New Country Organics decline in quality

[Loona]

Hi,
A few years ago I thought I found the holy grail of chicken feed, NCO. But starting last year I've noticed a decline in quality. Used to be a rich color and lots of variety and now it's turned into a pale mix with lots of leftover powder, cracked yellow peas and so many pea shells I have to shake and blow them off. In about Nov 2017 they would hardly even touch it which was unusual. So much leftover. The place I got two bags from accepted my return and replaced them, and they did eat the new ones. But still, overall I'm finding it's just not as good as it was.

I the past few months I've had to deal with sour crop three times. Two of them died, and I was so upset. It always starts with a crop full of grains. Now I have another one with sour crop and I really have to wonder if it's the feed. So I have to find something else immediately.

I welcome all suggestions.

My flocks stays cooped up, no free range because of locale and predators. I feel a pellet diet is so boring for them but can anybody encourage me that this is a good type of feed? I like a pellet because all the nutrients are packed in. I do occasionally supplement their diet with soaked pellets and they love it, but can they live well on just a pellet diet w/o getting tired of it?

Anyone else using NCO and not feeling as good about it or having health issues?

Thanks so much.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Feeding all pellets is fine, as you noted the nutrients are all ground up and included in the pellet so no need to worry about whether or not they're getting the nutrition they need.

Chickens don't really get tired of their food from what I've seen. They don't like change, so they're probably happier if you pick one food and stick to it, rather than change every couple of bags.

 

[Loona]

I never switched up they're feed, only supplemented on occasion w/soaked pellets when I noticed they were wasting the grain feed.

It's in the past 6-8 months that I've seen a pattern of decline, but losing hens from sour crop is pushing me to seriously question it as the culprit. Someone else on here, not long ago, was talking about it, too, but can't find the post. It was within another thread. She was having sour crop issues and lost one and had another she thought she might lose too. At that time I had not lost any hens yet, but in the past two months I've lost two, also one had impacted crop who's fine now, but as of this morning I have another hen w/impacted crop.

I think I had better just make the switch. Not feeling comfortable about this grain feed anymore. I'm just feeling bad about them eating pellets day after day seems like a very boring diet, but you're right they don't necessarily get tired of their feed. They will eat if thats all they have.

Thank you for the reassurance.

 

[gator75]

I would think that a chicken getting the same pellet feed every day for life would be very happy with its diet.

 

[Kiki]

I believe feeding a pellet or crumble feed is better than feeding a whole grain type feed.
And...chickens don't get bored from eating the same thing daily for life, it's what they do.

IF you want to switch to a different brand name of feed you really need to go to your local stores and see what is available on your shelfs.
If shipping isn't a problem then feel free to use the Google sheet I have made to compare feeds. You can find it by clicking the link about feeds down below in my signature area.

 

[Chris2018]

Sound like it more a distributor problem rather than the manufacturer.
If the feed has sat awhile at the place your getting your feed from it will change color some and after getting moved around by workers and costumers the product within the bag will break down some.

 

[Loona]

Sound like it more a distributor problem rather than the manufacturer.
If the feed has sat awhile at the place your getting your feed from it will change color some and after getting moved around by workers and costumers the product within the bag will break down some.

I have called them a few times throughout the years basically asking them what the expiration date is on the feed that I bought through the local farm cooperative. Yes, once it was expired and another time it had small bugs in it. I know many here have commented that feed that doesn't explicitly state the date is questionable. I've told them that as well to please include the date so I don't have to call and ask. But they still haven't done so. So I stopped buying it from the co-op because they obviously don't know how to rotate their products, and now buy it directly from NCO and was told I'd get the freshest lot. But even so I still called again about the quality looking the same and then I was told it is not even manufactured THERE in Virginia where it leads you to believe it is! I was really annoyed. It's made in a large plant in Texas and distributed to various locations in the US. None of this means the feed is "bad" but they do have quality issues, and I'm losing hens. I'm trying to help another one recover right now. It looks hopeful but we're not out of the woods yet.

When I first bought it the feed it looked rich and wonderful unlike anything I've ever seen for sale for chickens. Variety of green and orange/yellow split peas, wheat berries, flaxseed, bit of cracked corn and alfalfa pellets in a powdery base. Now it seems since last year (when health issues began) the feed is pale and dry and just simply full of pea shells, so much I have to blow them off. The green peas are hardly in there and what used to look like orangey/yellow peas are def pale yellow. All of it, just looks so inferior to what it once was. I'm very disappointed.

I do remember someone else commenting here about the quality issue and she was losing hens too. I conversed w/her but at that time had not lost any hens yet. But our timing was similar in noticing the difference. It was within another thread so I can't find it, but I'm done with this feed. My trust is now broken and I must switch to pellet. I'll be calling them next week to let them know because they need to know. They did say they were coming out with a pellet. Oh boy......

 

[Loona]

I believe feeding a pellet or crumble feed is better than feeding a whole grain type feed.
And...chickens don't get bored from eating the same thing daily for life, it's what they do.

IF you want to switch to a different brand name of feed you really need to go to your local stores and see what is available on your shelfs.
If shipping isn't a problem then feel free to use the Google sheet I have made to compare feeds. You can find it by clicking the link about feeds down below in my signature area.

Thank you so much for the vote of confidence on the pellet feed. I have always known this in the back of my mind, therefore I do include pellets in their feed. The ratio being prob 80/20, but I've always felt like they would be bored from it. The variety in the grain feed is very nice, but I'm pretty sure, especially with the noted decline in quality, it's contributing to illness and death.

I called one place yesterday about getting some medications and the person there gave me a good tip, she said do not feed them once a day. They gorge and as they get older they just can't digest that grain like they used to. She said switch to pellet and soaking it is fine if they like it that way but it does degrade quick and needs to be replenished too often. She suggested to leave an endless supply of pellets in a feeder that way they never gorge they know it's always there and they get what they need.

The pellet I'm using is Nature's Best Organics. It's a nice green pellet. But it's the only organic pellet that is sold around here that I like and do eat it. I will def take a look at your list of feeds. Thanks alot for providing that.

 

[Loona]

I would think that a chicken getting the same pellet feed every day for life would be very happy with its diet.

Thank you for that vote of confidence. Nice to hear that it's perfectly fine despite my 'emotional' feeling that it's boring. I mean I have to ask myself, whenever my chickens seem a bit off, how come I always reach for the bowl of soaked pellets as a "treat"?? It's because I know it's best! Just always liked the variety of that other feed, but my hens are getting older, and problems are arising and it's time to change. Thanks again.

 

[Folly's place]

It's also commonly seen in pet house birds and rodents; they will select the yummiest bits from a grain mix, and become malnourished, fat, have fatty liver, retained eggs, prolapses, etc. Pelleted or crumbled feeds are balanced and the critters eat a balanced diet, rather than selecting the 'candy'. Worse yet, old feed! There should be a mill date on each bag, and it should be within one month, and fed within six weeks of milling. After that, some vitamins will begin to be lost, not a good thing.
What's available fresh in your area is a good buy! Brands vary, so check your local feed stores, and pick something that's going to work for you.
Mary