please help- what are the best brands of feed for laying hens?

avallen

Chirping
May 24, 2022
35
67
69
California
hi!
i’m just wondering on what feeds you guys recommend. i’d preferrably like a feed that’s soy free, and non gmo.
thanks! 🤍
 
Last edited:
hi!
i’m just wondering on what feeds you guys recommend. i’d preferrably like a feed that’s soy free, and non gmo.
thanks! 🤍
Define "best". Do you want least effort, best nutrition for your girls, cost effective [not that one, based on your question], something else?

By eliminating soy, you are already making it difficult - not impossible - but difficult to make a cost effective, nutritionally superior, feed - whether in the nonGMO, Organic, or "anything goes" market segments.

And out of curiosity, why no soy?
 
Define "best". Do you want least effort, best nutrition for your girls, cost effective [not that one, based on your question], something else?

By eliminating soy, you are already making it difficult - not impossible - but difficult to make a cost effective, nutritionally superior, feed - whether in the nonGMO, Organic, or "anything goes" market segments.

And out of curiosity, why no soy?
i’ve heard that the soy in eggs is what triggers egg allergies- not the eggs themselves. also we have a friend who won’t eat eggs unless they’re soy free.
i just want the best nutrition and also something the hens will like eating. ☺️
 
OK, judging from this thread and this thread I'm going to recommend you focus on the most cost effective complete feed you can find. Forget the no soy, forget the non gmo. Both add substantially to the price of your feed without any particularl benefit to your birds.

Purina Flock Raiser (crumble) is a complete feed, suitable for your chicks, your rooster, and your two hens. As an off the shelf solution, its nutritional analysis is better than most, and its price point is reasonable. Offer free choice oyster shell in a separate dish on the side. Your two hens might go thru one small bag of oyster shell a year.

Nutrena's Naturewise "All Flock" (crumble) isn't quite as good nutritionally, but its very close. It also claims to be "All Natural" which should not be mistaken for non-GMO or Organic - its neither of those things. Additionally, it often appears to be cheaper than purine, but that's because its commonly sold in a 40# bag, rather than the 50# bag from Purina.

You didn't list your city - CA is a big state - I couldn't google local feed stores to see what other brands might be available, or if you had a local mill that publishes their nutritional info.
 
i’ve heard that the soy in eggs is what triggers egg allergies- not the eggs themselves. also we have a friend who won’t eat eggs unless they’re soy free.
i just want the best nutrition and also something the hens will like eating. ☺️

I could link a lot of studies - including the new CA Teacher Study - but I've found that these beliefs are often an article of faith with certain crowds. Not going to tilt at windmills today.

Tell your friend there is no soy in a chicken egg. If they have a specific allergen they are concerned with, it may, or may not, successfully pass thru a chicken's digestive system, be absorbed into the blood stream, and later deposited in the albumin or yolk as its being formed. That can be determined once the offending chemical is identified.

Otherwise, see my post immediately above.
 
Chewy.com sells organic no corn no soy layer feed. Be prepared to pay a pretty penny these days. $100 for 50 pound bag. I'm in the process of changing formulas because of the expense. My girls will still eat organic but can't do the no corn no soy anymore 😭
 

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