Purina Flock Raiser concern

[Darklingstorm]

I've been very happy with Purina feeds and have been feeding them only Purina Flock Raiser for awhile now. However here lately I've noticed a change in the feed.

I noticed that there is a lot more dust in it. I feed my chickens in a large pan so it is very easy to notice the large amount of dust left behind now. I've also noticed that the color of the feed has turned significantly more yellow. I'm assuming this means there is lots more corn now in it than before. Even my hubby (who doesn't care for the chickens) noticed the difference in color, we had some of the older feed left over.

I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this change too or did I just get "the bottom of the barrel" so to speak.

 

[garp94]

I've noticed it too, and it's quite annoying. I just assumed my last 2 bags were beaten up more before i got them, but now that you mention it they are more yellow, too. I feed the pellets bec my girls waste less than when i feed crumbles, but with all the dust/crumbled pellets there's more waste again.
I"m about to move from the raiser to the layer formula, so it won't matter too much longer [ unless they've done the same to that]

 

[feathers_3]

The Purina Layer Pellets is all I feed my chickens, other than grass, bugs, a forage cake now and then and cracked corn as a treat. I have tried the crumbles but too much of it gets wasted and they seem to prefer the pellets. But the Purina Pellets are great. I have not had any issues with them, so you should be good to go!! One thing I would suggest if you have not done it before, is to give them stale bread. They absolutely love it. Except mine are spoiled and will not eat the bread unless I hand feed it to them. But that's just another idea for ya. Happy Laying to ya'll!!!

 

[Darklingstorm]

I plan on switching to Layena in pellet form but I have chicks that aren't old enough yet to go on a layer feed. Will have to switch all together on the duck feed.
I will just have to grimace and bare it till I can switch.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

The grind consistency can chance once in a while depending on what portion of the bin the feed is coming from goes into your bag. When the mill comes closer to the bottom there will sometimes be more dust. The next bag may be a lot more crumbles.

The precise ingredients and amounts used in the feed does change from time to time. This is why Purina (and many other feed manufacturers) do not state specific feed components on the label instead using broad and vague categories such as "plant protein byproducts." Feed ingredients are commodities and like all commodities subject to wide swings in price and availability. Last month a given ingredient may have been relatively cheap. This month it may have risen in price enough that they stopped using it or at least as much necessitating a reformulation of the feed. They can do this because they keep animal nutritionists on staff whose job is to formulate and reformulate feed recipes as commodity prices change.

No matter how they formulate the feed it should deliver no less than the nutrition stated on the tag. Those labels are heavily regulated so they can't just put anything on them. The feed has to deliver what the mill claims on the tag.

 

[feathers_3]

What I do when the chicks come off the Starter/Grower feed I just feed them cracked corn or scratch feed. Then when they are about 5-6 months I start them on the Laying Pellets.