic-related reasons.

I work in retail and it's HORRIBLY difficult to keep our store staffed. A lot of people who might formerly have held lower-wage jobs are, for one reason or another, no longer working. My manager has hired 5-6 people for the department I work in over the past 6 weeks and only 1 is still with us. Every store in the US is having this kind of issue.

New staff, poorly trained staff, staff that doesn't give a hoot, etc. fail to observe the principle of FIFO -- First In, First Out.