The Mystery of Skye and Kate's Deaths Is Probably Solved...

[Buff Hooligans]

Wow, it sure tells me to be vigilant about feed. Thank you for the warning Cynthia. I'm so sorry your girls had to die like that. Hugs.

 

[speckledhen]

If that moldy clump had been at the top of the bag, they'd never had had one bite of it. The co-op says it's just a part of the feed business and they obviously can't see inside the bags, but they did give us 2 50 lb bags of our regular feed. Of course, they can't understand that Kate always came to visit me and hopped into my lap when I sat in the lawn chair. They can't know how absolutely gorgeous her black-with-green-sheen feathers were or how soft and calm her brown eyes were and how special she was to us. They can't understand what pleasure I got just to see Skye every day, that she was probably show quality, that she will never again produce her beautiful chicks with Suede. All that lost and I get two bags of feed.

I bet lots of folks lost birds to that feed in my county and no one ever knew what happened to them. Some people think chickens are like pigs and can eat all manner of disgusting, rotten moldy feed and not be phased, but that is just not so.

 

[LynneP]

How dreadful,Cynthia. I'm so sorry about your little hens.
Feed stores take on a huge responsibility and I would hope they would compensate for the loss of those hens ( which can't really be estimated in money) though I expect they sell with a disclaimer. Oh my...

We were at our feed mill, they're low on feed at this time and the CN railway has gone on strike. I was able to get one extra sack of layer pellets, and this is a wonderful operation with the head poultry feedmaster for the Co-Op operating it. But now, some poultry operators are going to be in a world of trouble. There is a Purina operation about an hour away, but they get all their ingredients by train too. I hope the trucking industry can pick up some of the slack, or that the strike is short. People will be digging deep, makes me think some risks may be taken with older feed.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Sorry to hear this news, speckledhen.

 

[briana1975]

This is awful Speckedhen. So sorry to hear you lost your chickens to moldy feed. I am always telling my FIL not to give my chickens moldy or rotten food. He now gives everything to me so I can check it out before it gets fed to them.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

I am soo sorry to hear about your losses......
I am glad you figured out what did it and can be more aware of the problem in the future.

I store all my feed lose in a Rubbermaid in the shed, I look for anything wrong when I dump it in.

 

[KKatknap]

Quote:

We do. We also know how hard you worked to save them. Your chickens are blessed to have you to care for them. You give them a great life - don't ever forget that.

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you, Katknap. I know you all understand. Pandora, someone else just said she stores her feed in Rubbermaid containers, too. I may have to start doing that. In all these years, this is the first bag with mold in it we've ever had and being plastic like it was, just never realized it had probably wicked up water through the bottom seam at the co-op.

 

[Plain Old Dee]

We pour our feed into large plastic garbage cans as soon as we bring it home. That way, we can inspect it before we feed it. We also don't buy more than we will feed in a couple of weeks. I would rather have metal garbage cans, but they are very expensive, so will be purchased as finances allow. I know that accidents can happen that are out of the feed dealer's control, and accidents that can happen that the dealer can absolutely control - so I feel it's up to me to be vigilant. Fortunately, we buy our feed pretty much direct from the mill, so it's very fresh.

I just wonder - if we feed moldy feed to our hens, can the toxins be passed into the eggs they may lay before becoming ill and/or dying? That's a scary thought, since I got laying hens so we could have eggs for my huge family - including small children!

I am so sorry you lost your girls.

 

[Schultz]

So sorry to hear about your girls Cyn!