Extra protein

[OwensMom]

I asked a vet recently about ckickens being lactose "intolerant". He said that chickens are not intolerant. There are specific symptoms of intolerence-bloating, gas, diarrhea. Chickens do not have these symptoms. Some chickens handle lactose better than others. His advice is that if your chickens have no problems with lactose than give them milk products. I have fed my girls homemade yogurt, cottage cheese and milk for years with no ill effects. As a matter of fact the first food that my chicks get is yogurt for the probiotics. Someone on BYC accused me of killing chickens by advising people to feed yogurt so I asked someone who actually knew what they were talking about. No worries-feed lactose but dont go overboard.

 

[OwensMom]

Stevebaz, can you give some guidelines for feeding bloodmeal adn meat and bone meal? Will either adversely flavor the eggs? How can a person be sure of the quality of the above products? Can bloodmeal and meat/bone meal meant for gardens be used as feed? Do you mix either in something to feed? I've only seen these products in powder form for the garden. Thanks

 

[SteveBaz]

No would be a direct answer but;

I do a ton of reading on the computer and came across this article a few weeks ago By the University of Kentucky. I was also asking for sources of protein for poultry and this site came up and I book marked it.

http://www.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/feed_ingredients/proteins.html

My local feed store kind of knew what I was looking for but these products are not easy to find in the names form they give for them.

Here is a list that my daughter provided for me from a diet book that described the protein value of most foods

Beef Topround, Lean protein foods per 100 grams36.12g Pumpkin Seeds protein foods per 100 grams32.97g
Pork Bacon protein foods per 100 grams35.73g Peanut Butter protein foods per 100 grams25.09g
Beef Brisket, Lean protein foods per 100 grams33.26g Cheddar Cheese protein foods per 100 grams24.90g
Beef Steak, Lean protein foods per 100 grams31.06g Monterey Cheese protein foods per 100 grams24.48g
Beef Top Sirloin, Lean protein foods per 100 grams30.55g Colby Cheese protein foods per 100 grams23.76g
Pork Top Loin protein foods per 100 grams30.48g Peanuts protein foods per 100 grams23.68
Bluefin Tuna protein foods per 100 grams29.91g Mozzarella Cheese protein foods per 100 grams22.17g
Turkey Bacon protein foods per 100 grams29.60g Almonds protein foods per 100 grams22.09g
Chicken, Dark Meat protein foods per 100 grams28.99g Pistachio Nuts protein foods per 100 grams21.35
Oyster protein foods per 100 grams28.81g Flax seed protein foods per 100 grams19.50g
Beef Tenderloin, Lean protein foods per 100 grams28.51g Tofu protein foods per 100 grams17.19g
Turkey, White Meat protein foods per 100 grams28.48g Oats protein foods per 100 grams16.89g
Beef Kidney protein foods per 100 grams27.27g Egg Yolk protein foods per 100 grams15.86g
Halibut protein foods per 100 grams26.69g Cashew Nuts protein foods per 100 grams15.31g
Cooked Trout protein foods per 100 grams26.63g Hazelnuts protein foods per 100 grams15.03g
Veal Cooked protein foods per 100 grams25.93g Walnuts protein foods per 100 grams15.03g
Beef Liver protein foods per 100 grams25.51g Fried Egg protein foods per 100 grams13.63g
Cooked Salmon protein foods per 100 grams25.56g Soybeans protein foods per 100 grams13.10g
Goose protein foods per 100 grams25.16g Whey protein foods per 100 grams12.93g
Caviar protein foods per 100 grams24.60g Cottage Cheese protein foods per 100 grams12.49g
Lamb Cooked protein foods per 100 grams24.52g Ricotta Cheese protein foods per 100 grams11.26g
Freshwater Bass protein foods per 100 grams24.18g Pecans protein foods per 100 grams9.50g
Flounder protein foods per 100 grams24.16g Lentils protein foods per 100 grams9.02g
Beef T-bone protein foods per 100 grams24.05g Wheat Bread protein foods per 100 grams8.80g
Hamburger 80% lean protein foods per 100 grams24.04g Acorn Nuts protein foods per 100 grams8.10g
Duck protein foods per 100 grams23.48g Lima Beans protein foods per 100 grams7.80g
Turkey protein foods per 100 grams23g Macadamia Nuts protein foods per 100 grams7.79g
Pork Chop protein foods per 100 grams21.91g Mungo Beans protein foods per 100 grams7.54g
Turkey Gizzard protein foods per 100 grams21.72g Cranberrys protein foods per 100 grams5.54g
Turkey Heart protein foods per 100 grams21.47g Green Peas protein foods per 100 grams5.36
Anchovy protein foods per 100 grams20.35g Pinto Beans protein foods per 100 grams4.86g
Lobster protein foods per 100 grams20.50g Kidney Beans protein foods per 100 grams4.83g
Shrimp moist heat protein foods per 100 grams20.91g Yogurt protein foods per 100 grams3.47g
Turkey Liver protein foods per 100 grams20.02g Non-fat Milk protein foods per 100 grams3.37g
Alaska King Crab protein foods per 100 grams19.35g Whole Milk protein foods per 100 grams3.22g
Chicken, White Meat protein foods per 100 grams16.79g White Rice protein foods per 100 grams2.69g
Brown Rice protein foods per 100 grams2.58g

 

[kari_dawn]

...I noticed that avocado pits and skins were on the no feed list. What about the avocado meat? Can they eat that? Not that I have fed them that, but I have wondered about it.

 

[OwensMom]

Thanks Steve. Just read some of the articles and bookmarked site. I think that the higher protein feeds need to be fed in smaller amounts. I think that a little goes a long way. Thanks again

 

[saladin]

I go by the deer cooler on a regular basis during season and get deer hearts and livers. Anything that is full of blood is great protein and the birds just love it..... and it's free!

 

[fiddlebanshee]

Some protein snacks i have fed to my 5 week olds are:

1. mealworms
2. yogurt
3. sprouts (some beansprouts can have up to 35% protein in them)
4. stinkbugs
5. whatever other grubs and insects they and I can find

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Sunflower seeds are one of the better plant sources of methionine that's readily available, so I give those as treats to my chickens. The sunflower seed grown for people to eat has even more protein and less oil than the black oil type. I think sesame seeds and quinoa are good, but get more expensive to feed.

Any type of plain meat is good, too. Insects and worms are really good for them, too. The active probiotic bacterial culture in yogurt feeds on the lactose in the milk, which is what turns it into yogurt. Even if someone is worried about giving dairy to chickens, yogurt shouldn't be a problem at all.

Legumes like alfalfa and clover add a little more protein to the diet and also give some of the benefits of green feed.

Soy on it's own doesn't have as much methionine as the chickens need. I think that's one of the reasons that chickens feather out on meat based feeds better than vegetarian feeds, if they both have the same percentage of protein in them. Especially if you feed one of the layer feeds that has the absolute lowest percentage of protein. If you go with a feed that has a couple of extra percentage points of protein, it'll help provide more of the most limited amino acid.

They need the most methionine when they're molting, as feathers contain so much of it. Some feed producers add extra methionine to vegetarian feeds to give it a better amino acid balance and some don't. The more balanced the amino acid profile is for the needs of the chickens, the less total protein you need in the feed.