How much protein is too much?

[chuckzoo]

I have two BR hens now 1 yr old. I have been feeding them on gamebird/showbird food to put a little meat on their bones (I would never eat them- they are layers). They didn't eat very much over the winter. Well the one has filled out nicely and is about twice as heavy as the other.

The gamebird food is 24% protein. I started tapering off on the gamebird food by mixing it with their layer crumbles -16% protein but I am still concerned about the one hen that is still skinny.

I have read that fat birds don't lay well. What suggestions do you guys have?

 

[NYREDS]

I feed nothing but a 22% protein game bird feed. The birds maintain weight well, lay well & have great feather quality.
I started with this system several years ago & it has worked well for me.

 

[digitS']

"High levels of protein in the feed can cause or contribute to the seriousness of gout. Under practical conditions this is unlikely to be a problem with healthy poultry because protein is expensive and therefore, protein levels are formulated very close to the estimated flock requirement. There is a large margin of safety between the protein requirement and the levels (approximately 35-40%) which will induce gout in healthy birds." Ralph A. Ernst, Ph.D. & Duncan McMartin, DVM, California Poultry Newsletter, April, 1995 (86 page pdf)

I suppose that if you do not have healthy birds (for instance, if they are old), that 35-40% should really be much lower. Also, high protein feed will "push" young pullets into early maturing. They may lay eggs before they have gained sufficient growth. Their bodies and the size of eggs will remain small. That is a reason the protein levels of "developer feeds" are below 20% for 14 to 20 week-old pullets.

I think that usually, for the backyard chicken-keeper, our tendency to feed so many "treats" really lowers the protein of the over-all diet quite a bit below whatever is in the commercial feed. Also, a diet with lots of grass and green plants in it, won't be especially high in protein. Fruit and vegetables are quite low in protein. Probably, a 14% balanced protein diet would be seen as a bare minimum for good egg production.

Steve

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

It's good to see someone pointing out the disadvantages of feeding to high of protein to chickens. Gout is a real issue and so are liver problems.
The guy from state vetrinary supply, can't remember his name - something like Dr steve? Gave me quite a good lecture on the issues reulting my following "expert" advice and feeding to high of protein content. I wouldn't want to repeat it for fear of saying something wrong, but the gist of it was, laying hens need only 16% protein; more is a waste and unhealthy too. Anyone who gets the opportunity to talk with that guy should take it, very knowledgable man.

 

[chuckzoo]

Thanks for all the good info. I have only had them on the gamebird food for about two months because they ate so poorly in the winter when I expected them to eat more.

My one hen broke about half an inch off her beak when she flew up and hit the wire of the run so I wanted to also make sure that she had sufficient protein to regrow her beak, which is growing back nicely. She, however still eats little, much less than my other hen and is quite skinny - you can feel her keel bone.

They do get some treats, BOSS and a bit of lettuce mainly but not enough to dilute out their diet.

 

[Chris09]

I feed a 21% protein feed to all my bird (chicks, growers and breeders)
I never had a problem of pullet going into early maturing..
Buckeye Nutrition recommends using their "Big 4" Pellet that is 20% protein on growing show stock up to point of lay then switching to there 20% Gold Standard Crumbles mixed at the rate of
60% Gold Standard Laying Crumbles and 40% grain.
For lighter weight hens and hens in extremely heavy production, the level of Gold
Standard Laying Crumbles to grain may be increased to 70% Crumbles and 30% grain.

Chris

 

[Cindy in PA]

Layers only need 16% protein, but many of us like to feed 20% or more so that we can give them healthy greens & grains that will actually lower their protein! Many think 16% feed is all that matters, but fail to account for the lower protein treats.