Problems with Egg Laying Diet?

[junebuggena]

Hmmm. Funny... I worked on a farm that produces meat pigs (pork) and have always been told to never feed meat to animals intended for butcher... I can't remember why off the top of my head though.

There are strict regulations for diet when it comes to commercially produced meat animals because what they eat, the customer will eventually eat. Things like antibiotics and some pathogens linger in the tissues and can be passed on through the food chain, one animal to the next. Animal feed is not held to the same regulations, however. It's just safer for the producers to use a feed without animal proteins so they don't have the risk of their meat being rejected for having traces of something or other.
This isn't really a problem when it comes to home raised chickens. If I've already fed something to my family, there is little reason not to give it to the chooks. And very few illnesses can pass from mammal to poultry. The chickens love it when it's time to slaughter rabbits. They get the fresh blood, hearts, lungs, and livers.

 

[Welshies]

There are strict regulations for diet when it comes to commercially produced meat animals because what they eat, the customer will eventually eat. Things like antibiotics and some pathogens linger in the tissues and can be passed on through the food chain, one animal to the next. Animal feed is not held to the same regulations, however. It's just safer for the producers to use a feed without animal proteins so they don't have the risk of their meat being rejected for having traces of something or other.
This isn't really a problem when it comes to home raised chickens. If I've already fed something to my family, there is little reason not to give it to the chooks. And very few illnesses can pass from mammal to poultry. The chickens love it when it's time to slaughter rabbits. They get the fresh blood, hearts, lungs, and livers.

Hmmm... okay. Interesting.
Either way I save all our meat scraps for our dog. My chickens get the bugs and veggie scraps instead

 

[GGRinger]

my dogs get all the meat and poultry scraps, but my chickens get all the fish and seafood scraps. they love oysters! this works well for us since my dogs dont like fish and i think feeding chicken to my chickens is just wrong!

 

[Welshies]

I always pick up mealworms for my chickens whenever I head to town. In summer they have access to about 7 different anthills and they sure love it.

 

[aart]

I just bought 3 50lb bags of veggie feed for my 4 chickens, so looks like I'll be stuck with that for a while

Any chance you can take it back and trade it?
I'd only buy one bag at a time......with only 4 birds, feed could begin to go stale before they get thru even one 50lb bag let alone three of them.

 

[TwoCrows]

@st4rgut I am no expert on feed, however I see an ingredient in this feed that could be your problem as to why they are not eating. Molasses. It's very high on the list. I recently purchased a new feed with molasses in it and thought little of it. At first the birds were crazy about the feed and wolfed it down like mad. Then they started to slow down on it, coming to a grinding halt.

One of my birds turned up with a horrendous case of doughy crop. Another developed sticky tar like diarrhea poop. I treated these issues accordingly but could not solve the problem. These two birds became very sick, nobody was eating, many had lost weight and after research here on BYC, I found a thread in our archives on molasses causing sticky tar like poop.

I instantly stopped the feed and got them on another feed. Wouldn't you know, a few days later, the tarry poop stopped, birds were again chowing down! And no doubt the doughy crop was due to the sweet of the molasses.

Molasses is for horses and cattle to help prevent colic. Molasses flushes the system. Its not for chickens.

I would avoid this feed in my humble opinion.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I was told that animal feed tags aren't listed by the amount of the ingredient 1st to last like human food. 16% is fine, if your treats aren't over done. The 16% is NOT the minimum for egg laying. All directions say do not feed more than 10% treats & then say make sure they can clean up treats within 10-20 minutes. My chickens never take 10-20 minutes to clean up anything I give to them. If you are giving 18-20% feed, you are mostly giving more soy, which I refuse to do, unless the feed has animal protein. Years ago it was easy to find a 20-21% layer feed with animal protein, today it is not. Layer feed with 3.25%-4.25% calcium never seems to be enough for my hens. They always eat additional calcium in the form of oyster shells. Fresh feed is great. Your 4 should go through 150 lbs. in 3-4. Most added minerals are good for 6. I think it is good to have reserve feed, it stops the posts about "I ran out of feed & can't get to the feed store" posts. Just make sure the feed is fresh when you get it. My TSC has a habit of having 3-4 month old feed. The consensus on here is to feed higher protein non laying feed. You have to watch ingredients in that case, as some grower & starter feeds have cottonseed meal (shouldn't be fed to layers) & too much canola for laying hens. JMHO YMMV

 

[GC-Raptor]

@st4rgut I am no expert on feed, however I see an ingredient in this feed that could be your problem as to why they are not eating. Molasses. It's very high on the list. I recently purchased a new feed with molasses in it and thought little of it. At first the birds were crazy about the feed and wolfed it down like mad. Then they started to slow down on it, coming to a grinding halt.

One of my birds turned up with a horrendous case of doughy crop. Another developed sticky tar like diarrhea poop. I treated these issues accordingly but could not solve the problem. These two birds became very sick, nobody was eating, many had lost weight and after research here on BYC, I found a thread in our archives on molasses causing sticky tar like poop.

I instantly stopped the feed and got them on another feed. Wouldn't you know, a few days later, the tarry poop stopped, birds were again chowing down! And no doubt the doughy crop was due to the sweet of the molasses.

Molasses is for horses and cattle to help prevent colic. Molasses flushes the system. Its not for chickens.

I would avoid this feed in my humble opinion.

TC. I have a tag from feed, I fed during the summer. Molasses Products is the sixth ingredient.
I have 5 hens and I fed them three 40 pound bags in a row, without a problem.
Now it could be a different story in winter, when their crop is exposed to the cold.

. GC

 

[TwoCrows]

TC. I have a tag from feed, I fed during the summer. Molasses Products is the sixth ingredient.
I have 5 hens and I fed them three 40 pound bags in a row, without a problem.
Now it could be a different story in winter, when their crop is exposed to the cold.View attachment 1228448 . GC

I have no proof the molasses was the culprit in my situation, however obviously other members have had this trouble with it due to some older threads in our archives. Some birds may not be affected by it what so ever. I do know molasses is used as a flush in birds so I could only assume. My birds did improve after the feed change, however it still could have been some other ingredient bothering them. Molasses is used in these feed blocks, however they are only supposed to be a treat, not a full time diet. Again, I am no feed expert! But I am glad its working out for your flock!

 

[aart]

I was told that animal feed tags aren't listed by the amount of the ingredient 1st to last like human food.

I have hard this too......wonders if it's true....wish we knew for sure.