molting/protein?

[Michael Apple]

Great information! One question please? What about using powdered buttermilk to bump up a commercial feed like Nutrena?

I don't see why not. The problem with powdered milk is that it won't adhere to feed and remain at the bottom of the feed trough where chickens can't pick it up with their beaks. In that case, you'd have to moisten the feed with water. Fresh buttermilk is affordable enough, so I just use that. I try to give a bit of variety, and sparingly, depending on what's happening with the birds. I use higher quality organic feed rations and supplement water weekly, so I'm not concerned with deficiencies. No salt tuna and low fat buttermilk are two highly digestible animal proteins I use.

 

[Sandyd]

You can buy a few bags of meat bird feed which is 22% protein.

My feed formula has approximately 22% protein so they get this year around and I do not have problems with them.

Winter time I give them an occasional scoop of alfalfa pellets/sunflower seed and whole oats to scratch around which is very high in protein and they get some greens.
Here are a few Ingredients and their protein content.

Torula yeast - 50%

Brewers yeast - 39%

Flaxseed - 37%

Alfalfa seed - 35%

Sunflower seed - 26.3%

Wheat germ - 25%

As you go down the list to grains that is normally used the protein content gets less.

Oats Whole - 14%

Rye - 12.5%

Wheat 12.5%

Barley 12.3%

Corn 9%

If you could buy some bulk of the higher content ingredients and mix it in with their normal feed it may help you.

 

[suebgbr]

Feed that combination on a regular basis and you'll have sick birds in no time. It really isn't as technical as some people would have all of us believe. Animal protein is superior to plant protein. Some animal proteins are more easily digested than others. Comparing milk with meat products, we find that experiments favor chickens receiving milk as recorded by L.W. Cassel in 1927 (footnote from G.F. Heuser's Feeding Poultry, 1959). Nothing has changed. Milk proteins were also found to assist with larger eggs than meat proteins. Tests were performed with liquid milk, evaporated buttermilk, evaporated cultured skim milk, etc. Buttermilk came out on top at 2.5 to 5% levels in mixed feed rations or grains according to egg production, weight, and hatchability of eggs. The benefits of buttermilk , besides easily digestible proteins, are also vitamins A, C, D, calcium, and probiotics. The added benefit of being more palatable in my experience than yogurt, means chickens will more readily eat good amounts of it. I use a 1% milkfat buttermilk.

Purpletree23 pointed out a very important practice of not feeding more than his/her chickens can eat in 10 minutes. When using buttermilk or milk products, it is very important to not let it sit and get rancid, or attract flies. Flies are the known vector for tapeworms and botulism that affect chickens.

I meant as a once a week treat!
So, buttermilk is better than soya milk? It's just previous posts were talking about the benefits of soya.
What do you think about the peanut butter bit? Is that just 'fat' or is there any protein content in?
I just thought I would try to put some meat on their bones before it gets too cold.

By the way, I thought Status Quo did some quite good songs! (lol)

 

[Sengge]

If you have an Indian store near by, get some lentils / daal which is good for them

 

[cheekyhens]

Is my chicken molting? She's 9 mos old..more feathers lately in coop and run and dry flaky stuff that comes off the feathers are in the coop. Could the diet have anything to do with it? They've gone on a potential strike against their layer pellets...so they eat more scratch and hand outs..rice crispies w/rice or regular milk, yogurt, pumpkin, rice, macaroni, etc

 

[Michael Apple]

Is my chicken molting? She's 9 mos old..more feathers lately in coop and run and dry flaky stuff that comes off the feathers are in the coop. Could the diet have anything to do with it? They've gone on a potential strike against their layer pellets...so they eat more scratch and hand outs..rice crispies w/rice or regular milk, yogurt, pumpkin, rice, macaroni, etc

Yes, that is molting chicken. Get some 1% buttermilk and lightly moisten the feed to encourage eating. The extra protein and probiotics will help. You can also use a vitamin and probiotic powder in the waterers since they are eating less. Avian super Pack and Probios dispersible powder are two very good products. Offer some no salt tuna if they won't readily eat the moistened feed.

