New Country Organics decline in quality

[Folly's place]

I've seen Nature's Best locally at TSC, but haven't tried it. I like Flock Raiser and see no reason to change.
Mary

 

[Loona]

A more likely situation is that these hens are starving and in a futile attempt to get enough calories or other nutrients your chickens are consuming way to much roughage or fiber and this is contributing to the sour crop the OP mentioned.

Yes, I think perhaps they have lacked nutrients from waste, but they've been on this feed for years. There truly seems to be an issue with the quality for so many months now. Was alerted last November when they totally ignored their feed. I'd never seen that, and I didn't really like the bag I bought, so I called to get the date of the lot number. I hate they don't label the date. It was not expired, but something was wrong. I returned them and got a new bag, and they ate it. When I called they said nothing had changed but I was not convinced. Ever since then, I just haven't been satisfied with quality. Each time I open a new bag I hope to see that nice rich looking feed, but nope, same dry pale stuff full of pea shells. Now this spring after all the sour crop issues and two deaths, I can longer use this as their feed. The hit or miss is unacceptable. I'm so happy that the one who was sick is on the mend. She's eating pellet mash, crop is clear of all grains, and poops are all getting better. I now look at the pellet in a whole new light.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

... I'm going to throw some of my feed... into my blender tomorrow to see if I can spot any black specks.

Just don't forget to count all the insect fragments, rat pills, mice hair, and frog parts that manage to make it into a bag of bread flour little less into a sack of chicken feed. George.

 

[Loona]

I'm glad that your hens are recovering!
Chickens get into enough trouble without having issues with their feed!
Mary

Thank you! I'm SO happy too. She is the roosters favorite hen. We put him in with her in the chicken tractor and he was so glad to see her

 

[Folly's place]

I'm not into thinking that there's an 'expiration date' on chicken feed. It's about the mill date, which needs to be within a month, IMO. Some vitamins are being lost after that time, and feeding fresh is best.
Feed stores are interested in selling inventory, regardless of age..
Mary

 

[Loona]

Just don't forget to count all the insect fragments, rat pills, mice hair, and frog parts that manage to make it into a bag of bread flour little less into a sack of chicken feed. George.

Yes I have wondered!

 

[Loona]

I'm not into thinking that there's an 'expiration date' on chicken feed. It's about the mill date, which needs to be within a month, IMO. Some vitamins are being lost after that time, and feeding fresh is best.
Feed stores are interested in selling inventory, regardless of age..
Mary

Yes, that's the date which should be on the bag. There was an reason for them to not put the date on but I cannot remember exactly what he said. Frankly I did not even understand it, but I told him it would be really helpful because I don't want to keep calling to get the date. Yes, I always want the freshest, but wasn't always sure I was getting that from the feed store, as I wondered if they're rotating their stuff properly.

 

[Folly's place]

The places I visit don't always rotate inventory well, and I always check that mill date!
What's the feed company trying to hide? Open dating makes sense to me, and is usually done now.
mary

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Feed is a commodity and being a commodity feed is shipped in rail cars, ships, and barges. Often it is in transect for weeks if not months. This doesn't take into consideration the time spent sitting in grain elevators, silos, the open, or just waiting for a buyer or an up swing in prices. The Grain elevators also must add all the dust, chaff, and broken grains back into the grain shipped or else haul it away and pay for it to be land filled. Much depends on when or from which layer of grain your chicken food was produced.
Ok people how is this for storing grain in the open?

 

[Cindy in PA]

My Southern States does not sell Nature's Best. Only have found it in Tractor Supply. Yes, I noticed that, Canola, which is the weed Rapeseed. Thank you for the info.

That is what is frustrating with the new Soy free feed. I can only get the regular NB at TSC, but they claim only Southern States dealers will have the soy free right now & only if you order it. Their proposed roll out date for this feed was last August & they still don't have it out there!