Is there such thing as TOO MUCH protein for chickens??

[saysfaa]

It always struck me that Dutch chicken feed is consistently lower in protein than US feed. Why is that, do you think? Cultural difference?

Dutch are allowed to use more synthetic amino acids so their feed producers can get enough of each with a lower amount of crude protein. Otherwise, there has to be too much of some amino acids in order to get enough of other amino acids.

 

[NatJ]

Mix your own much cheaper.

Where I live, it is cheaper to buy chicken food than to buy the ingredients to mix my own.

It's interesting how different things are cheap or expensive in different places.

 

[BDutch]

Don't you have a Dutch bantam? (think I saw it somewhere). What feed does she get?

Yes, 4 of my chickens are Dutch bantams. I give all my chickens wet chick crumble in a bowl and layer pellet in a container (24/7 available). + once a day I throw a few hands with mixed grains. Oyster flakes and grit on the side. A few mealworms and some grass if they are lockup up the whole day. They free range about 2 hours a day on average this time of the year.

The oldies eat mainly chick feed by choice. The feed is all organic and comes from AR (Agruniek Rijnvallei).

 

[MysteryChicken]

@U_Stormcrow
Should be able to help as well.

 

[Elle111]

The usual explanation for lower protein levels is that they were set for commercial poultry production, especially layers, with a much shorter life expectancy as they are generally culled around two years or so for younger, fresher models. So it was minimal protein (which is expensive) because farmers have to work on such a narrow margin.

Under this model, 16% might be viewed as “barely enough for them to crank out eggs for the short

Yes, 4 of my chickens are Dutch bantams. I give all my chickens wet chick crumble in a bowl and layer pellet in a container (24/7 available). + once a day I throw a few hands with mixed grains. Oyster flakes and grit on the side. A few mealworms and some grass if they are lockup up the whole day. They free range about 2 hours a day on average this time of the year.

The oldies eat mainly chick feed by choice. The feed is all organic and comes from AR (Agruniek Rijnvallei).

Didn't know that brand. I always used Kasper. How old is your eldest chicken?

 

[BDutch]

Didn't know that brand. I always used Kasper. How old is your eldest chicken?

AR feed is not meant for hobbyist but for small scale farmers and only available through a webshop starting with 100 kg. Normally they deliver at your home/farm address.
I /or my neighbour picks it up with a special code and don’t pay for delivery (a 15 km ride). We divide the minimum of 5 bags.

My eldest chicken is 11, from the year I started this hobby and have 2 hens who are 10 yo.

 

[Elle111]

AR feed is not meant for hobbyist but for small scale farmers and only available through a webshop starting with 100 kg. Normally they deliver at your home/farm address.
I /or my neighbour picks it up with a special code and don’t pay for delivery (a 15 km ride). We divide the minimum of 5 bags.

My eldest chicken is 11, from the year I started this hobby and have 2 hens who are 10 yo.

Ah, that explains it. It doesn't list the exact ingredients, does it?

 

[BDutch]

Ah, that explains it. It doesn't list the exact ingredients, does it?

Nutritional values are in the webshop. My wifi has hickups. Sorry for the mess in posting.

Mixed grain:
https://www.arwebshop.nl/blg-gemend-graan

 

[BDutch]

Ah, that explains it. It doesn't list the exact ingredients, does it?

Its definitely on the bag. I kept a few labels from the bag.
Mixed grain:

Its in the webshop too:
Laying crumble organic;
https://www.arwebshop.nl/blg-legmeel-ar-1

Chick crumble
https://www.arwebshop.nl/bio-kuikenmeel-ar

 

[Elle111]

Nutritional values are in the webshop. My wifi has hickups. Sorry for the mess in posting.

Mixed grain:
https://www.arwebshop.nl/blg-gemend-gra