Why does Calf-Manna stink so much?

[Alycia]

I used to feed my chickens Calf-Manna from Wal-Mart when the other feed was out of stock temporarily, and I stopped because it made their feces smell so darn terrible! Anyone know why it does? Maybe the amount of protein?

 

[catdaddyfro]

I would say the strong smell is caused by the vitamin cotent rather than the protien. Kinda like the strong smell that urine has when you take strong vitamins. Just as an example: just notice the smell some of your urine after eating a bowl of cereal like cheerios or corn flakes, because cereal is mostly vitamins and crunchy air. If it weren't for the added vitamins in it, cereal wouldn't be very nutritious anyway. Just very moving yaknow what I mean.

Calf-manna is a good thing to be giving them ol' gals this time of the year esp. for molters.

Chris09 beat me back here this morning. I woke up this morning thinking I needed to write in about the amount also. Yeah, what
Chris said.

Don't over feed it. It is a supplement for you to add with their reg. rations not a full-on feed.

All the bycers here will get your back on any ques. They'll usually give you an answer or something. Might not like it but you'll get one or two or...

catdaddy

 

[Chris09]

If you are talking about the Calf Manna supplement/Top dress ( little pink pellet ) It could be that you are feeding too much of it... A little gos along way with that..
I wouldnt feed much more than 5 lbs Calf Manna supplement/Top dress per 100 lbs feed for say bantams and around 10 lbs Calf Manna supplement/Top dress per 100 lbs feed for Large Fowl..


Chris

 

[elmo]

It could be the soy. Check the ingredient label. Is the first listed ingredient soy meal, or something like that?

I noticed a difference when I switched my chickens from a soy based feed to a fish meal based feed ... the stink went away (except for those cecal poops, however).

 

[Alycia]

Lol. Thank so you much guys. This helps. I will keep it all in mind next time I think of getting my little feathery brats Calf-Manna. Haha.