whats a good feed that has 0 egg laying hormones?

[Sneebsey]

On this forum, you will find many people with lots of experience at keeping chickens. Although we often disagree on some points, I think its safe to say that there is a lot that we all agree on with regard to welfare of our birds. I have birds at nine years old, still going strong because I have learned how to care for them and continue to further that knowledge by listening to the opinions and facts that others provide (and knowing the difference between the two).

Please take the time to explore the forum; if you (falsely) believe that there are hormones added to commercial feeds, then research that belief. If, after learning that you were incorrect, you still do not wish to feed a commercial feed, you may then look into proper nutrition to ensure a bird gets everything she needs from whatever you choose to feed her. It is not as easy as it sounds; commercial feeds are formulated to provide a bird with everything they need at a given life-stage; the ingredient list is long for a reason.

Chickens are flock animals and do need to be with their own kind. A bird kept alone will not have the protection a flock provides and thus never stop looking over her shoulder. Chickens have a hierarchy, from top to bottom, and each bird in any flock has their own spot on the ladder; it's often brutal, but it is what works for them. After an initial settling period, where you will indeed see the occasional scrap, birds will start to get along and use more subtle ways of showing each other who is top bird.

 

[Cyprus]

@castrbl Take the advice of the other posters on this thread.
You are young, I can tell. Your brain has plenty of capacity to learn and store the important and correct information that is being provided to you at your disposal.
If you choose to be rude to everyone else here and disregard our knowledge, that is your choice. But understand this: your time to learn is now. Don't waste it.
@Dona Worry I can agree with you. And for the love of this world, I hope I don't get in trouble for this post.

 

[Morgank]

I also notice... In my country, there is university laboratories (its one Europe top university "Tartu University") where our chicken food is worked out. The food is made by chicken breeders all over the country. I truly belive that same thing is in USA, its so important. Hormon treats are for human, not for animals.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

ive had my chicken interact with a lot of different animals including chickens and she just does not like it one bit. i wish i could have another but she just keeps either attacking them or jumping on my shoulder to avoid them. im gonna try again when shes older and is out of the pecking phase and see if shes okay with them then. thank you though!

The only problem I see is the word 'chicken' in the singular. I can't stress enough how important it is for a chicken to be a member of a flock. That, IMO, is much more important than providing the proper feed.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

ive just heard that layer feed pushes chickens to lay more than they should and i only want the best for my hen.

So we have established there are no hormones added into feeds that make chickens lay. How many eggs they will lay is based on genetics in addition to lighting and nutritional impacts.

Since I don't want my non layers to have extra calcium in layer feed... I use "flock raiser" (just a title) and I provide oyster shell on the side as mentioned by others, free choice for the laying hens to take as needed. Non laying birds may sample it but they do not ingest excess.

The look but don't touch introduction of another hen (or maybe younger) was a great description.

 

[castrbl]

i looked into a natural a

@castrbl Take the advice of the other posters on this thread.
You are young, I can tell. Your brain has plenty of capacity to learn and store the important and correct information that is being provided to you at your disposal.
If you choose to be rude to everyone else here and disregard our knowledge, that is your choice. But understand this: your time to learn is now. Don't waste it.
@Dona Worry I can agree with you. And for the love of this world, I hope I don't get in trouble for this post.

how am i being rude. if im rude its only because someone else is rude.

 

[Morgank]

I am a different person too, but we need to know how to read between the lines (I mean author´s topic)
Here is fun picture where my araucana girl sits on my shoulder, this was summer and she was 3-4 month old. I am not feel never 100% comfortable of this sittings, because their legs are always so ditrty. Now she is over 6 month old, she is still my baby. She does not fit with other flock. I have still feed her separertly. But i know, i have let her go and stop this personal feeding. All my other chickens lay, but not her. So no blue eggs so far!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

What you have heard is false. There was an attempt around the 1940s to use hormones in chickens but it had to be injected and therefor was cost prohibitive so the experiment ended.
The tremendous gains in poultry production for both eggs and meat have come from genetic selection and nutritional research - not hormones...

I have seen issues of White Leghorn World Magazines from a hundred years ago that were touting early egg production figures of 300 to 350 eggs per year.

My statement for anyone who thinks that modern chicken feed is hormone laced is this:
Those laying hens of yore are older than most of the supposed heritage breeds of today are.

Here is a side by side comparison of the great strides that have been made in the production of broiler-fryer chickens in about the last 60 years. These advances were accomplished only by careful GENETIC SELECTION & NUTRITIONAL RESEARCH, not THROUGH HORMONES.
[Emphasis added by Chickengeorgeto]