FOODS GUINEAS CAN AND CAN'T EAT

[MysteryChicken]

Lentils can be cooked without getting wet, just like how soybeans are often "dry roasted."

The bag said Raw orange Lentils.

 

[NatJ]

I disagree. When you cook an egg especially boiling it, the water is still all there. I know some people like to pretend that the percentage is higher than it is but it isn't.

Comparing protein on a dry matter basis makes it easier to see how the amount of protein relates to the amount of fat, and fiber, and carbohydrates, and other things that it needs to be balanced with.

If you get chicken food wet with water, it has the very same amount of protein even though the percent by weight goes down (because you added water, and water is heavy.) But no matter how much water you add to chicken food, the ratio of protein to fat to carbohydrates does not change.

The same thing happens with the egg. The water of the egg might replace part of the water the chicken would otherwise drink, and might make the chicken's crop feel full (just like when the chicken drinks water), but it does not change how the protein relates to the other not-water parts of the egg.

 

[NatJ]

The bag said Raw orange Lentils.

You hadn't said that they were listed as "raw."

When I try to read about it, I find that lentils have much lower levels of the toxin than beans do, so maybe the amount in the chicken treats was low enough to be safe. There are many foods (for humans and animals) where a few bites are fine, but a large amount can cause problems.

 

[MysteryChicken]

You hadn't said that they were listed as "raw."

When I try to read about it, I find that lentils have much lower levels of the toxin than beans do, so maybe the amount in the chicken treats was low enough to be safe. There are many foods (for humans and animals) where a few bites are fine, but a large amount can cause problems.

I didn't think to mention that part.

Makes sense.

 

[Naverretia]

Yes sorry I forgot to mention we are in the Azores. It's remote and even things from mainland Europe can't be shipped here. Most people here seem to just let their fowl free range and use as little feed as possible. I had to lock my adults up after they supposedly killed the neighbors chickens, the new coops we built are much farther away from him. Ideally when the keets are fully grown I can at least let them out a couple at a time, they are addicted to their treats already so I'm hoping that may be a good way to call them back at night. With the massive rats here though I can't risk letting them range until they are a better size!

 

[Naverretia]

I promise I am not trying to be difficult, I have learned so much from everyone's posts here. Where we are, most people don't make more than €500 a month, so if they have farm animals they use them as food. I think I'm about the only person that treats them as pets, everyone asks why we don't eat the guineas or our Vietnamese pigs . I think that's why I have such a hard time finding specific feed or supplements, if people don't buy it, then they won't stock it. I can get some things on Amazon Spain, but even that is limited and sometimes won't even ship here. So, any natural alternatives I can find are helpful.

 

[Sydney65]

I promise I am not trying to be difficult, I have learned so much from everyone's posts here. Where we are, most people don't make more than €500 a month, so if they have farm animals they use them as food. I think I'm about the only person that treats them as pets, everyone asks why we don't eat the guineas or our Vietnamese pigs . I think that's why I have such a hard time finding specific feed or supplements, if people don't buy it, then they won't stock it. I can get some things on Amazon Spain, but even that is limited and sometimes won't even ship here. So, any natural alternatives I can find are helpful.

