New Country Organics decline in quality

[petrel]

Purchased a bag of the NCO Soy Free pellets. It looks like I may have to starve my flock into eating them! I placed a handful on the ground. Each hen excitedly ran over, grabbed a pellet, dropped it, pecked it a bit, then walked away.

I have two feeders, so I filled one with the regular NCO whole grain, and one with a mix of mash and pellets that will transition into nothing but pellets. I'll see what happens when they eat their way into nothing but pellets.

 

[abigfathen]

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......

I have ordered directly from nco for years now and yes, their feed is not the quality it used to be. I end up with alot of pulverized feed and dust. However, ive never found any better. Did you find something better?

 

[LJoWilly]

I've fed NCO for almost any 3 yrs now. I am happy with this feed, except the cost of shipping!!

 

[Mossy Dell]

On just the freshness issue, where I am the premium pellets carried by TSC and Southern States don't seem fresh. Or the bag dates indicate they are NOT fresh. The humble Dumor mash and pellets sold by TSC are usually very fresh, based on the dates on the bags. A stale premium pellet is not as good as a fresh economy pellet, I think.