Feather Eating - Problem or no problem?

[junebuggena]

I'm a bad chicken raiser that's how

Nope, just got a little carried away by chicken math. Happens to us all. I had 33 birds at one point this summer...
Back down to 18 now, but I've got a broody sitting on a dozen eggs, and 2 dozen are about to go in the incubator for Christmas chick sales...

 

[Flock Master64]

Oh yeah, forget everything I said about their run. I forgot to mention that I have a gate that leads into our garden that I leave open 100% of the time. The garden is atleadst 10x the size of the run

 

[fireredcannon]

Call me crazy but I was feeding gamebird starter 28% until 13 weeks and grower 24% until 16 weeks which is when I got my first eggs then eased down to an all flock 18%. I have ducks too which was part of the reason I went with a high %, but they feathered quickly and magnificently

 

[Our Roost]

Ugh! Its hard to maintain a healthy protein ration of feed when the makers generally provide 16% protein on most of their products. Thats because the manufacturers have determined that this is the correct amount needed without unwanted internal issues or health concerns. In other wise, its the safest for their industry to manufacture without implications from the customer. Medicated starter grower has 18% protein and can be given up until point of lay. That seems confusing because you generally mix the younguns in with older birds from grow out box to coop around 10-13 weeks. 2 blends of food rations is not likely and you want them all eating the same mixture. So, what to do is a common question when you notice feather eating and feather pecking of valuable tail feather plumage that starts in the juvenile stage and carries on through the molting stage. Yes lack of protein is the common cause. Tips that may help. You can continue on with "unmedicated" grower feed ,which is still 18%, if it is available to you. I like my egg layers eating scratch grains because it has valuable grain nutrients not often mixed with feed blends, but it only has 8% protein value. So---, I serve this up as a treat early morning and make them scratch for it in their run area. Now the serious side is finding a product to suffice the correct amount of protein to curb that feather eating problem! The majic ration of protein level needed during molting and juveniles growing into adulthood is somewhere around 18-20% protein needed. 16% is insufficient! Adding oyster shell small quantity bags to 16% 40lb bags is a waste because it wont increase the protein level high enough in your mixture to do much good. Not saying the use of oyster shell is not beneficial, just that its hard to justify how much needs to be added to arrive at 18-20% protein.
Back to products that offer 18-20% protein. Not having much luck with that, so I cheat the system with my own blend to aveage that amount. Only sound advice is to read product labels of ingredients, check their protein levels, and see what it takes to create your own healthy creation best suited for the breeds you are raising and their performance over time. Good luck.

 

[junebuggena]

You have to remember that feed manufacturers are producing feed primarily for commercial farms. The feed is the only thing those birds ever have access to. That is not the way most backyard flock keepers manage their flocks though. This makes the commercial layer feeds an inappropriate choice.
This is also way a lot of us never even bother purchasing layer, and stick with the grower, flock raiser, or all flock feeds.

 

[SHERRING7712]

Ugh! Its hard to maintain a healthy protein ration of feed when the makers generally provide 16% protein on most of their products. Thats because the manufacturers have determined that this is the correct amount needed without unwanted internal issues or health concerns. In other wise, its the safest for their industry to manufacture without implications from the customer. Medicated starter grower has 18% protein and can be given up until point of lay. That seems confusing because you generally mix the younguns in with older birds from grow out box to coop around 10-13 weeks. 2 blends of food rations is not likely and you want them all eating the same mixture. So, what to do is a common question when you notice feather eating and feather pecking of valuable tail feather plumage that starts in the juvenile stage and carries on through the molting stage. Yes lack of protein is the common cause. Tips that may help. You can continue on with "unmedicated" grower feed ,which is still 18%, if it is available to you. I like my egg layers eating scratch grains because it has valuable grain nutrients not often mixed with feed blends, but it only has 8% protein value. So---, I serve this up as a treat early morning and make them scratch for it in their run area. Now the serious side is finding a product to suffice the correct amount of protein to curb that feather eating problem! The majic ration of protein level needed during molting and juveniles growing into adulthood is somewhere around 18-20% protein needed. 16% is insufficient! Adding oyster shell small quantity bags to 16% 40lb bags is a waste because it wont increase the protein level high enough in your mixture to do much good. Not saying the use of oyster shell is not beneficial, just that its hard to justify how much needs to be added to arrive at 18-20% protein.
Back to products that offer 18-20% protein. Not having much luck with that, so I cheat the system with my own blend to aveage that amount. Only sound advice is to read product labels of ingredients, check their protein levels, and see what it takes to create your own healthy creation best suited for the breeds you are raising and their performance over time. Good luck.

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• Location: Wells ny
• Joined: 5/2016
• Posts: 152
• offline

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Call me crazy but I was feeding gamebird starter 28% until 13 weeks and grower 24% until 16 weeks which is when I got my first eggs then eased down to an all flock 18%. I have ducks too which was part of the reason I went with a high %, but they feathered quickly and magnificently












So I have to agree with you two on the added protein. My brother in law has raised game birdsforever and feeds a homeade mixture of feed to increase the protein (according to him his is about 20%-23%)We recently started trying the same thing.
3 PARTS GROWER/FINISHER
1 PART FEATHER FIXER
1/2 PART WHOLE CORN
1/2 PART SUNFLOWER KERNELS
1/2 PART SAFFLOWER SEEDS
1/2 OYSTER SHELL THAT HAS BEEN GROUND TO POWDER
ALSO WHILE I DIDN'T DO IT ON MY LAST MIX NEXT TIME WE WILL BE ADDING KELP POWDER AS WELL. We just started so not sure how well it's working as of yet but they love it. They also get lots of table scraps and mealworms as treats.