You're not being difficult, just presenting a challenge. Easy access feeds complacency, so a little challenge once in awhile is a good thing. Besides, looks like you live in paradise.
How about this - if the keets were wild, Mama would be taking them out to forage asap (& most of them would die enroute, but-) they would be getting their protein primarily from bugs. I actually used to use a food using bugs for protein, but it had too much calcium for the males. " insects containing median values of between 9.96 g and 35.2 g of protein per 100 g, compared with 16.8–20.6 g for meat." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4781901/#!po=38.6364
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6728817/
Fish is high in protein,likewise fishmeal and ofal.
I'm not a pro when it comes to what they can/can't eat, some plant foods listed in this article @R2elk has said is not good and seeing more pointed out in this convo. Pumpkin seeds are high in protein but is it safer thwn sunflower seeds which I believe he said causes fatty liver. A guy here a few weeks ago uses plain oats as treats as I do millet.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/
So basically whatever you do is going to req a lot more effort on your part than for most.
Study your area's flora and nutritional content. Here we have lamb's quarters, and I noticed my keets always seemed to search it out. It's high in protein, fiber. Dandelion greens are an excellent source of vitamins A,C,K, contain E, folate and small amounts of other B vitamins. Chickweed, dock, kale, all have nutrients.
Add Complex b vits to water and change out daily. I think @R2elk already mentioned it in this thread..and reky on him to confirm my not quite awske yet brain that it's 1/2 tab?
Crickets have high nutritional value.
Hope some of this helps.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Yes sorry I forgot to mention we are in the Azores. It's remote and even things from mainland Europe can't be shipped here. Most people here seem to just let their fowl free range and use as little feed as possible. I had to lock my adults up after they supposedly killed the neighbors chickens, the new coops we built are much farther away from him. Ideally when the keets are fully grown I can at least let them out a couple at a time, they are addicted to their treats already so I'm hoping that may be a good way to call them back at night. With the massive rats here though I can't risk letting them range until they are a better size!

It sounds like a challenge to raise these guys there but you’ve had success so far! My keets are 6 weeks old and eat commercial feed, but probably get more food by foraging with the adults than they do commercial feed. I often can’t tell what they are eating, but I see them eat growing turnip greens and wheat from young plants. I throw them some millet and mealworms, but just as treats so they associate me with good things. Can you get your keets foraging in a fenced area or with your supervision for a part of the day?

 

[Naverretia]

You're not being difficult, just presenting a challenge. Easy access feeds complacency, so a little challenge once in awhile is a good thing. Besides, looks like you live in paradise.
How about this - if the keets were wild, Mama would be taking them out to forage asap (& most of them would die enroute, but-) they would be getting their protein primarily from bugs. I actually used to use a food using bugs for protein, but it had too much calcium for the males. " insects containing median values of between 9.96 g and 35.2 g of protein per 100 g, compared with 16.8–20.6 g for meat." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4781901/#!po=38.6364
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6728817/
Fish is high in protein,likewise fishmeal and ofal.
I'm not a pro when it comes to what they can/can't eat, some plant foods listed in this article @R2elk has said is not good and seeing more pointed out in this convo. Pumpkin seeds are high in protein but is it safer thwn sunflower seeds which I believe he said causes fatty liver. A guy here a few weeks ago uses plain oats as treats as I do millet.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/
So basically whatever you do is going to req a lot more effort on your part than for most.
Study your area's flora and nutritional content. Here we have lamb's quarters, and I noticed my keets always seemed to search it out. It's high in protein, fiber. Dandelion greens are an excellent source of vitamins A,C,K, contain E, folate and small amounts of other B vitamins. Chickweed, dock, kale, all have nutrients.
Add Complex b vits to water and change out daily. I think @R2elk already mentioned it in this thread..and reky on him to confirm my not quite awske yet brain that it's 1/2 tab?
Crickets have high nutritional value.
Hope some of this helps.

I actually have tried to pick up some bugs and earthworms for them when I can, we have tons of ladybugs lately. We also have a ton of slugs, but I heard the sticky residue can bother their throat? We don't have much winter to speak of, so things grow here well all year, I just need to figure what is good. Do sunflower seeds need to be peeled? We are just getting some pumpkins out of the fields now.

 

[R2elk]

I actually have tried to pick up some bugs and earthworms for them when I can, we have tons of ladybugs lately. We also have a ton of slugs, but I heard the sticky residue can bother their throat? We don't have much winter to speak of, so things grow here well all year, I just need to figure what is good. Do sunflower seeds need to be peeled? We are just getting some pumpkins out of the fields now.

Sunflower seeds do not need to be peeled but since they are a low protein, high fat food they should be considered a treat. The total of all treats should not exceed 10% of the total diet.

If they will eat it, give them the whole pumpkin cut up into chunks. I introduced mine to pumpkins as adults and they will not touch it.