Purina Layena sucks

[Thyme4Chickens]

@ChickenCanoe - I learn so much from your posts! Thanks!

 

[h2oratt]

I cracked few eggs several times last year to check the york. There are some orange and some light yellow. They are eating the same feed. My theory it all depend on the hen breed line and not the feed.

I agree. My chickens all eat the same feed. Some yolks are darker depends on the breed.

 

[moniquem]

@ChickenCanoe - I learn so much from your posts! Thanks!

Thank you! As a new chick owner, I have a mini flock of four-18 week old girls, I just purchased a bag of this https://www.purinamills.com/chicken-feed/products/detail/purina-layena-plus-omega-3. I was wondering what every one thought about it. I still have about 1/4 bag of the chick crumbles but wanted to get some layer feed as I'm sure they will be laying soon.

 

[Folly's place]

It's a nice layer diet, but your birds aren't yet laying eggs. It' would be better to feed Flock Raiser, for example, which they could eat forever, with oyster shell on the side for the layers.
Always check the mill date on each bag, and be able to use it up by the time it's six weeks to seven weeks old. Check every bag!!!
Mary

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Thank you! As a new chick owner, I have a mini flock of four-18 week old girls, I just purchased a bag of this https://www.purinamills.com/chicken-feed/products/detail/purina-layena-plus-omega-3. I was wondering what every one thought about it. I still have about 1/4 bag of the chick crumbles but wanted to get some layer feed as I'm sure they will be laying soon.

As Mary said, it is a good quality feed for layers.
Pullets and hens that aren't laying eggs are not layers.
They are just female chickens and don't need extra calcium. If it were me, I'd probably mix the starter feed 50:50 with the layer feed. That will make use of your older feed while giving the pullets about 2.5% calcium (1% mixed with 4%) which is comparable to a pre-lay diet that allows pullets to build up calcium stores in the medullary bone without much kidney damage. The medullary bone is where chickens pull calcium from each day/night to build an egg shell.
This time of year (after summer solstice), it is a guess when pullets will start laying but yours should start in the next 4 or 5 weeks.

 

[moniquem]

I do offer them grit and oyster shell on the side.

I will start mixing 50/50. Thanks a lot!

Combs are really bright red now so......nesting boxes have brand new privacy curtains and a few ceramic eggs so we are ready! Of course they will probably lay eggs somewhere in the yard but I try...

 

[Folly's place]

If you keep them in their coop and run until afternoon, eggs are more likely to appear in those nest boxes too.
Mary

 

[ame087192]

It’s the bugs that give the yolk a rich color. Bugs are rich in omega 3s- and make the yolk that color.
Purina is a cheater and they add dandelion to the mix- artificially turning yolks orange.
Many egg farmers do the same thing.
Try adding in freeze dried meal worms to their diet. All of my chickens are spoiled free rangers and won’t eat a bug that isn’t moving. But if yours will eat them I’m sure it’ll help with nutritional content and color.

 

[Kiki]

View attachment 1468366 i read a thread here claiming it was a game changer in terms of yolk color. Well I tried it for 6 months. My neighbor feeds his chickens the cheapest feed they sell and I was spending $3 extra on my feed. Yesterday we cracked some eggs to compare and his yolk was much darker than mine. Really disappointed!!

How can I get my egg yolks looking orange?

Paprika and or cayenne pepper added to their feed with help turn the yolk orange if they don't have access to fresh greens.

https://www.nap.edu/read/2114/chapter/3#17

This feed contains added xanthophyll:
http://www.ebchickenfood.com/products/layer-crumbles/

I am not seeing where Purina says Layena will turn the yolks orange
https://www.purinamills.com/chicken-feed/products/detail/purina-layena-plus-omega-3

 

[Kiki]

Paprika and or cayenne pepper added to their feed with help turn the yolk orange if they don't have access to fresh greens.

https://www.nap.edu/read/2114/chapter/3#17
View attachment 1477072


This feed contains added xanthophyll:
http://www.ebchickenfood.com/products/layer-crumbles/

I am not seeing where Purina says Layena will turn the yolks orange
https://www.purinamills.com/chicken-feed/products/detail/purina-layena-plus-omega-3

Another paragraph from book above: