What’s REALLY behind the Egg Shortage

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I also have been reading about people buying chicken feed and then their hens stop laying. Once people changed up stopped buying certain chicken feeds, their hens started laying again. The chicken feed from TSC was mentioned as one of the feeds that caused the hens from laying. In searching for the information, I've also read it is a conspiracy theory.

https://ussanews.com/2023/01/25/tractor-supply-chicken-feed-scandal-rocks-poultry-industry/

Tractor Supply Chicken Feed Scandal Rocks Poultry Industry!​


Posted on January 25, 2023 by Constitutional Nobody
Written by Steve Cannon for USSA News.
A recent alteration to the popular “Producer’s Pride” chicken feed sold by Tractor Supply has caused chickens to stop laying eggs, according to multiple farmer sources. The reduction in egg production has been reported to be much greater than the normal decrease seen during the winter months, with some farmers reporting that their hens are laying zero eggs.
The cause of the reduction in egg production is still unknown, but some suggest that the feed’s new formulation may have a lower protein content. This news comes at a time when chicken and egg prices have reached historic highs, driven in part by Avian Flu and inflation under the Brandon Administration.
Interesting. All three of my flocks were fed with Tractor Supply feed with NO obvious laying or health problems.
 
I keep reading about the egg shortage our chickens seem to be doing well for this time of year. We feed pellets but they get a tremendous amount of other things as well. Today they are getting a left over pot of chili. When we shoot a deer we put the carcass in the chicken pen they strip it clean. I think ours are doing well for this time of year we have got more than a dozen a day for the last few days.

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I keep reading about the egg shortage our chickens seem to be doing well for this time of year. We feed pellets but they get a tremendous amount of other things as well. Today they are getting a left over pot of chili. When we shoot a deer we put the carcass in the chicken pen they strip it clean. I think ours are doing well for this time of year we have got more than a dozen a day for the last few days.

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But, but, but, you are supposed to be standing in line at Squalmart, waiting to get your 'ration' !!! gaah ...Like a good Minion!
 
I keep reading about the egg shortage our chickens seem to be doing well for this time of year. We feed pellets but they get a tremendous amount of other things as well. Today they are getting a left over pot of chili. When we shoot a deer we put the carcass in the chicken pen they strip it clean. I think ours are doing well for this time of year we have got more than a dozen a day for the last few days.

View attachment 103340

My chicken coop looks like a bone yard in there. I throw in whole rib cages from the butcher and they pick at the stuff left between the rib bones.

I believe lack of protein is the problem. Normal layer pellets are 16% which is bare minimum for laying. It's not enough. Even buying gower/finisher would improve the situation.

I don't like pellets. They are full of soy protein and highly processed. I use wheat, peas and butcher scraps plus maggot tubes in the summer.
 
My chicken coop looks like a bone yard in there. I throw in whole rib cages from the butcher and they pick at the stuff left between the rib bones.

I believe lack of protein is the problem. Normal layer pellets are 16% which is bare minimum for laying. It's not enough. Even buying gower/finisher would improve the situation.

I don't like pellets. They are full of soy protein and highly processed. I use wheat, peas and butcher scraps plus maggot tubes in the summer.
Agreed.

Feed ingredients are more expensive now than ever before.

Tractor supply would be putting pressure on their supplier(s) to keep costs down, so they can maximize profit margin.

They just went too far and made a product that is no longer "fit for purpose".

Bean counters who work for retailers are constantly pressuring suppliers to sell them products cheaper.

It happens all the time.

Most things you buy are constantly being "Cost Optimized" - which is management speak for made cheaper to make.
 
I just watched a Keeping it Dutch youtube, and I'm not sure what amish community he lives in, but he and his family went to their amish store and there were no eggs. Owner said the local amish supplier is selling privately, and not to the store. He wondered if they were keeping eggs in their community for other amish at a good price. Got me thinking...I take my neighbor Walmart and Aldi shopping a few Wednesdays a month, and also my favorite cousin and her daughter now and again. The bulk eggs (like 5 dz) went up crazy at Walmart. My neighbor now gets them from one or two amish ladies here at $2.50 a dz (amish price), which works out cheaper than Walmart now. I bring my favorite cousin a few dz a week for herself.
 


A maggot tube is made from 6 inch or larger pvc pipe in two sections around six to ten ft in length total. Three to four feet for the bottom section holds a decent amount of meat. Longer on top is better for venting any potential smell upwards and onwards.

The bottom section is made like the above maggot bucket but I use mesh for the bottom of the tube as well as the meat rack or you can cap it and drill holes in the cap.

Drill lots of holes above the meat level. Add a straight connect glued only to this bottom part, not the top section(s). The top section is basically a vent stack (chimney). I strap the bottom section to a post and when I want to refill it I remove the top section from the bottom section.

You can fashion a chimney style rain cap for the vent stack as well.
 
My thoughts on why egg prices are so high. . . The government went into the commercial egg producers to claim that there was a "pandemic" and ALL their chickens needed to be KILLED. We have had backyard chickens for years. There has been a few times that some got sick and did die, but it exposed the flock to a disease and it made their immune system stronger. You would think that the BIG COMMERCIAL EGG COMPANIES would do the same to make a more resistant flock. . . Why is it that hard to figure out?
 
And now, they're attacking the chicken. It makes me wonder.......what did they really attack first? The chicken or the egg? It kind of makes me wonder if the new 'bad' feed has an interesting additive?
At this point, nothing would surprise me.....but it does make me angry b/c I believe that they definitely would go that far!

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7565424/
 
Said this was 1918. . . Back in the day Uncle Sam wanted families to raise chickens. Now some countries are pushing you eat the insects that normally chickens would take care of while government agencies have basically been killing off chickens along with egg production. Chickens are a gift that keeps giving until the last bite you have, after they end up on the table.
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