22% Protein Layer Feed

[Yard full o' rocks]

Quote:
Big city of Hiram, GA

Check that feed store on the HWY 61 connector in Dallas. Or contact Tucker Milling directly and maybe they can tell you the closest feed store. Their products contain NON - RUMINANT meat by products which is an excellent source of protein for your birds.

Website link http://www.tuckermilling.com/

Hope that helps!

Scott
(aka Yard Full o rocks)

 

[churchx3]

Yard full o' rocks :

Quote:
Big city of Hiram, GA

Check that feed store on the HWY 61 connector in Dallas. Or contact Tucker Milling directly and maybe they can tell you the closest feed store. Their products contain NON - RUMINANT meat by products which is an excellent source of protein for your birds.

Website link http://www.tuckermilling.com/

Hope that helps!

Scott
(aka Yard Full o rocks)​

I use Lawson's Seed and Feed which is the one you are referring too. I will check online with Tucker Milling. Thanks!

Debby
(aka Churchx3)

 

[silkiechicken]

I only supplement with 22% layer in the winter when they are getting more corn and are in moult. For some reason, all the birds tend to start their moult at about the same time we start our 100 days of rain, with naked birds running around when we get our annual week or two of freezing weather.

 

[Cindy in PA]

22% protein gives you the option of feeding more greens & treats that are lower in protein. 16% with treats is not 16%. Most of us don't feed higher protein to keep the protein that high, but to not have to worry about getting the protein down too far.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
I doubt it with what you are feeding them and them free ranging. I don't know how much of the 22% feed they are eating compared to everything else. Mine free range and would eat quite a bit of feed if I gave them all they want. Lazy things. Others free range their chickens and report that their birds hardly touch their feed. I think yours would also do OK on 16%. It is not an exact science for us like it is in the commercial operations. Chickens are pretty adaptable and tough. They thrive under a lot of different situations. We just don't have enough chickens to even notice a small change in efficiency.

If you have them confined and all they get is the high protein feed or the high protein feed and protein rich treats, yes I think you might be harming them over the long term. They are not going to fall over dead the instant you give them something high in protein any more than you are going to get gout by eating one meal of certain "at risk" food, but a steady diet is different. And even if they do get a high protein diet all their lives, not all are going to be affected. I think Cindy in Pa said it well. The high protein feed is something you can use to give you other options. It is just something to be aware of.

 

[DAFox]

I've been doing a bit of reading on recommended protein levels lately. Bobbi Porto of http://www.indigoegg.us/ChickenCareSummary.html feeds her adult laying Silkies a 20% protein feed.
Table 3 at this website http://www.poultryhub.org/index.php...ying_chickens#Nutrient_levels_for_layer_diets suggests a laying hen needs a 19.8% crude protein feed from shortly after starting to lay until 35 weeks. This level is decreased in increments to 16% at 55+ weeks. It took me a while to figure out why this site recommended a sliding scale. A hen's peak production of laying is within the first year. After that production drops off. So, it does make sense.
I feed my free range layers 16% protein, but, up the percentage by adding 22% gamebird starter (to make a 19% feed) during times of stress -- worming, moulting and winter (because I add scratch to their diet). But, after doing the reading, I think I'll up the protein during the peak of laying (Spring/early Summer), too.
Dale-Ann

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
For commercial production, it's more about maintaining the proper bird weight and thus egg size. The largest market, and best price, is for large eggs, so the flocks are managed to keep the average egg size at large for as long as possible. They recommend high protein feed from 17-35 weeks to get the hens' weight and egg size up rather quickly. At 35 weeks they hit peak production and production slowly declines from there. At that point the goal is to allow the hens to gain weight, but very slowly. This keeps production up, but maintains egg size, then as production drops the protein requirement drops.

We have a flock of 2500 organic layer hens. We started them on 18.5% protein last year and brought that down to 17% by the time they were 35 weeks olds. They were already rather heavy coming from the grower barn and we overfed them. Egg size went up rather quickly and we overshot the large egg size and maintained an average x-large egg size throughout the rest of the year. We get 10 cents per dozen less from our cooperative for x-large vs large eggs. Although we sold $92,000 in eggs last year, we lost close to $5,000 in revenue because of that.

We now have a new flock in the barn and are being more cautious. We started them on 18.5% feed, but didn't feed it as long before starting to lower the protein level. These birds were a little lighter coming from the grower barn and with us being a little more cautious, we are seeing a huge amount of pee-wee and small eggs, which we get very little money for. Egg size is coming up, but it could be quicker. It's a balancing act...

 

[Chris09]

churchx3:

Check your feed bag and see if under the feeding instructions if it says to mix with scratch grain or corn.
There are some Feed Manufacturing Co. that have a 20 and 22 percent protein layer that is intended for laying hens but they recommend mixing it with scratch grain or corn.
Buckeye Feed/ Buckeye Nutrition recommends feeding there 20% Gold Standard Laying Crumbles at the rate of 60% Crumbles and 40% grain. For lighter weight hens and hens in extremely heavy production, the level of Crumbles to grain may be increased to 70% Crumbles and 30% grain.

Chris

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
This is very interesting! I'm enjoying this thread! I guess I shouldn't be so worried about that extra handful of pumpkin seeds here and there that I throw them!!

 

[Debbienmousey]

I heard it's good to feed a higher protein pellet when the weather becomes very hot, because the hens will eat less. It's supposed to help keep egg production up in the summer, is this true?