TS Layer feed

[igorsMistress]

Generally they lay their best their first laying season, then after their 18 month molt they decrease their egg production by 25% for the next 2-3 years, then by 10% each year on afterward. That's why some people cull hens after they pass the pullet stage.

Also consider that as they age, they become more seasonal in their laying. Mature hens make bigger eggs and healthier chicks than pullets as a general rule. After the 18 month molt, hens will angle towards laying most their eggs in the time of year best for raising chicks, which will be spring and early summer in most temperate places. They'll quit laying after the summer solstice and can take breaks for as long as 4-6 months at a time, although breaks that long aren't the norm for typical hatchery layers of modern design.

This is the right answer. I was just going to say that my older hens aren’t laying much if at all in the summer heat, but they were reliable in Spring when temps were cool enough to hatch babies. Only the pullet and ducks are laying regularly.

 

[FrostRanger]

I'll bet the farm it is. I get tiny eggs from store brands. We are currently using Nutriena Egg Producer 22% and no more small eggs at all.

Egg size is unrelated to feed. Pullets naturally start off laying tiny eggs and they lay larger eggs as they get older. The fact that your birds started laying larger eggs after you switched is pure coincidence

That said, I wholeheartedly agree about the protein being way too low. I would not feed producer's pride unless I couldn't afford anything else

 

[Possum-Pie]

I find that there is too much inconsistency with the portions of ingredients added to Rural King brand and Tractor Supply brand. We stopped using it because the shades of the feed are always different and full of non edible debris. Also the protein is lower than that 16% they claim.. I'll bet the farm it is. I get tiny eggs from store brands. We are currently using Nutriena Egg Producer 22% and no more small eggs at all. Remember, if you buy the cheapest feed, you get cheep minimum hum drum feed. You will get what you pay for. View attachment 3907425

Usually, there are other variables...amount of protein ingested rarely leads to smaller eggs, usually only thin brittle shells or shell-less eggs. The yolk and albumen are produced first with the shell forming later around them.
Smaller eggs are usually caused by breed, age, stress, heat, or other outside sources. I've used Rural King for 3 years and my Bard Rock and Ostrolorp eggs are so large that I can't completely shut the Jumbo egg carton lids. Shells are a bit weaker than store eggs, but strong enough that I rarely get accidental breakage. Nutriena is a good food-but at exactly double the cost of Rural King, I'll take my chances...

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Usually, there are other variables...amount of protein ingested rarely leads to smaller eggs, usually only thin brittle shells or shell-less eggs. The yolk and albumen are produced first with the shell forming later around them.
Smaller eggs are usually caused by breed, age, stress, heat, or other outside sources. I've used Rural King for 3 years and my Bard Rock and Ostrolorp eggs are so large that I can't completely shut the Jumbo egg carton lids. Shells are a bit weaker than store eggs, but strong enough that I rarely get accidental breakage. Nutriena is a good food-but at exactly double the cost of Rural King, I'll take my chances...

When I can't get my regular feed, I am forced to switch back to the store brand here and there, until they restock my regular feed. Every time I do this this, the eggs are small and limited. Every time. No exceptions. Sorry. Proof is in the pudding. Rural King feed is sub par with our application, producers Pride as well. RK Brand sometimes looks almost all black colored specs to almost all corn yellow.. never consistent. What in the heck is all that BLUE synthetic fiber they add to it? I can't afford to have 80 hens eating and less than 11 laying while on store brand feeds. So I guess we will call it.. we agree to disagree. Thanks for the chat. Good luck.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Egg size is unrelated to feed. Pullets naturally start off laying tiny eggs and they lay larger eggs as they get older. The fact that your birds started laying larger eggs after you switched is pure coincidence

That said, I wholeheartedly agree about the protein being way too low. I would not feed producer's pride unless I couldn't afford anything else

The problem was stated by a rep we talked to at a recent product fair. The rep says that so much of the store brand feed is produced that when a certain ingredient is hard to come by because of supply chain issues, they cheat on certain additives during that run to make the quota. That goes across the board for store label feeds. Last year we opened up a bag of goat feed that was loaded with way more oats than usual. Almost all oats. We went back to the store and grabbed more because the higher quality items in the feed. It's like rolling dice buying store brand feed.

 

[Possum-Pie]

When I can't get my regular feed, I am forced to switch back to the store brand here and there, until they restock my regular feed. Every time I do this this, the eggs are small and limited. Every time. No exceptions. Sorry. Proof is in the pudding. Rural King feed is sub par with our application, producers Pride as well. RK Brand sometimes looks almost all black colored specs to almost all corn yellow.. never consistent. What in the heck is all that BLUE synthetic fiber they add to it? I can't afford to have 80 hens eating and less than 11 laying while on store brand feeds. So I guess we will call it.. we agree to disagree. Thanks for the chat. Good luck.

Yep agree to disagree. I've gotten NO synthetic fibers, nothing "blue" nor any "inorganic" material in Rural King Country Road Pellets. Your description of specks/corn sounds like "Scratch grains" not pellet feed. In the over 1,000lbs of Country Road Pellets I've purchased over the years I've never seen a significant variation in color, texture, or smell. I won't feed my hens ANY crumbles as it ends up 20% wasted powder by the bottom of the bag...I've gotten great extra jumbo eggs without exception from the Rural King, so...it is what it is. T. S. brand however is debatable...

 

[HollowOfWisps]

It’s the combo of heat and age. I add new pullet chicks to my flock every year to keep eggs going year round. The youngest layers in their first season lay pretty much non-stop even through the heat and cold. The second season layers lay well in fair weather temperatures, but slow down when it starts to really get hot or very cold temperatures. My third season layers are laying anywhere from 1-3 eggs a week in fair temperatures and stop laying in the extreme heat besides an egg here or there. Next spring it will be their fourth season and I am not expecting much of anything from them.