Local feed store feed I found my chickens love

[kuntrychick]

I was buying my chickens feed at our local feed & seed / hardware store. 16% (sometimes 22% in the fall & winter) layer pellets by Faithway Feeds out of Guntersville, AL I believe. They've done good on this & liked it pretty well and the feed & seed I get it from is just like 2-3 miles down the road from me (although most of the feed & seeds in my area carry this brand).

I've also bought Purina layer pellets several times at TSC (since they finally started carrying it a year or so ago). I really saw no difference as far as egg output but my chickens preferred the taste of the other kind better I believe.

Anyway, we were out & about one day & I needed chicken feed so we stopped at another feed & seed which is about 10-12 miles from me. I told them 16 % layer pellets & what they had was from Tucker Milling out of I believe Albertville, AL. It says no supplements needed & something about contains calcium for strong eggshells, but I still keep oyster shell out.

My chickens LOVE this stuff! I'm having to refill the feeder a lot more often. Even when it was so hot this summer, they were still eating it like crazy. And they also started laying eggs like crazy (was having to give them away & considered selling them). Even my BO that only lays when she wants to (not sure if she's getting old or what) started laying about every day!

Well, now they're molting, so hardly any eggs. I went yesterday & got some of the Tucker Milling feed in 22% protein to see if that will help. I noticed they've already eaten quite a bit of it since yesterday & one of the hens layed an egg earlier today.

What is it about some feeds that makes chickens lay more than others? Is it something about animal protein instead of soy protein?

I'll try to find an empty bag laying around & post the ingredients here to see what some of you experts think about it. If the 22% I got yesterday has a pull off label, I'll pull it off & post ingredients.

Anyone with any experiences with Tucker Milling feed? It may have to be you Alabama or surrounding states areas because I'm not sure if they're only here or what.

 

[peafowlmom]

Please keep me informed, still waiting for mine to lay.

 

[kuntrychick]

Ok, the Tucker Milling 16% says "16% Layer Pellets"

"Guaranteed Analysis"

CRUDE PROTEIN Min 16%
CRUDE FAT Min 3%
CRUDE FIBER Max 7%

Ingredients:
Processed Grain products, Grain Products, Plant protein products, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Pork Meat and Bone Meal, Vitamin E supplement, Thiamine Mononirate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Ethylenediamine Dihodriodide, Ferrous Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Ethoxyquin (a preservative), Dried Schizosaccharomyces Pombe Fermentation Product, Wheat flour, Calcium Propionate, Citric acid, and Vitamin B12 Supplement.

Ruminant Meat and Bone Meal Free (even though I do see Bone Meal as an ingredient???)

The 22% seems to be the same ingredients except instead of pork meat and bone meal, it says animal protein products and roughage products - of course more protein, less fat, & less fiber

22% says "Mini Pellet Super Lay 22% (these pellets are a little bit smaller around than the 16% ones)

Here's the "Guaranteed Analysis":

CRUDE PROTEIN 22%
CRUDE FAT 2.5 %
CRUDE FIBER 4%

Ingredients:
Processed Grain products, Grain Products, Plant protein products, Animal Protein Products, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Roughage Products, Vitamin E supplement, Thiamine Mononirate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Ethylenediamine Dihodriodide, Ferrous Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Ethoxyquin (a preservative), Dried Schizosaccharomyces Pombe Fermentation Product, Wheat flour, Calcium Propionate, Citric acid, and Vitamin B12 Supplement.

Ruminant Meat and Bone Meal Free

So, any of you feed experts wanna chime in & translate this? Lol

I know my chickens love it & was laying like crazy til they started molting. I'm hoping this higher protein will get them back in the swing of things, plus I got them some BOSS & today I gave them a treat of some plain yogurt mixed with some protein Greek yogurt, some of their feed, hard boiled eggs with shells mashed in, & BOSS all mixed in together. They loved it!

 

[rwbwfarm]

Just my opinion

but I'd be concerned about the pork meat/bone meal/animal proteins as who know what it may be. Also, ethoxyquin is a cancer-causing preservative. I know they'll eat some funky things normally but personally wouldn't want it in their regular food.

 

[speckledhen]

I use Tucker Milling exclusively because it has porcine protein in it. It makes for better feathering than veggie protein feeds like Purina. It's good quality feed and priced much better than Purina, too. I always recommend it-have been feeding it for years now. Unless you're feeding organic feeds, I seriously doubt you can find preservative-free feed, at least, not at a reasonable price.

 

[kuntrychick]

Quote:
What is porcine protein? Pork protein? I know I've read a lot on here about many preferring Purina, etc. I know I've read threads about plant proteins, soy proteins, animal proteins, etc. in feed.

And yes, almost everything (including foods we eat) contain so many preservatives, etc. I personally can't afford many organic foods for myself much less for my chickens.

I know my chickens have been doing great on this Tucker Milling feed. I'll probably still buy Purina here & there if it's the weekend or something & the feed store is closed or something. I'm sure I'll buy the Faithway from the feed store close to me out of convenience. But, for me, so far anyway, I'm sticking with the Tucker Milling as much as possible. It's $9 or $10 I think for a 50# bag. They love it, they lay more, their poops look way better (unless one of them gets too many grapes or something that day...lol).

 

[kuntrychick]

Quote:
Oh, and speckledhen, do you feed the 16% or the 22% & do you feed pellets or crumbles?

 

[Clay Mudd]

Quote:
Pigs aren't ruminants. The concern with ruminant by-products as feed is the possibility of spreading BSE (Mad Cow Disease). A slight possibility when feeding chickens, perhaps, but it makes us feel good to read that.

The rest of the ingredients look like the usual stuff:

Dried Schizosaccharomyces Pombe Fermentation Product

I think that's used brewer's yeast. B-vitamins. Good stuff.

Processed Grain products, Grain Products, Plant protein products

Gotta love the vagueness. "Whatever grain and/or grain by-products are cheap that week. Soy protein or whatever." edited to clarify: almost everybody does that on their feed labels.​

 

[Clay Mudd]

Quote:
Yep, "porcine" refers to pigs. I'd probably buy a bag of porcine meat and bone meal if the price was right.

Quote:
These days, I don't worry all that much about "organic" so much as "minimally processed". Think of it as a continuum rather than either/or.

 

[smkchick]

Is there a reason to feed 16% when 22% is available? Is it overkill to feed 22% all the time?