Pullet holding on to first egg? Pre-eggbound?

[Logar]

I feed them organic Cluck & Co feed.

Just thought I would let you know, the Cluck & Co feeds don't meet the minimum Lysine and Methionine levels. The chick starter technically is the bare minimum but even then it is still lower than I would like.

 

[SuperC]

Just thought I would let you know, the Cluck & Co feeds don't meet the minimum Lysine and Methionine levels. The chick starter technically is the bare minimum but even then it is still lower than I would like.

I give them them a regular supply of protein rich snacks (diced ham, solider worm larve, mealworms, shredded chicken leftovers ()… at least once a day they have a supplemental protein rich snack and they seem very well developed and always healthy… do you think they are getting enough of those elements from that?

 

[Logar]

I give them them a regular supply of protein rich snacks (diced ham, solider worm larve, mealworms, shredded chicken leftovers ()… at least once a day they have a supplemental protein rich snack and they seem very well developed and always healthy… do you think they are getting enough of those elements from that?

I don’t know. I personally just like to offer a diet that I know has proper levels of everything. It just gives me the peace of mind that if I ever have to do something and can’t be with the chickens then everything is still at an adequate level.

@U_Stormcrow I know you are probably dealing with the hurricane and everything but when you have time could you possibly give your thoughts?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hurricane missed me by hours and hours of driving. Done cleaning up from the last hurricane.

and what I don't know about chicken illness and injury would fill volumes (and does).

I can't tell much from the diet, because its not a recipe, its an ingredient list. Has the capacity to be out of balance, but w/o taking a bird a part and looking inside, no way to tell.

That puts me with the others recommending the original poster continue to monitor behaviors, watch for signs of distress or lethargy. Barring that, they "lay when they lay".

Long term, too much intra-body fat can have very negative health consequences, but the diet isn't so imbalanced that I'm going their first, and the weights sound about right for the age and breeds.

Sorry I can't offer anything more definitive than that - i just don't know.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Just thought I would let you know, the Cluck & Co feeds don't meet the minimum Lysine and Methionine levels. The chick starter technically is the bare minimum but even then it is still lower than I would like.

I would not feed Cluck and Co. Their Scratch, for "scratch", is pretty good - but Scratch is a net negative for chicken diets. and as @Logar correctly points out, above, their Met and Lys numbers are sub-par (embarrassingly so in their "All Flock") and their price is high for what you get. While that is typical of Organic feeds, there are better choices out there in that marketing space.

 

[SuperC]

Hurricane missed me by hours and hours of driving. Done cleaning up from the last hurricane.

and what I don't know about chicken illness and injury would fill volumes (and does).

I can't tell much from the diet, because its not a recipe, its an ingredient list. Has the capacity to be out of balance, but w/o taking a bird a part and looking inside, no way to tell.

That puts me with the others recommending the original poster continue to monitor behaviors, watch for signs of distress or lethargy. Barring that, they "lay when they lay".

Long term, too much intra-body fat can have very negative health consequences, but the diet isn't so imbalanced that I'm going their first, and the weights sound about right for the age and breeds.

Sorry I can't offer anything more definitive than that - i just don't know.

Thank you for your info! Do you have a recommended feed? I’d prefer organic, but they have hated all the organic options at my TSC except the Cluck & Co (& my hubby won’t let me order scratch and peck due to the crzy expensive price).
They didn’t like the Dumor very much, but would eat the crumbles. They all hate pellet food and only want crumbles, so it’s hard to find organic crumbles. I’m not sure why they hate the pellets so much, but every brand I’ve tried they go on strike until crumbles reappear (& short of buying pellets and crushing them up myself I’m unsure what else to give) so we’ve stuck with the Cluck & Co and given healthy snacks (homegrown herbs, greens, kale, peppers, cucumbers, and then the ham, chicken, scrambled eggs, dry old fashioned oats and assorted other items. I’m also a pushover and share my snacks as well (cheezeits, gingersnaps… but those are just a few crumbles in the hand, not a real snack). I’m currently feeding them the “all flock” because the layer blend looks like mostly powder with grain bits mixed in and the all flock has solid crumbles.


They also get organic sourdough discard mixed in a few times a week to thier morning snack for a fermented boost for gut health and once a month or so I give rooster booster in the water for a day or 2 to add a boost for immunity. They also get red pepper flakes and dried herbs mixed into morning foods for internal health- homegrown organic rosemary,
Mint, thyme, oregano, parsley etc).

I’m not neurotic about what I give them, (I mean, they eat organically but I also share a sip of wine and a cracker with them if I’m having some out there in the afternoons) but I do my best to make sure they are getting a healthy and well rounded diet.
I’m also going to offer fresh pumpkins here this week as a treat (and not that they need a dewormer from it, it can’t hurt). But any advice on what brands to give them is appreciated. I can also go to a CoOp and buy individual items to create a blend, but I don’t trust my blending to give them the best diet.

 

[Logar]

They all hate pellet food and only want crumbles, so it’s hard to find organic crumbles. I’m not sure why they hate the pellets so much, but every brand I’ve tried they go on strike until crumbles reappear

Chickens can be stubborn little idiots. The easiest way to switch them over is just to mix the pellets with the old food 50/50. They will figure it out. A chicken isn’t going to starve themselves. Pellets make life so much easier and they are way less messy. I like the Nutrena naturewise 20% all flock and I know a lot of people like the kalmbach flock raiser pellets.

The flock raiser does have organic crumbles though so that might be the option for you

 

[FrostRanger]

I second the recommendation of kalmbach's flock raiser pellets, I've been feeding my ladies it since they were 3 1/2 weeks old and they have done fabulously on it. I would also 100% cut back on treats, too many treats can cause obesity which causes a myriad of health issues. Is it why they're not laying now? I would lean towards probably not, I would actually blame the season and individual tendencies more for that, but it is still an issue that needs to be addressed

 

[SourRoses]

Some lines of Orpington take 9 months to begin laying.
I would stop with the feeling on them unless you notice signs of a problem.

Orps can also be more prone to heart issues.
This is less true when it comes to hatchery Buffs & Lavs that also tend to lay sooner and are lighter / less floofy.
But the larger breeds need a stricter adherence to chicken appropriate fat levels.
What you are feeding now, especially the dried bugs, sounds way too fatty (some mealworm / BSFL bags I have seen read up to 65% fat!)
It's usually not a good idea to try to make up for a feed deficiency with treats.

You could also look at grower crumbles... many of them are nutritionally the same as All-Flock. That's what I feed due to my birds being picky.