Downs Valley Farm

Downs Valley Farm We're a family owend and operated farm in Cedar Rapids, Iowa offering herbs, veggies cookies and more

The beginnings of our tea, just waking up
05/23/2026

The beginnings of our tea, just waking up

A few flowers around the yard in full bloom
05/22/2026

A few flowers around the yard in full bloom

Some new additions this week
05/21/2026

Some new additions this week

Late to post but my greenhouse is on irrigation and a timer now!
05/21/2026

Late to post but my greenhouse is on irrigation and a timer now!

This week's herbs. The dehydrator is going to be working overtime this year
05/21/2026

This week's herbs. The dehydrator is going to be working overtime this year

Looks like we might be turning the heat on for a few nights still
05/20/2026

Looks like we might be turning the heat on for a few nights still

05/20/2026

Hiland Naturals⁠ Chicken Layer feed is built for people who want egg production without sacrificing ingredient quality or bird health. Think of it as a “performance feed wearing work boots.” 🥚🐓

Here’s the core idea behind the feed:

What makes it different

Hiland Naturals focuses heavily on:
Non-GMO ingredients
Cold-pressed soybeans instead of hexane solvent-extracted soybean meal
Organic chelated trace minerals
Added probiotics and nutrition technologies designed to support gut health and feed efficiency
Fixed-formula style nutrition focused on consistency

A lot of conventional layer feeds are formulated around lowest-cost ingredients at the time. Hiland Naturals pushes more toward digestibility, palatability, and nutrient availability.

What chicken owners usually notice

Many users report:
Better feed intake consistency
Strong shell quality
Richer yolk color
Cleaner droppings
Better feather condition
Birds appearing more active and thriving overall
The goal is not just “keep hens alive and laying.”

The goal is:
better nutrient absorption = more from every pound of feed.
Why cold-pressed soy matters
One of the biggest talking points with Hiland Naturals is the soybean processing.
Many feeds use soybean meal processed with chemical solvents like hexane. Hiland Naturals instead uses cold-pressed soy. The theory behind that approach is:
more natural oils remain in the ingredient
less harsh processing
improved palatability
potentially better digestibility
That is a major philosophical dividing line between Hiland Naturals and many mainstream commercial feeds.

Egg production focus
A quality layer feed should provide:
Proper calcium levels
Balanced protein
Available phosphorus
Trace minerals
Vitamins needed for shell production and laying persistence
Hiland Naturals layer feed is designed to support:
strong shells
sustained lay rate
body condition
feather maintenance during production
Where it shines
This feed especially fits:
backyard flocks
pasture-raised birds
homestead operations
people wanting a more natural feed program
flocks where owners actually watch bird condition closely

It pairs especially well with birds on pasture because the feed is intended to complement forage instead of fighting against it.

The tradeoff

The feed usually costs more per bag than many conventional feeds.

But the argument from users is:
birds often waste less feed
birds may maintain production better
overall condition improves
cost per egg can become competitive due to feed efficiency

Basically:
cheaper feed does not always mean cheaper eggs.
A lot of the Hiland Naturals philosophy revolves around that exact point.

So much going on in our greenhouse
05/19/2026

So much going on in our greenhouse

Address

Cedar Rapids, IA
52402

Telephone

+13192025416

Website

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