Feeds affecting laying?

[countrybumpkin5]

Well, the thing is, these brands are practically the same brand. Cargill makes both Purina and Nutrena. Purina makes Producer's Pride and Dumor. It's the same with all major brands, they're owned by the same few companies just with different names.

https://www.cargill.com/animal-nutrition

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-...t-lot-codes-purinarrabbit-feed-purinar-turkey

Just the same as it is with human foods, water, and the like. People are easily fooled by marketing. There are only a handful of actual companies in control and it gets less every year. The grain purchased, (and you would be shocked as to the details of that as well), by ADM in Carthage, MO does not stay in Carthage, MO or even in this four state area. ADM is a massive corporation that has already been in trouble big time years ago, and ConAgra, Cargill, well, to put it bluntly, they are all not to be trusted and all of the so called smaller brands all come from these sources. Only a very local mill that gets it's grain from the very local farmers can claim differently and even then their feed can only be as good as the grain, and that varies immensely from harvest to harvest, and it's ALL heavily sprayed with numerous very toxic herbicides and insecticides, and the soybeans and corn are all GMO. IF you can find truly organic grains and trust that the certification is for real, you will pay through the nose for it and for good reason.

 

[countrybumpkin5]

Didn't answer the question. Which government and which administration is supposedly targeting whatever people think they are with this 'plot'?

Ha, there isn't enough space on here to answer that question. And I didn't refer to "this plot". The governments that are involved in ALL nefarious goings on is the same. Hence the study of the real history of the world is required should anyone care to learn the truth.

 

[countrybumpkin5]

The results should be dismissed if they are meaningless anyway i.e. not a accused batch. Lot to lot variability I assume has far less quality control regulation for animal feed than in human food. Honestly what is the test for if you don't know what to look for anyway? Protein content for example won't matter if the manufacturing plant had some kind of mold blowing in during a certain time period. These things happen and if enough product is effected there can be an investigation/recall. We did recalls based on taking people's word for it. People would call to complain about x product doing x and we would have an investigation that could end in a recall. The people havings issues just need to notify the manufacturer. Sure people may dismiss test resuts if it doesn't fit their confirmation bias but you do the same exact thing by dismissing people actually having a problem. None of this helps.

I'm not sure people really understand the grain situation. For instance, the aflatoxins and vomitoxins in the grain, which for the last two years has been so bad even hiding it was a big problem, does not go away. It cannot be heat treated away, it can't be supplemented over, nothing. It stays there, toxic as all git out. Best you can do is try to thin it out enough to make into feed at levels that hopefully will have no deleterious effects on whatever livestock, or human, is ingesting it. Not saying that's some of the problem but it very well could be. Once a feed is processed and pelletized you have a different situation as far as testing goes.

 

[countrybumpkin5]

I just want to go back to chickening. And I want to know if there is a problem, for other folks' sake.

I thought people would WANT to know. But they don't seem to. All they seem to really want is a "gotcha" moment.

I feel defeated. And I haven't even begun.

I don't know anyone that's had a problem that DOESN'T want to know. Many people didn't realize there might be a problem until hindsight, and therefore don't have feed bags, labels, batch numbers, etc. Not trying to make excuses, just saying there are varying reasons you might not get the responses you are hoping for. If people that changed feed and got good results are not concerned about pinpointing a cause that seems to have been corrected by a change then so be it. I'm sure the many others that have had issues but are not on this forum would be thrilled to see someone offer to have feeds tested. That said, Mike Adams has a bag of feed he is testing. I am not sure which brand or type however.

 

[countrybumpkin5]

And not a conspiracy, by definition, when they disclose as much.

Still a conspiracy, just not a theory only. Meaning, conspiracy is an actual situation and does happen all of the time. People attach the word "theory" to it to diminish the validity of the claim and the person making it. Thus far, nearly all of the "theories" people have been poo-pooed for have proven true. People whose security is threatened by finding out they've been fooled are usually the ones that use the term "conspiracy theory". As Mark Twain was reported saying, "It's easier to fool a man than to convince him he's been fooled."

 

[DavidReaves]

I suspect other variables than the food. I have a local organic egg farmer that pastures about 200 hens. Back in mid-October he announced to all his customers that egg production was declining. The reasons he listed included molt, weather stress, and daylight. He feeds a custom mix that is organic, soy-free, and corn-free.

Finally, early this week he announced that egg production is back up and that they can meet all demand. His egg production was down to a fraction of peak, yet he had nothing remotely related to Tractor Supply. His production was down for over 3 months

I won't argue that there may be some bad batches that slipped though QC, but I reject the idea that there are hidden power brokers that don't want us to have backyard eggs. I just don't think backyard eggs are that important and they don't have the economic influence to justify the type of manipulation that some are arguing is happening.

 

[countrybumpkin5]

I don’t think “spreading” a concern is a bad thing...We went from getting 6 to 8 eggs to the last week getting 19- 28 eggs a day with 70 laying chickens that are all 1 to 2 years old except for about 4 of them being 3 years old. We have had chickens for about 10 years now and had a catastrophe 4 years ago with Fox wiping out our smaller flock within about 20mins. So, given that the only difference is the feed, leaves me concerned about the feed. It’s not the first time it’s happened with these commercial feed manufacturers. There are recalls on dog and cat food all the time. You would be very naive to think it couldn’t happen with chicken feed or any other feed for that matter.

And it happens all the time with human food, it's kept quiet as much as possible.

 

[Alagirl]

You really should get out more. Simply inexcusable to know nothing about how the world works, and not just in 2023, but throughout all of recorded history. That said, this is about chickens and eggs and possible problems.

Ah, just this side of rude, eh?
Alas, you missed the point completely.
As I asked (almost a week ago?) a poster who they think is out to get them.
The answer was less than satisfactory. YMMV, naturally.
it IS about chicken and egg problems when people proclaim that some sort of conspiracy is keeping them from getting eggs year-round and whatnot.
It is not necessary to resort to jabs against posters when you don't like their contribution. You might know all there is to know about Cargil. I am sure you know next to nothing about the other people on this forum.

TTFN

 

[raingarden]

People talk about how many hours of daylight hens need to lay, but hens seem especially sensitive to CHANGES in the amount of daylight.

Strongly agree. I think it is more a matter of cumulative light-hours. A lot of species do that.

Our daylength ranges from 10 hours and 50 minutes in the winter to 13 hours and 25 minutes in the summer. It never gets to 14 hours light per day but the birds lay through most of the year with a peak in May-June and lull in August-September.

 

[raingarden]

I nominate @countrybumpkin5 for the prestigious BYC Conspiracy Theorist of the Year award. Well done. All opposed say "nay".