One year Later-Agway Hearty Hen Feed-Anyone using it?

[Cindy in PA]

It's been almost a year since Agway brought out their Hearty Hen no soy layer feed. Has anyone used it and what do you think of it? I go round & round with the poor feed choices around here and like the sound of no soy, but still have to contend with the GMO corn products in it. Can anyone tell us now a year later how your chickens did on the feed? With Agway's reasonable prices & the search for no soy feed, I have to think someone has been using it, so how's it working for you?

 

[redrstr29]

I just got it today, and blended half of the bag to mash, they ate it lets see what happens, what are your results?

Aldo

 

[Cindy in PA]

The chickens seemed to like it & the guineas loved it. Guineas are still using it. Egg production was pretty good & color was good. I went back to soy free organic, as I was leery of all the GMO corn & now canola meal that was in it. Would use it again if organic gets too expensive.

 

[redrstr29]

i think its supposed to be like layena, it was 20.20 for 50 lbs up here in ct...thanks

 

[Cindy in PA]

i think its supposed to be like layena, it was 20.20 for 50 lbs up here in ct...thanks

Wow, in March when I got it here it was $15.50. Your prices must be high.

 

[NewBreeder]

Hi Cindy

a thread was started for the Agway Soy free food here

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/636647/anyone-tried-agways-new-soy-free-feed-hearty-hen/20

I have been using it for over a year now and very pleased with the food

I have customers that are extremely allergic to soy
it was a blessing for them to find eggs and meat that is soy free food they could eat

The only thing that would make this food better is to have it both corn and soy free
then it would be a killer food, since these two ingredients are normally GMO in animal food products

Oh if your an ingredient reader, don't believe the order of the ingredients
From what I found out unless I am wrong
Animal products don't conform to what people food listings are required
having the order listed by the greatest amount first and so forth, Shame
it would help the users of their products understand what they are buying
IMHO a very deceiving practice

I am working on a food to replace it
this week I am talking with a chicken nutritionists to see what we can make the food with the available ingredients out there

I already have other the pieces in place just need to solidify the ingredients and I will know the final pricing

Check out the thread already started to find out what others have experienced using it for a while

As for CT chicken feed buyers it's amazing one state over from Massachusetts
your food is normally $5 to $10 more than what we pay
You would think CT is closer to the manufacturing of the product and would have less shipping costs involved
Go figure

Ed

 

[redhen689]

Cindy, I was just at the Agway in Bechtelsville, (Yes we're almost neighbors. I live near Oley.)
I went in and asked what they had and he told me that the Hearty Hen was very popular, so I bought a bag.
I bought some organic feed from Panorama Organic Feed (Vernon Burkholder) in Oley a couple of months ago. I've had good results on their feed and will probably buy some more, but find their 80 lb bags cumbersome to work with, and it was out of my way today.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Cindy, I was just at the Agway in Bechtelsville, (Yes we're almost neighbors. I live near Oley.)
I went in and asked what they had and he told me that the Hearty Hen was very popular, so I bought a bag.
I bought some organic feed from Panorama Organic Feed (Vernon Burkholder) in Oley a couple of months ago. I've had good results on their feed and will probably buy some more, but find their 80 lb bags cumbersome to work with, and it was out of my way today.

What are they getting for a bag right now & is it still 50 lbs.? What ingredients are they using now? Sorry for the questions, but I haven't used it for a while & am thinking about it again. I like Vernon's feed, but we started going away for 3-4 days at a time more often & it just doesn't flow through the feeder as well as pellets. I was using Nature's Best for awhile, but TSC never has it in stock. Right now I'm using Feather Fixer since it's 18%. Thanks for letting me know. My chickens always seemed to like Hearty Hen.

 

[TalkALittle]

What are they getting for a bag right now & is it still 50 lbs.?  What ingredients are they using now? Sorry for the questions, but I haven't used it for a while & am thinking about it again.  I like Vernon's feed, but we started going away for 3-4 days at a time more often & it just doesn't flow through the feeder as well as pellets.  I was using Nature's Best for awhile, but TSC never has it in stock.  Right now I'm using Feather Fixer since it's 18%.  Thanks for letting me know.  My chickens always seemed to like Hearty Hen.

My understanding is that Hearty Hen is no longer being sold under the Agway label but is now being sold under the Nutrena Nature Wise label. What had formerly been Agway's Egg Producer is now Nutrena Country Feeds Egg Producer.

 

[redhen689]

My understanding is that Hearty Hen is no longer being sold under the Agway label but is now being sold under the Nutrena Nature Wise label. What had formerly been Agway's Egg Producer is now Nutrena Country Feeds Egg Producer.

That's why I was confused.
I bought it at Agway, but it does say Nutrena NatureWise on the label.
I paid 12.50 for a 40 lb bag. It is soy free. It contains Corn, Wheat, Alfalfa, Flax seeds, Kelp, Marigolds, Vitamins, Minerals, and products of fermentation. (incomplete list)