layer pellet ingredients

[NewChickenFriend]

A local farm is making this layer feed and I love the idea of supporting them but I'm unsure about all the "byproduct" ingredients. I'm def going to feed something I can buy easily in a bag. What do y'all think of this feed?

Ingredients: plant protein products, animal protein products, grain products, process grain byproducts, alfalfa meal, D-activated animal sterol, vitamin A palmitate, riboflavin supplement, Calcium pantothenate, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, Vitamin 12 supplement, niacin, folic acid, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, salt and traces of: manganous oxide, ferrous carbonate, copper oxide, cobalt carbonate, zinc oxide and calcium iodate.

 

[nuthatched]

It's not a fantastic feed, just a basic layer.
Despite the "no evil by-products" campaign by pet food companies, by products are just the parts on animals we don't eat, the organs etc. There's nothing wrong with them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree, a basic Layer feed. With that calcium level I would not want to feed that to non-layers but that is the same with any Layer feed.

It has 16% protein. Many people will feel that 16% is not enough protein but a lot of chickens do extremely well on that percent.

I don't see any omega acids listed in the analysis. Those are essential nutrients that typically come from animal products. Most feeds do not have enough animal products to provide those required nutrients so they are additives. That would be my biggest question on that feed. What are the Lysine and Methionine levels?

Growing up on a farm with free ranging chickens that fed themselves in the good weather months and found a lot of their own food in the bad weather months and seeing them eat all kinds of critters (frogs, mice, small snakes, grasshoppers, earthworms, grubs, practically anything that did not eat them) I have no problems feeding them a chicken feed with animal byproducts. I prefer it as it is closer to their natural food chain as opposed to having to add synthetic ingredients to provide essential nutrients. This is just my opinion, many people on this forum will disagree.

 

[Al Gerhart]

If you support taking a life for food then you are responsible for using every bit of that animal. By products are fine. BTW, what kind of birds is this farm raising? For eggs or meat? Raising laying hens or running a laying operation?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Agree with all of the above. Its a no frills layer formulation. and there are good reasons, both economic, nutritional, and resourceful, to use "by products" in the formulation off feed.

Would I rush out to buy it? Not necessarily. I'm not a huge fan of layer formulations - not a great fit for my flock or management. Would I reject it over uncertainty as to sourcing of the ingredients? Nope.

The layer feed I do use as part of my mix has a very similar ingredient list, actually.