Posted on 01/30/2023 2:40:36 PM PST by EBH
What exactly is causing the egg shortage? Many people are reporting that there are issues with the commercial chicken feed, speculating that it has even prevented their hens from laying eggs.
The rising egg prices in America have affected millions of homes. The cost of eggs in California has risen 550% in the last month, going from roughly $1.34 a dozen to $7.37. The state blamed it on an outbreak of bird flu, but others are not so convinced. In fact, several people have come out to say that their chickens did not produce eggs for months – until they changed their feed.
One man (@urbanchickenfarmer) uploaded a video on TikTok and theorized that something must be wrong with the feed. "Something is wrong with the chicken food we're buying, seriously," he said. "My chickens have not laid an egg since July, and nothing's changed. Then I was thinking, maybe it's because my chickens getting older, or maybe it's a bad winter. But, according to a lot of people on TikTok, they're having the same exact problem. And people are saying once they switched the food, their chickens are starting to lay again."
He continued, "So I'm gonna switch their food, and we'll see. Maybe something's wrong with the food, and was it intentional?"
The TikToker recently uploaded an update after switching his feed, explaining that one of his chickens has started "laying like crazy," but the rest of them haven't yet. However, he believes that they're doing okay and "things are improving."
@thehotmesshomestead was going through the same problem, and she was determined to find answers. "Is the commercial feed the reason so many people's chickens have not been laying at all?" she asked. "This is a question that I am asking myself, and I have seen all over TikTok, Facebook, everywhere." She then talks about the many posts on social media of chicken owners discussing how they ditched the commercial feed (specifically the brand known as "Producer's Pride") in order to get eggs.
@twosailorspotrero responded to the video above on January 14. "So, my chickens have not laid since, I wanna say, July 22. And I just switched their feed a week ago, and for the first time since July last year, I got eggs. It is the feed. It is definitely the feed," she repeated.
A woman from the Twitter clip below seemed to echo these findings by explaining how she got eggs after making the switch to goat feed. "I have to say, there's something to this," she said. "If I have to put my little tin foil hat on. It's kinda weird."
The government is telling us that the egg shortage is due to avian influenza – is it possible it's the chicken feed instead?
Chickens just don’t want to bring children into a world that’s gone Woke.
BIL has a small bunch of hens and a rooster.
We’ve been buying eggs from him for awhile now.
He’d been buying his feed from a local feed store, but switched to Tractor Supply awhile back. The hens completely stopped laying...all of em....nada, not an egg one.
Switched back to the local feed store and just like that, they started laying again...
Weird as heck....maybe them chickens are smarter than they look....they’re for sure smarter than any liberal known to mankind.
here in Sandpoint Idaho, eggs are 2.87$ a dozen at Walmart. I have my own hens and they lay about 4 a day..........one per bird
Unfortunately year #3 their production drops off due to age. At that point I let them sit on a clutch and raise replacements. Then momma makes stew or soup.
My daughter noticed her chickens have been laying far fewer eggs using a brand from Tractor Supply.. which has been in the news on this. She just swit6to a local feed store so we’ll see what happens.
Nice box! Yours? We haven’t paid for eggs in a long while and hope we never have to again.
I get eggs from a local general store who gets them locally. There has been no eggs since the fall molting. NONE. Something is wrong.
I have heard elsewhere about the Tractor Supply Feed being the blame. Not sure about that but something is definitely wrong.
Now THAT’S “sustainable”!
We shouldn’t go screaming too much as to draw the attention of our keepers— they’re liable to fix it by stopping backyard chickens.
Just paid 59¢/lb for chicken legs and thighs but eggs were over $5.
This article unfortunately makes sense.
I remember the young RIRs on my grandfather’s farm chasing mice. Decades later, I was at a friend’s farm, and saw movement under a shrub. I went to look, and saw several mice feeding on chicken food. I commented that it seemed odd that 1) the chickens didn’t eat them, and 2) that they were out in broad daylight. He said they were probably afraid to come out at night because of the rats. I thought that was far-fetched, so he asked me to stay for dinner. We went out and turned a light on after dark. Holy cats!! I think the rodents must have eaten more than the hens.
Who would publish such drivel when the truth is easily obtained?
Take a sample to your local university and get it analyzed for $500.
Does it say ‘Gates & Schwab’ on the side of the sacks?
Preach it brother!
I have been using dumar feed for years. Gotten at TS. My chickens always produced more eggs than I could eat. Then this year they stopped totally right around Sept. I thought it was weird, next time I went to the TS I got the lower cost brand. Cause the price has skyrocketed like most things. They started laying about 8 days later.
The article mentions Producer’s Pride (Purina).
Look at this:
LOCAL
Cattle deaths might be linked to Producer’s Pride feed manufactured by Purina Animal Nutrition
Ledger staff. 2019
We have one because we set our chickens about three times a year and for that you need fertile eggs. But your hens will lay without.
Hens will lay whether they are getting laid or not... lol
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