22% Protein Layer Feed

[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?

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Yes. It's not actually a specific percentage of protein they need, but a certain amount of protein, by weight, depending upon their age. They will eat to fulfill their caloric needs. In warm weather they need less calories to maintain and will eat less, and in cold weather they need more calories to maintain and will eat more, but the amount of protein they need for a given age is a fixed amount. For commercial brown layers, it is around 20 grams at peak production, slightly decreasing as they age. To get that 20 grams or so of protein into them in warm weather, the percentage of protein needs to go up and in cold weather the percentage of protein can come down.

Some folks here have made a good point about scratch grains. In the summer cutting out scratch grains can raise their protein intake from the layer ration. In the winter feeding more scratch grains can cut back their protein intake.