I'm Sending Feed to be Analyzed

[Aunt Angus]

Honestly the bulk of society does it because of cost and ease of prep. However, I imagine they like to pick a category that’s vegan or vegetarian because to them it sounds healthier. I’m usually being approached from a health angle and admitting their diet is usually made up of cheap easy foods comes across bad in their perspective. I have found that a lot of people do not actually know what foods are healthy. Instead they follow marketing which is extremely misleading.

This sounds pretty spot on. After years of dealing with a significant eating disorder followed by a cancer diagnosis, I had to take a step back and look at my diet. I still struggle with eating enough daily. Because I take in so few calories (my metabolism is jacked up - lemme tell you), I have to be careful what makes up the calories I do consume. When I started that re-evaluation process, I realized how little I actually knew about nutrition. And trying to find out info just resulted in a million and one different answers. And I was trying. Most folks don't try because they don't really have to.

 

[Bhubbard]

This sounds pretty spot on. After years of dealing with a significant eating disorder followed by a cancer diagnosis, I had to take a step back and look at my diet. I still struggle with eating enough daily. Because I take in so few calories (my metabolism is jacked up - lemme tell you), I have to be careful what makes up the calories I do consume. When I started that re-evaluation process, I realized how little I actually knew about nutrition. And trying to find out info just resulted in a million and one different answers. And I was trying. Most folks don't try because they don't really have to.

You are 100% correct. The deeper you go down the food rabbit hole the more questions you will have. It can drive you insane.

 

[nadiamaria3]

If anyone has done any testing already, please PM them to me so we can compare. It'd be ideal if someone who is certain the feed is tainted would also send for a test so this process is more vetted.

I wish I would have thought to test my feed. I just switched their feed over the weekend & two days later, my egg production is back to how it should have been.
I have 10 hens & was only getting up to 2 eggs (if I was lucky) a day, it would vary between 0-2 eggs a day. Exactly 2 days after I switched their feed, I got 8 eggs! This was just yesterday.
- I was originally feeding them DuMor 16% Layer Poultry feed (produced by Purina)
I just bought 2 bags & mixed them.
- Nature wise Feather fixer & Nature wise hearty 16% layer pellets - both produced by Nutrena.
I bought both not because my chickens have feather issues but because I liked the benefits of giving it to them. So I came home, mixed both bags together & fed them the mixed version.
It was a lot pricier but, now that I’m actually getting eggs again, I’d say it worth it.

I do believe it was the feed, now that I have switched & see a huge difference!

 

[miss heny]

Honestly the bulk of society does it because of cost and ease of prep. However, I imagine they like to pick a category that’s vegan or vegetarian because to them it sounds healthier. I’m usually being approached from a health angle and admitting their diet is usually made up of cheap easy foods comes across bad in their perspective. I have found that a lot of people do not actually know what foods are healthy. Instead they follow marketing which is extremely misleading.

Growing up my family always was on the weird spectrum with diverse diet but alot of people were pretty set in their ways. I eat goat and had a guy who hunt deer refuse to even try some I feel people in the US are so removed from what we raise to eat. Adding lbr most don't do work that needs such high amount of carbs and what not.

I'm shifting to eating Kosher but it has really led to me eating alot more vegetarian options. my house only eats as much meat as we do simply because we raise our own. Makes me sick of beef XD even though I know other families the mere idea of NOT eating meat with a meal is alien to them.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Ok - I am having the feed samples tested for guaranteed analysis (to see if they match the feed labels) and mycotoxins (including aflatoxins and vomitoxins).

Any objections to this? I am prepping them to send.

 

[miss heny]

Ok - I am having the feed samples tested for guaranteed analysis (to see if they match the feed labels) and mycotoxins (including aflatoxins and vomitoxins).

Any objections to this? I am prepping them to send.

Wanna do a check for pesticides too?

 

[Chris2018]

Ok - I am having the feed samples tested for guaranteed analysis (to see if they match the feed labels) and mycotoxins (including aflatoxins and vomitoxins).

Any objections to this? I am prepping them to send.

Glyphosate, there's been a few studies on Glyphosate (Round-up) and the affects on egg laying animals.
One of the side affects they found was a lower egg production.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Wanna do a check for pesticides too?

Are you referring to glyphosate? That's an herbicide. I can, but that will dramatically increase costs.

Anyone know if increase in glyphosate in the feed will inhibit egg laying?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Ok. This will set me back about $500. I will have to decide if it's worth it after I spent $800 on my duckie yesterday. I will crunch some numbers and make a decision.

 

[RoyalChick]

Ok. This will set me back about $500. I will have to decide if it's worth it after I spent $800 on my duckie yesterday. I will crunch some numbers and make a decision.

Entirely your decision Aunty, but I think you should save your money. It is a lot to spend on something that I am sure will not settle all the arguments. I know a lot of folk are interested in the outcome but there is no shame in deciding not to go ahead - particularly on top of that vet bill you were not planning on.
Just my 2 cents. And of course if you do go ahead I am interested in the outcome.