Feeds affecting laying?

[Cindy in PA]

I follow many homesteaders on you tube and FB. Many of them have experienced the same thing with TSC feeds. Some didn't want to believe what they suspected, but when they went to the process of elimination, quit feeding said feeds and started with things like table scraps, mixing their own, or finding a local feed mill their chickens started laying again. So this is not a conspiracy, it is a real thing. Several years back I was feeding PP from TS when I was in CA. We had 20 girls and they dropped off on laying when winter set in but then spring sprung and egg production was next to nothing. After doing some research, I switched to a local feed mills feed, and within a week the egg production increased significantly.
Since then I never went back to any of the big corporate stores for feed, always a local feed store and besides I like supporting local businesses, AND keeping my girls happy

Did you ever contact the company or just assume it was the feed?

 

[countrybumpkin5]

So you agree with the rest of us, then. We're all saying there are too many variables. Your first posts came off as quite unreasonable and unwilling to consider any other perspectives. Thank you for clarifying.

I apologize for lack of clarity. I abbreviate posts as much as possible for many reasons and that often leads to misunderstanding. I'm very old school, and old, and prefer in person conversation, phone calls, etc. That said, yes, there are almost always many variables in ANY situation, with a few exceptions. A flat tire from a nail, is, well, a nail in a tire. However, it could also be thin tread on an old tire that allowed that. I know you understand my point. What I have a problem with is the immediate dismissal of people's very real experiences and their conclusions when others aren't actually there. A fly on the wall has many advantages. As well, even though I have no FB, Twitter, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok or any social media accounts, just because something is posted there does not automatically make it suspect, even though I agree that those platforms lend themselves to incredulity, spams, trolls, and outright deception. I also take issue with the view that a certain company would never do anything that seemingly cuts their bottom line, because I know better. All of that said, I think your offer to have testing is quite generous and should be welcomed by all.

 

[countrybumpkin5]

Who said it never happened with long time chicken raisers? In 2009 I had 18 month old birds that didn't lay 1 egg between the 12 of them in 6 weeks. That never happened to me in the previous 16 seasons of raising chickens. There was no TikTok or FB, so I never found out why this happened.

If you go back to earlier posts you will see the comment. I don't have time now to search for that, but it was made. I agree that this has nothing to do with FB, even though it may be perpetuated and misrepresented there, I don't know, because I have no FB acct.

 

[countrybumpkin5]

Did you ever contact the company or just assume it was the feed?

One thing that people need to understand as well. And that's the fact that a company will deny, deny, deny, obfuscate, circle around, distract, and cover up. That's their job. So the fact that one could count on accurate information is slim indeed. Individual store managers would be honest if they said they have not heard of problems, their feed isn't old, the company still manufactures the same way, etc, because they would have no clue and be going from what they are told. It would even go much farther up the ladder than that. However, that's also one of the first things I would do, if for nothing else than to hear their first reaction, which is usually quite telling. This is where in person contact is useful, to see body language and expressions, but alas, not likely in most circumstances.

 

[bellaisa]

I know the newbies bring up winter questions a lot and that muddies the water in this convo/mystery. Has anyone really had their chickens just not lay for 2-3 months at a time? I’m talking zero eggs. Or have I been lucky for 8 years except this year in getting a fraction throughout the snowy months?

I have been raising chickens for several years. I have 22 hens and get new birds every year so we should still be getting some eggs. I have 2 green egg layers out of the group, they are the only ones that have been laying consistently this year. Since winter only one green egg every day and maybe one brown once a week. This has been the worse winter laying season for us since we started. I got 15 new chicks this week so keeping my fingers crossed we get some eggs this coming winter.

 

[Butchers Wife]

I’m glad this thread is here. The other thread (15 pages) was shut down for “staff review.” Not suspicious at all
It is worth mentioning, while so many diss the testimony of chicken raisers many of whom have decades experience, that both Tractor Supply And Purina owners have ties to WEF and have controversies in their history. With millions of chickens being killed by CDC after pcr tests supposedly confirming bird flu and the price of eggs skyrocketing, and after two years of Covid showing many of us that most of the three letter agencies can no longer be trusted, questioning and sharing and testing for ourselves may be the most prudent course. Just saying.

