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?
If it’s indeed a nefarious act, the dummies in charge forgot to do it to duck feed.
My ladies (ducks) are laying eggs still at a very high rate. About one per day for 10 ducks.
My Chickens quit laying awhile back. Showed then pictures of roast chicken. They started laying again!
Good catch! How did you think of that?
Long time MST3K fan.
Glad you like.
Heresy, I say. Heresy.
First, lesbians start saying that men aren't necessary...and now you're saying that we roosters are needed.
Less calcium in the feed?
It helps quite a bit to smash up the shells one uses themselves, and feed that back to the hens. Just get ‘em smashed up into SMALL pieces — we have a couple hens that lay unusually thicker shells than the others and chunks too big (such as if certain birds start consuming their own eggs) along with tougher grasses and such can clog them up.
I’ve seen no drop off not attributable to weather, but, we use Rural King feed, not Tractor Supply, and, our chickens get to free range some days.
A few weeks ago there was a report that some feeds do not have enough Lysine. Or not as much as the nutrient label claims it is supposed to have.
Apparently Lysine helps process the extra calcium in layer feed needed to make eggs.
:)
I paid $5/dozen last week, in CA
I never knew cows had to have a calf before they became milkable. I was about 50 when I learned that one from my dad.
I'm 79 now. I do remember my bro and I strangling a chicken and hanging it in the basement. We had to strangle it about 5 times...my grandma would have been ashamed. She was a one wringer.
Woke chickens? Stop playing AOC videos in hen house.
Rodents will take up residence under the floor foundation of a hen house. Raccoons will take up residence in the attic. I do battle with the raccoons and kill them (hens will eat it).
The rodents become barn cat business. Feed the cats at the outside floor of the hen house. If they perceive the rodents as a threat to their food dish, they will kill them all.
Mr. Haney had an egg laying inducing machine on this Green Acres episode.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1061224/trivia
I couldn’t find a clip.
We’ve had free range chickens for years and they stopped laying this summer. We only feed the chicks a starter from TSC, then no scratch grains or anything after that because they don’t eat it. They eat bugs, sunflower seeds and some cracked corn from TSC. We keep the coup clean and the shavings and nest boxes fresh.
The last few weeks they’ve started laying again. We can’t figure it out.
“Less calcium in the feed?”
That is a good guess see #48. Possible Lycine deficiency.
If it bleeds chickens will eat it. Just tear a bit of the hide back to expose the flesh. 24 hours it’s gone.
Whew! For a moment there I thought I was headed for the chopping block.;-)
Before we rush off on another conspiracy, let’s hear back from our many FReeper chicken growers and egg sellers.
I think if this was real we would have known it here first—before TikTok, for goodness sakes!
Oops, just started reading the replies.
The rush is full on!
I figured others had already hit you about that, but I saw a good opportunity for a word play joke so I took it. lol
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