What can I mix to reduce protein content

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Lilly Cohn

Lilly Cohn

In the Brooder
Aug 8, 2015
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I have 22% protein feed which I need to reduce to between 16-18%. What can I mix the feed with, other than organic rolled oats which are not available locally and are extremely expensive to get shipped? Thanks.
 
Why would you want to reduce the protein. We went from 16% to 22% as we were having feather picking and other issues. If you read to posts of long time chicken owners they will very often say they use feed grower feed to layers, with added calcium elsewhere. I will never go back to 16%, or anything below 20% for that matter.
 
We have two ducklings and its time for the protein content of their food to be reduced and I have read that chickens should be switched to lower protein as well during the grower phase. Thats why I was looking into reducing protein content.
 
I know nothing about ducks.

For chickens, I don't think that is correct. It is not "should" but "can".

If they are factory chickens and it is a factory farm then you can reduce their protein to that level. They raise billions of chickens a year and they have it down to a science, as far as the least expensive way to get eggs out of chickens. That is probably not the best for your chickens.
 
I add cracked corn and scratch, free ranging, other vegetables and scraps, I too like to lower the total protein as they grow so they slow down a bit, legs can develop, chickens can get some size before they lay, it's kind of like lowering the protein on a large breed dog so they don't grow too fast and develop leg problems. It's an older concept that I have always followed, and I see benefits from it.
 
Cracked corn will definitely lower the protein, but I wouldn't go past 25% of the mix with corn. That should drop a 22% to an 18% or so... Corn is high energy, but almost no fiber... Millet is a great fill in too, and it has more calcium and digestible fiber than corn.. good ol scratch works well too, easy to come by; same as corn, cut your current feed with 25% scratch to drop it to 18. :)
 
Last edited:
See if you can get some small pelleted 10-14% hog feed, sweet feed or unsweetened livestock feed locally...

Some Walmarts even carry these...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Family-Farm-Wagon-Train-Animal-Feed-40-lb-Livestock/10323582
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Family-Farm-14-Pelleted-Complete-Hog-14-Feed-40-lb-Livestock/10323577

In the end the above feeds are nearly the same components as most crumble and pelleted poultry feed the biggest difference is they lack the specific ammo acid supplementation for poultry... Short term use or mixed with regular feed will not cause any big nutritional lapses...

Mixed at these weight ratios

3 parts 10% + 5 parts 22% = 17.5% mix
3 parts 12% + 4 parts 22% = 17.7% mix
1 part 14% + 1 part 22% = 18% mix
 

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