I’m adding rice and cooked beans to supplement - and will continue to add mealworm treats etc. the. After we finish this Puritan Pride feed, I plan on mixing our own- then we will know exactly what’s in it! It will be cheaper as well.

I agree! I'm doing whole soaked grain and I'll be planting some of my own. I've heard an seen enough. Last summer, my rabbits started showing signs of starvation. excessive shedding, abandoned litters, lost some adults in their prime. Heard about some deadly rabbit sickness. Dropped pellet feed and fed only weeds, grasses and veggies from the yard and garden and saw an immediate improvement. Never going back! They lost me. Probably, like when I canceled cable tv in 2010, they didn't just lose me, they lost all of mine for generations to come. None of my grandkids in 4 households have ever lived in a home with cable tv. Just served Sunday dinner to the whole extended family and the wanton destruction and forced bleeding of American's wealth and health by bloated bureaucrats with dreams of world domination was the hot topic. And the older kids started a dead pool for the Pfizer R&D dude.

 

[countrybumpkin5]

I agree! I'm doing whole soaked grain and I'll be planting some of my own. I've heard an seen enough. Last summer, my rabbits started showing signs of starvation. excessive shedding, abandoned litters, lost some adults in their prime. Heard about some deadly rabbit sickness. Dropped pellet feed and fed only weeds, grasses and veggies from the yard and garden and saw an immediate improvement. Never going back! They lost me. Probably, like when I canceled cable tv in 2010, they didn't just lose me, they lost all of mine for generations to come. None of my grandkids in 4 households have ever lived in a home with cable tv. Just served Sunday dinner to the whole extended family and the wanton destruction and forced bleeding of American's wealth and health by bloated bureaucrats with dreams of world domination was the hot topic. And the older kids started a dead pool for the Pfizer R&D dude.

Careful, or you and CarlaCo will get a Conspiracy Theorist Award like I did on here! Hahahaha. Funny, but yet not. Too many just don't care to actually look at facts that are hidden in plain sight. It's been done not just to chickens, multiple times, but also to hogs and even beef cows in the past. All planned and unjustified but people prefer to accept the deception and that's their choice but it seems so obvious that it's difficult to understand how it all can be so adamantly argued against. I agree with all you've both said, and I, too, have no television and haven't for many years, and my grandkids are privy to all the truth about what has gone on as well. We are not as much in the minority as it would appear, however. Thanks for your testimony of your experience.

 

[Geena]

Too many just don't care to actually look at facts that are hidden in plain sight.

There's nothing wrong with having a healthy dose of skepticism. But the FACTS are that there are a lot reasons why someone's hens may not be laying, 98.5% of which have nothing to do with commercial feed. Many just feel it's irresponsible and unproductive to jump to that conclusion with not a shred of evidence.

Speaking of evidence @Aunt Angus , have you received any feed samples yet?

 

[Aunt Angus]

There's nothing wrong with having a healthy dose of skepticism. But the FACTS are that there are a lot reasons why someone's hens may not be laying, 98.5% of which have nothing to do with commercial feed. Many just feel it's irresponsible and unproductive to jump to that conclusion with not a shred of evidence.

Speaking of evidence @Aunt Angus , have you received any feed samples yet?

Not yet, but someone has a sample in transit. Two more folks have offered, and someone has even seen offered to help pay. I'm grateful! Restores my faith in people a little.

What's weird, though, is that the guy everyone says Isa food expert (can't remember his name - my b) hasn't released any results. I think he was supposed to conduct testing a while ago and hasn't. Most of the labs I've contacted have a turnaround time of 5 business days. I want to see those results, too.

 

[Crooked C Farm]

It doesn't look like Land O'Lakes is owned by Cargill, but they both own Purina.
https://csnews.com/land-olakes-buy-purina
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.deseret.com/2001/6/18/19591980/land-o-lakes-purchasing-purina-mills-in-stock-deal?_amp=true
https://www.cargill.com/animal-nutrition/brands/purina

Unless you live outside the U.S. Cargill does not own Purina.
Note bottom of page.

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

"PURINA® and the Checkerboard logo are licensed trademarks of Société des Produits Nestlé. Available outside the U.S. only."

In the U.S. Land-O-Lake owns Purina Livestock feed along with Mazuri Exotic Animal Nutrition.

In the U.S. Nestle owns Purina Pet Food.