Are there any layer feeds with animal proteins?

[chickengeorgeto]

I think scratch n peck has fish meal. It's not available everywhere unless shipped though which can make it really expensive.

Pardon me, welcome to BYC! Adding location to your profile is useful over and over!

Why not feed the el cheapo layer feed and supplement it with either pig chow
(check the ingredient list for meat, milk, raw tankage, fish meal, or blood and bone meal)

A good dry kibble dog food will work, check the list of ingredients? Calf Manna is also a very-very good source of protein. When feeding Calf Manna a little dab'll do you. Say between a teaspoon and a tablespoon full per bird per day. When the proverbial farm-wife first got into egg farming in a big way starting about 1900 dehydrated buttermilk was the baby chicken feed of choice. I think that there are some magazines from that era in digital format at the University of Minnesota school of agriculture. I have read them but I foolishly expected them to stay available instead of downloading them to disc on my PC. Technology is not our friend.

 

[Folly's place]

The all veggie diets have the essential amino acids added necessary for the chickens. There are two reasons; animal protein is more expensive than vegetable, with added amino acids, and consumer demand. Haven't you seen the eggs sold 'from vegetarian fed hens' at the supermarket, for higher prices? Marketing! Fantasy information!
I feed Flock Raiser, a very nice feed, with oyster shell on the side, and my flock hunts for bugs and worms during good weather outside. I'm not making my own chicken feed at home, and there's nothing readily available at my local feed stores that contains animal protein, that's an improvement on their current diet.
You might find some other choices where you live.
Mary

 

[Onslow's Hens]

I was hoping that there was a layer feed that used animal proteins that was easy to find and not super expensive. I found a couple organic whole grain feeds that have fish meal and alfalfa and they look great. But they just cost way to much! I do like the feed I am currently using (Southern States All Grain Layer). It seems to do a good job. Nothing spectacular, but good. Hens like it. But then, they eat anything! Luckily, my hens free range all day on open pasture and they also run around in the woods line. They gets lots of mice and frogs, bugs and worms too so I guess that should cover the animal protein part of their diet that I want them to get. I also give them ALL table scraps that we have. They eat it all. So, will just stick with what they are on. I did try some dry kitten food over the winter and I was surprised they did not eat it. Not interested. But give them a can of cat food and watch the feather fly!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The all veggie diets have the essential amino acids added [that are] necessary for the chickens....

Are we saying that those supper healthy organic, natural, or veterinarian chicken feeds have artificial, unnatural, or perish the thought, factory made amino acids added to them?

 

[Folly's place]

Imagine, a listed amino acid, rather than 'meat meal'; who knew?
'Veterinarian' chicken feed???? Love it!
Mary