Increasing Protein

Sammbalina

Songster
5 Years
Oct 1, 2018
90
100
126
Shelby County, AL
I have not been able to find an organic turkey or gamebird starter anywhere near me. I have called every feed store in a 45 min radius of where I live and even a pet store I found on a feed manufacturer's website. No one carries nor can order and organic starter with a high enough protein. The closest thing I can find is an organic chick starter at 20% protein. Anyone know how to add protein to it without throwing off the balance of nutrition? It's Nature's Best chick starter. I am also planning on fermenting the feed, which I have read will increase the amount of protein they are able to digest, but I'm not sure if it would be enough or not. I have a 50 lb bag that I ordered from amazon for 60 chicks and I need to find something before I run out and have to pay another $75! Also any thoughts on a feeder to use for feeding fermented feed to quail chicks? I got one of those red plastic feeders that you put on a mason jar, but it's too big for the babies and I don't want them to get caked in it!
 
I've been reading up on Black Soldier Fly larvae as a food amendment (thanks to their appearance in my earth worm bin). They are supposed to be high in protein and calcium. Though I'm not sure yet on how to prep them for quail, or if the quail will just eat them straight.

The great thing about the BSFL is that you can build a self harvesting composter, and when the larvae are ready to pupate, they fall into the bucket, then you feed them to the livestock. Also, they break down table scraps extremely quick. I tossed two cucumbers that went bad in my bin around 6pm, by 6pm the next morning, the cucumbers were gone.

Oh, and they are renewable, free, and release an odor (doesn't stink to humans, in fact, I barely detect it) that repels disease vector fly species from the compost. They also out compete pest species for the food. I don't have fruit flies in my compost, and I put a lot of fruits and veggies in it.
 

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