My (quite short) TSC feed experiment.

[countrybumpkin5]

It’s interesting that the weather hasn’t been strange for you, but I’ve also noticed that east of I-44 trends differently than west of it. Animals seem to adjust to whatever is the norm where they live, so maybe your birds are more used to it than mine?

It honestly wouldn’t surprise me if it is the food causing the egg-laying problems, but it would very much surprise me if it was done on purpose. Since my neighbor experienced an identical drop in egg production, just a month different from mine, I think that for me it was just the weird weather. If you suspect your feed of being the problem, I highly recommend testing it.

Ha, oh it's been strange, it's just that it's always strange. ( :
I would not be surprised at the feed being a problem either due to the poor grain this past year. The price dock on a bushel was incredibly high just because of the quality, weight, vomitoxin, etc. An overall disaster for most crop farmers. Some of the fields of corn that were made into silage due to the weather are a risk as well. I have not talked to any other people that have layers around here but I imagine most probably feed the MFA feed since there isn't much choice here without driving at minimum 30 miles one way. You are right about I-44. It's a very strange phenomenon and I've always wondered exactly what it is about it that divides the weather so distinctly.

 

[la dee da]

Ha, oh it's been strange, it's just that it's always strange. ( :
I would not be surprised at the feed being a problem either due to the poor grain this past year. The price dock on a bushel was incredibly high just because of the quality, weight, vomitoxin, etc. An overall disaster for most crop farmers. Some of the fields of corn that were made into silage due to the weather are a risk as well. I have not talked to any other people that have layers around here but I imagine most probably feed the MFA feed since there isn't much choice here without driving at minimum 30 miles one way. You are right about I-44. It's a very strange phenomenon and I've always wondered exactly what it is about it that divides the weather so distinctly.

When I watch weather patterns on the weather news, it looks like we get a blast of warmer air that pushes up on the air moving east, forcing the bad weather to follow I-44 instead of hitting us. We’re also just east of the ”tornado line” that tends to follow I-44, and I suspect it’s all related. I’ve never looked into it, but that’s what seems to be happening.

I hadn’t thought about the poor crops this year affecting feed, but that’s a very good point.

 

[saysfaa]

.. You are right about I-44. It's a very strange phenomenon and I've always wondered exactly what it is about it that divides the weather so distinctly.

My dad called the divides "weather lines." He first noticed one just north of us because of how often the school closings on the radio had either schools north of it or schools south of it having snow days but rarely both.

Since then, we have noticed many such divides as the family has lived in many states and regions. I don't remember hearing of weather reporters talking about them much but I assume they know about them. Maybe they even know what causes them.

The warm air pushing up is part of it but why does it push so precisely that far and no further?

 

[Coops Dad]

I have been using the Country Pride/TSC house brand for at least the last two years and haven't seen the production slowdown that others have seen; our chickens also have 6+ acres of pasture to graze upon plus whatever leftovers from the kitchen, etc.

One big difference between our chickens and and our neighbor's chickens is I have two 100 watt CFL brooder lamps hanging in their shelter (20'x30' tractor shed) that come on at 3:30 AM and go off after sun up. That is the only change I made this winter and our 28 layers went from 9-11 eggs a day to 20-22 a day within two weeks of the addition of the lights.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

In my opinion, you can disagree me with all you want. But here’s my take, Producer Pride is more available than a local company…. i don’t have “local companies” by me that sells chicken feed. Prices of eggs went up, so in their minds they turned to backyard chicken owners and said hey let’s make this food toxic so they can’t get eggs either and are forced to pay for store bought.

A lot of people are unaware what to actually feed their chickens. So they get laying pullets and think “hey i’ll by it the cheapest ‘layer feed’ i can find” aka TSC. Readily available and pretty cheap. And ik this is a fact because i’ve myself educated a lot of people on here alone that you shouldn’t be feeding your chickens anything under 18%.

Now, i made the same mistake when i first got my chickens. I bought Producer Pride layer feed because it was cheap. After reading on here ab what other people fed theirs i changed the food to Purina All Flock 20%. As soon as i changed the feed, egg shells got stronger, yolks were more orange, they were laying a lot more frequently, and i noticed my birds had more energy.

Call me crazy but NO ONE should be feeding their chickens producer pride, and should turn more towards something 18% and above if you want good eggs.

CKfarm22, IMO, its protein for the win! I cant seem to get my only 5 hens (20 months) off of their 20% protein. I offer both the chick starter and the 16% layer feed mixed together. They leave all the 16% pellet and only go after the chick starter crumbles. All of my hens are finally laying again after a long break, late fall up until 2 weeks ago. I offer real crushed oyster shell ( i collect from beach and crush them myself) and they have been going through those quick. So, i think moving forward, i will keep them on the high protein feed and keep those oyster shells comin'. Our feed is Natures Best Organic i get from TSC. I'm in CT and my hens stopped laying end of September and just started back up again 2 weeks ago. They did first molt this fall as well.

 

[CKfarm22]

CKfarm22, IMO, its protein for the win! I cant seem to get my only 5 hens (20 months) off of their 20% protein. I offer both the chick starter and the 16% layer feed mixed together. They leave all the 16% pellet and only go after the chick starter crumbles. All of my hens are finally laying again after a long break, late fall up until 2 weeks ago. I offer real crushed oyster shell ( i collect from beach and crush them myself) and they have been going through those quick. So, i think moving forward, i will keep them on the high protein feed and keep those oyster shells comin'. Our feed is Natures Best Organic i get from TSC. I'm in CT and my hens stopped laying end of September and just started back up again 2 weeks ago. They did first molt this fall as well.

Yes!!! And i can’t believe people would even argue about it tbh. But i guess if you were feeding your chickens 16% forever and never switched then they wouldn’t see a difference either, like i had when i switch to a higher protein

My chickens only took a 2-3 week break due to their molt. And the reason i think they laid so early was because i had 3 new layers in the bunch

 

[Cindy in PA]

CKfarm22, IMO, its protein for the win! I cant seem to get my only 5 hens (20 months) off of their 20% protein. I offer both the chick starter and the 16% layer feed mixed together. They leave all the 16% pellet and only go after the chick starter crumbles. All of my hens are finally laying again after a long break, late fall up until 2 weeks ago. I offer real crushed oyster shell ( i collect from beach and crush them myself) and they have been going through those quick. So, i think moving forward, i will keep them on the high protein feed and keep those oyster shells comin'. Our feed is Natures Best Organic i get from TSC. I'm in CT and my hens stopped laying end of September and just started back up again 2 weeks ago. They did first molt this fall as well.

So Nature's Best chick starter is 20%? I know it used to be 18% & saw it changed recently. You can confirm 20%? Thanks.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

So Nature's Best chick starter is 20%? I know it used to be 18% & saw it changed recently. You can confirm 20%? Thanks.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Same feed, different %'s. I think kiki and ustormcrow already revealed this possibility, and heres another example. Seems the crude fat, the crude fiber, and salt ingredients are different upon comparison.

 

[MysteryChicken]

@U_Stormcrow