What am I doing wrong?? Egg Eaters

[MysteryChicken]

Dobielover,
You are correct that I needed sources, unfortunately I don't have a computer at the moment, only a phone. When I try to leave the page to get my source from any other window it reloads the page and I loose my entire typed message. I have tried the "save draft" button, but as far as I can tell that does nothing.I have typed it up 3 times now only to loose it again. In the process though I decided I should probably stop blowing this poor persons thread up with an unintentionally highly debated topic only loosely related to his problem. The main point of everything is was trying to say was ironically exactly what you have been doing anyway. Also saying that you should statistically have had egg binding is not accurate, since I gave no statistic for rate, and you are not giving ONLY the 20% feed.
1. Don't feed ONLY straight 20% protien feed for long times, even the companies that make it advise against this. If you are going to feed it to them at all make sure you give extra calcium to help counter, and ideally at least free range. Both of these are advised by the companies that make them, and what they are promarily designed for.
2. "Snacks" and treats are OK and even beneficial in 30% or less of their total food if they are healthy things like greens, bugs, beans and not grains and fruit.
3. Commercial feed actually is not made of good quality ingredients and can cause damage long term if that's all they get.
4. While chickens are like toddlers and eat what tastes good first, if given only high variety nutritious snacks and free range their body will self regulate and help ensure a complete nutrition. An important part to this is to remember that when they eat things like bugs or beans (or even a junco??!) They arent actually getting 100% protien, most of those are at most 30%, with added calcium and fat too which both help deter ketoacidosis. Also free ranging hens actually eat more greens (which are surprisingly high in calcium) than protein sources.
5. If you give high nutrition snacks (inculuding a better protein source like beans, bugs, or bone in fish) and free range in addition to Commercial feed you will probably find your chickens lay and live longer. (Which Dobielover showed)

I am going to see if I can type up a more complete essay on the sources, methods, and why's of all of this (including the egg binding). I will have to type it in a different place then copy it over and start in a different thread. If i can get it I will edit this thread and post the link. It might take me a few days though.

@U_Stormcrow
Do your magic.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

@U_Stormcrow
Do your magic.

Reminder to self. Something to do on the weekend. {Shoot fish in barrel}. Sorry, working OT at the day job, and still need to buy feed (24%CP for my flock of never egg bound birds). Can't get to it before the weekend.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Reminder to self. Something to do on the weekend. {Shoot fish in barrel}. Sorry, working OT at the day job, and still need to buy feed (24%CP for my flock of never egg bound birds). Can't get to it before the weekend.

Didn't know you were gonna be busy.

 

[DobieLover]

Dobielover,
You are correct that I needed sources, unfortunately I don't have a computer at the moment, only a phone. When I try to leave the page to get my source from any other window it reloads the page and I loose my entire typed message. I have tried the "save draft" button, but as far as I can tell that does nothing.I have typed it up 3 times now only to loose it again. In the process though I decided I should probably stop blowing this poor persons thread up with an unintentionally highly debated topic only loosely related to his problem. The main point of everything is was trying to say was ironically exactly what you have been doing anyway. Also saying that you should statistically have had egg binding is not accurate, since I gave no statistic for rate, and you are not giving ONLY the 20% feed.
1. Don't feed ONLY straight 20% protien feed for long times, even the companies that make it advise against this. If you are going to feed it to them at all make sure you give extra calcium to help counter, and ideally at least free range. Both of these are advised by the companies that make them, and what they are promarily designed for.
2. "Snacks" and treats are OK and even beneficial in 30% or less of their total food if they are healthy things like greens, bugs, beans and not grains and fruit.
3. Commercial feed actually is not made of good quality ingredients and can cause damage long term if that's all they get.
4. While chickens are like toddlers and eat what tastes good first, if given only high variety nutritious snacks and free range their body will self regulate and help ensure a complete nutrition. An important part to this is to remember that when they eat things like bugs or beans (or even a junco??!) They arent actually getting 100% protien, most of those are at most 30%, with added calcium and fat too which both help deter ketoacidosis. Also free ranging hens actually eat more greens (which are surprisingly high in calcium) than protein sources.
5. If you give high nutrition snacks (inculuding a better protein source like beans, bugs, or bone in fish) and free range in addition to Commercial feed you will probably find your chickens lay and live longer. (Which Dobielover showed)

I am going to see if I can type up a more complete essay on the sources, methods, and why's of all of this (including the egg binding). I will have to type it in a different place then copy it over and start in a different thread. If i can get it I will edit this thread and post the link. It might take me a few days though.

Ummm. That's just a whole lotta wrong right there.

I'm bowing out and letting the master @U_Stormcrow take it from here when he finds the time. Good luck!

 

[McChooky]

I’ll order them.

PINless peepers lol

 

[Outgoing Orpingtons]

Do they do this in the summer? Mine eat eggs in the winter because they do not Free-range in winter because it's so cold. There is no bugs too, so they eat eggs as a snack. I feed them (of course) but I don't really make snacks in the winter.

 

[McChooky]

"Poultry do not have a protein requirement per se. Rather, they require each of the nutritionally essential amino acids in the correct levels and balance, as well as sufficient amino nitrogen (nitrogen arising from amino acids) to synthesize the nonessential amino acids. Traditionally, formulating diets to contain sufficient levels of the first 3 or 4 limiting essential amino acids, as well as a minimum level of dietary crude protein, was typically appropriate to meet the needs of poultry using typical ingredients. However, modern poultry have increased growth rates and body composition (meat-type birds) and egg production (egg-laying birds). Additionally, in many regions, there is a desire to reduce dietary crude protein levels to reduce excretion of nitrogen by the birds, and subsequently environmental nutrient pollution."

LINK:
https://www.msdvetmanual.com/poultr...0MDQyNzQkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzA0MDQyNzQkajYwJGwwJGgw

 

[Outgoing Orpingtons]

You should make or buy a snack that will last all day long. Here is a recipe:

Mama hen stew: a dish that is normally used for broody hens. If a hen that is not broody is eating it, it is called "Chicken peanut butter". Put 3-4 scoops of chicken crumble or pellets (I tried both) in a bowl and add some water. Stir and smash until it looks good enough. If it seems to wet, add more feed, if it seems to dry, add more water. Sprinkle some grains and stir it (optional, you don't need grains and if you add it, you don't need to stir it) feed the snack to your chickens and see if they like it. If they do, you can make more (if you want)

(You know what, I'm going to make an article about recipes)

Outgoing Orpingtons.