TS Layer feed

[mudd32]

I know there was some negative press on Tractor Supplies Producers Pride Layer feed back a year or so ago.
Not sure if anything was ever proven or not, but....that's what I've been feeding mine and they've dropped production in half. Could be the hot weather/drought here in NKY but was wondering in anyone else is experiencing any poor egg production with it now. Also, I put that feed in a 25 gallon barrel with the no spill feeder holes...last time i filled it there were some bugs in it, looked like weevils but I figured the chickens would eat them. Maybe they don't like bugs in their food, lol. And they free range. Any thoughts, anyone?

 

[StinkyAcres]

Are your chickens actually eating it? I and others here have found that the Producer's Pride layer seems to go bad quickly. I threw away several partially-full bags with clumpy, moldy feed at the bottom. It never really smells fresh but starts smelling worse not long after opening. When it starts getting that weird sweet smell my chickens seem to not want to eat it.

 

[mudd32]

Are your chickens actually eating it? I and others here have found that the Producer's Pride layer seems to go bad quickly. I threw away several partially-full bags with clumpy, moldy feed at the bottom. It never really smells fresh but starts smelling worse not long after opening. When it starts getting that weird sweet smell my chickens seem to not want to eat it.

Not 100% sure but I'll take a look. Was going to replace it all this weekend with a feed from a local co-op and see if it changes anything.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I know there was some negative press on Tractor Supplies Producers Pride Layer feed back a year or so ago.
Not sure if anything was ever proven or not, but....that's what I've been feeding mine and they've dropped production in half. Could be the hot weather/drought here in NKY but was wondering in anyone else is experiencing any poor egg production with it now. Also, I put that feed in a 25 gallon barrel with the no spill feeder holes...last time i filled it there were some bugs in it, looked like weevils but I figured the chickens would eat them. Maybe they don't like bugs in their food, lol. And they free range. Any thoughts, anyone?

Its past the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Its time for them to stop laying. That’s normal. The TS stuff was just a wild conspiracy theory. A lot of last year’s people who were so sure it was the feed are going to find their chickens are doing the same thing on totally different feed.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Not 100% sure but I'll take a look. Was going to replace it all this weekend with a feed from a local co-op and see if it changes anything.

It may change it. But it doesn’t mean the TS feed was the problem. You can sometimes shock a chicken into laying by changing their food or boosting particular substances. For example, dosing mine with unprocessed coconut oil will sometimes get them laying.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am not sure about the feed, but the hot temperatures are very likely a culprit in reduction of eggs produced. They tend to really slow down as they get the hot weather, and then approach molt. Maximum production for my birds is April through July. They come back into lay end of January/February depending on sunshiny days (I think) production rises steadily as more birds are laying, and they are laying frequently. Then in August, the excessive heat slows things, by September, the days are not as long and each bird tends to reduce the frequency of laying, and by October many of the flock are headed into molt. I tend to get very few eggs (out of a dozen) December and January.

Mrs K

 

[mudd32]

I am not sure about the feed, but the hot temperatures are very likely a culprit in reduction of eggs produced. They tend to really slow down as they get the hot weather, and then approach molt. Maximum production for my birds is April through July. They come back into lay end of January/February depending on sunshiny days (I think) production rises steadily as more birds are laying, and they are laying frequently. Then in August, the excessive heat slows things, by September, the days are not as long and each bird tends to reduce the frequency of laying, and by October many of the flock are headed into molt. I tend to get very few eggs (out of a dozen) December and January.

Mrs K

They haven't really laid what I would consider good since last fall/late summer and they were all 1yo this past March. Gonna try a different brand of feed and see what happens. They do get lots of table scraps as well.

 

[mudd32]

It may change it. But it doesn’t mean the TS feed was the problem. You can sometimes shock a chicken into laying by changing their food or boosting particular substances. For example, dosing mine with unprocessed coconut oil will sometimes get them laying.

Can you fill me in on the coconut oil trick....how do you do it?

 

[Mrs. K]

A lot of people worry about feed. And certainly it is an easy thing to change feed. However, I don't really believe a certain feed is all that important. I mean think of your own diet, I at least eat potato chips, sometimes have a pop. They are not my only food source and occasionally I do not think they bother my over all health.

What breeds of chickens - some breeds lay a lot more than others. How fat are your chickens? Overly fat chickens tend to lay less. Then you have weather, and day length and daily exercise.

A couple of years ago, I went with an infusion of leghorns to my flock, because I wanted more eggs, later I added some good production reds, and my egg production went up. It has even stayed up in this beastly hot weather.

They do need sufficient calories to make eggs, I am not a believer in that they need food 24/7. I take down feed each day, if there is none left, I feed a little more the next day, if there is feed left, I don't feed the next day, or feed less. Surprisingly it varies quite a bit. Some days they eat more, and other days less. Mine are allowed out, and the grasshoppers filled them up, but grasshoppers must be getting past prime now, as I am going through more feed.

Mrs K

 

[mudd32]

A lot of people worry about feed. And certainly it is an easy thing to change feed. However, I don't really believe a certain feed is all that important. I mean think of your own diet, I at least eat potato chips, sometimes have a pop. They are not my only food source and occasionally I do not think they bother my over all health.

What breeds of chickens - some breeds lay a lot more than others. How fat are your chickens? Overly fat chickens tend to lay less. Then you have weather, and day length and daily exercise.

A couple of years ago, I went with an infusion of leghorns to my flock, because I wanted more eggs, later I added some good production reds, and my egg production went up. It has even stayed up in this beastly hot weather.

They do need sufficient calories to make eggs, I am not a believer in that they need food 24/7. I take down feed each day, if there is none left, I feed a little more the next day, if there is feed left, I don't feed the next day, or feed less. Surprisingly it varies quite a bit. Some days they eat more, and other days less. Mine are allowed out, and the grasshoppers filled them up, but grasshoppers must be getting past prime now, as I am going through more feed.

Mrs K

Golden Comets
Rhode Island Reds
Australorps
Speckeled Sussex
and Wyndottes