Healthy hen drops dead. Autopsy pics. **graphic**

[theladieskeeper]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1upDVFXEQPK8PUIF6Sj3Bt5CUQfX1PlTEhg799sDT-qM/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks for the chart!!!

 

[theladieskeeper]

Another thought -- If the composition of the feed is OK and the problem is truly their picking out the goodies --- maybe you can get your feed supplier (I think you said it's an Amish mill) to grind things down to a consistency where they can't pick and choose and consume it more like the standard crumble or pellet.

definitely going to talk to them, im sure he is willing to do what we need to do, I have to check the calcium # as well, the shells have been softer lately and they wont eat the oystershell calcium that's always out. its actually dusty so I know they aren't eating it.

 

[theladieskeeper]

Here is photo of feed tags if anyone is interested. I dont have one for the corn scratch, but they wont be getting that anymore, or the whole grain organic layer.

 

[Kiki]

Here is photo of feed tags if anyone is interested. I dont have one for the corn scratch, but they wont be getting that anymore, or the whole grain organic layer.

Sorry I am a bit confused now.
I though you were getting something made from an Amish mill.
This is what you get from them?
Or you have been feeding different types of feeds?


Eta.
First label looks good.
The second one might be high on the fat content.

 

[rebrascora]

I was interested in what the product actually looked like rather than the label although I know someone else asked about that, but since it is Scratch and Peck then I am pretty sure it is a whole grain feed. There is plenty of calcium in that product, but due to the nature of it's form, the powdery fines containing the calcium don't all get eaten whereas with a pellet they are all homogenously bound up with the other ingredients, so the hens get the full percentage on the label, normally about 4%.

 

[theladieskeeper]

Sorry I am a bit confused now.
I though you were getting something made from an Amish mill.
This is what you get from them?
Or you have been feeding different types of feeds?


Eta.
First label looks good.
The second one might be high on the fat content.

The white tag is the feed/mash from the Amish mill. I also use their corn based scratch, no label. To get the chickens to scratch up where i want them to by our fruit trees, which im now guessing did the damage.
I tried 50# of the whole grain feed and scratch from an internet site. Looks really nice with whole grains but they ate that and did ignore the mash. Which will become a very expensive, sad lesson at this point.

 

[theladieskeeper]

I was interested in what the product actually looked like rather than the label although I know someone else asked about that, but since it is Scratch and Peck then I am pretty sure it is a whole grain feed. There is plenty of calcium in that product, but due to the nature of it's form, the powdery fines containing the calcium don't all get eaten whereas with a pellet they are all homogenously bound up with the other ingredients, so the hens get the full percentage on the label, normally about 4%.

The second tag is what's in their feeders every day and is more a mash or ground powder with a few specks of larger grain pieces but definately broken up. The first label was something that i thought looked good being whole grains but you are correct the minerals wouldnt stick to the grain kernals very well. I wanted the mill to make me a whole grain feed but they said the added monerals and vitamins wouldnt stick to the grains and they wont eat it having a choice.

 

[Kiki]

The white tag is the feed/mash from the Amish mill. I also use their corn based scratch, no label. To get the chickens to scratch up where i want them to by our fruit trees, which im now guessing did the damage.
I tried 50# of the whole grain feed and scratch from an internet site. Looks really nice with whole grains but they ate that and did ignore the mash. Which will become a very expensive, sad lesson at this point.

Oh ok...

I'm guessing the mash is a crumble type feed...I am not familiar with the word mash.

 

[Kiki]

You can soak the mash type feed in water and feed it wet daily but you should only put out what they eat in one day at a time, to soak up all the powdery stuffs.

(think oatmeal consistency)

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Mash is powder. It's all ingredients ground together. That powder is what's extruded and cut into pellets which are chopped up for crumble.

So there are three forms of same feed- mash, crumble and pellet. Mash being cheapest as it's least work in process.