Thoughts on Cicadas, more Protein, less Feed...did Not work for us. Less eggs

[Mother of Chaos]

Good example, good mind.

The best thing about Girl Scout cookies is that, since they’re for a good cause, they have no calories! #fact

nom nom nom

 

[C Siena]

The best thing about Girl Scout cookies is that, since they’re for a good cause, they have no calories! #fact

nom nom nom

Ha. Eating cookies from the box = 0 calories. You have to put them on a plate to count.

We stopped buying them about a decade+ ago due to what the main organization supports. I do remember how yummy the thin mints were.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You might want to try offering oyster shells for the calcium supplement as it stays in the body longer than eggshells. It is curious your production dropped off. I don't feed a layer ration here. You would think more protein would mean increased production, but perhaps it's harder to digest. Just guessing.

We are too far north for cicadas, but do get grasshoppers in the fall most years. Can't say if it slows production because of the time of year.

Sustained boosting of protein normally results in minimal increase in production - 1-2%. With the size of OP's flock, and the time measured (a couple weeks), such a small change would disappear in statistical noise. As this experiment makes clear, protein alone does not a successful egg make.

Excess is wasted, Balance is everything.

That said, I am surprised they saw such a drop. I would have assumed essentially no change during the period and would be looking for other factors to account for it. Symptoms of calcium deficiency - except in the extremes - typically take longer than a few weeks to show up. and if they were still eating at least 1/3 or so of the feed they normally did, they'd be recieving enough calcium from it to support their metabolic needs - so any deficiency wasn't that extreme.

Suspect the cicadas were eating something that accounts for it - but what?? There aren't any obvious common nutritional deficiencies that would cause such a precipitious drop, or such a rapid recovery. So I suspect the cicada were concentrating something undesired in their bodies that they obtained from the environment, rather than lacking in some essential nutrient.

 

[C Siena]

Sustained boosting of protein normally results in minimal increase in production - 1-2%. With the size of OP's flock, and the time measured (a couple weeks), such a small change would disappear in statistical noise. As this experiment makes clear, protein alone does not a successful egg make.

Excess is wasted, Balance is everything.

That said, I am surprised they saw such a drop. I would have assumed essentially no change during the period and would be looking for other factors to account for it. Symptoms of calcium deficiency - except in the extremes - typically take longer than a few weeks to show up. and if they were still eating at least 1/3 or so of the feed they normally did, they'd be recieving enough calcium from it to support their metabolic needs - so any deficiency wasn't that extreme.

Suspect the cicadas were eating something that accounts for it - but what?? There aren't any obvious common nutritional deficiencies that would cause such a precipitious drop, or such a rapid recovery. So I suspect the cicada were concentrating something undesired in their bodies that they obtained from the environment, rather than lacking in some essential nutrient.

Thank you for the information. In going back to the calendar, it was about 5 days after I "noticed" the onslaught of cicadas, that production dropped. Only 1 day was 8, the rest of the 2 week slow down was 10-12 per day.

I would say they were eating close to 50% of feed, but with pullets around, probably 25% was starter crumbles. That is why I would refill the egg shell container if it was close to empty.