 

[chick2flick]

Cheekyhens, yes your hen is probably molting and needs more protein in the feed. If I were you, take away the scratch and only give handouts with lots of protein. To do that just mix in some cat food, scrambled egg, meat, etc to the stuff you already give.


I do have a question here. We have 7 hens (6 months to 3 years) and a roo. Of all the birds, only one 2 yo hen is molting and she is nearly naked. All the other birds haven't hardly lost a feather. What is up with that? I know the process is different for each bird, but geez! Of the birds we've had in the past everyone would loose atleast some feathers. But with this flock she is the only one and is molting enough for all the rest.
Since she is also the only regular layer and the heavy molt, this is taking a double toll on her protein levels I'm getting a bit concerned for her. Is it possible that so much stress on her body can kill her? So far she seems to be acting fairly normal other than maybe a bit humbled from her 2nd in command position she was in before.
I'm thinking I'll be picking up some higher protein feed tomorrow just to be sure.

 

[Izzymoon]

Do you buy non GMO Tofu???

By 2012, 88 percent of corn (maize) and 94 percent of soy grown in the United States were genetically modified, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-gmo-corn-soybeans-dominate.html#jCp

yes, it is GMO free tofu

 

[TwoCrows]

Cheekyhens, yes your hen is probably molting and needs more protein in the feed. If I were you, take away the scratch and only give handouts with lots of protein. To do that just mix in some cat food, scrambled egg, meat, etc to the stuff you already give.


I do have a question here. We have 7 hens (6 months to 3 years) and a roo. Of all the birds, only one 2 yo hen is molting and she is nearly naked. All the other birds haven't hardly lost a feather. What is up with that? I know the process is different for each bird, but geez! Of the birds we've had in the past everyone would loose atleast some feathers. But with this flock she is the only one and is molting enough for all the rest.
Since she is also the only regular layer and the heavy molt, this is taking a double toll on her protein levels I'm getting a bit concerned for her. Is it possible that so much stress on her body can kill her? So far she seems to be acting fairly normal other than maybe a bit humbled from her 2nd in command position she was in before.
I'm thinking I'll be picking up some higher protein feed tomorrow just to be sure.

Not all birds molt at the same time and some birds will skip molting all together. Several of my birds love to molt in the dead of winter when it is getting down below zero at night. I have a 2 1/2 year old hen that is molting right now, and has not molted since she was 6 months old! She got to be extremely shabby looking. So I was thrilled that she decided to start molting. And boy, it is a very hard molt to boot. They go at their own rate and when their bodies tell them to do so.

As for the layer that is molting...not only does light and protein levels come into play as to when to molt, but so do hormones. If she is getting plenty of protein, then she just may still lay throughout her molting cycle. Chances are, her hormones will shut off the laying at some point, or at least slow the laying down to a crawl. However some birds do lay well thru a molt. Depends on the hen. Her body will tell her what to do.

 

[TwoCrows]

Is my chicken molting? She's 9 mos old..more feathers lately in coop and run and dry flaky stuff that comes off the feathers are in the coop. Could the diet have anything to do with it? They've gone on a potential strike against their layer pellets...so they eat more scratch and hand outs..rice crispies w/rice or regular milk, yogurt, pumpkin, rice, macaroni, etc

Molting can be hard on birds and many of them lose their appetites, hence the "strike on eating". (some of my hens lose a lot of weight during a molt becuase of their lack of appetite). But during this time, they need huge amounts of not only protein but essential vitamins and minerals. And they can get all that out of their feed. So if you are noticing them not eating much, stop with all treats or limit them greatly till the molting process is complete.

And as stated above, adding supplements to their feed or water can help them out greatly.