Other forms of protein for winter

[jbrown_14105]

Greetings folks,
I have read on the list about meal worms, & scrambled egg as a source of protein and my "girls" love the bird seed dropped from the birds but what about "suet" that other birds eat at the feeder?
Can chickens have "beef" suet from the butcher as a added diet intake in winter?
And by the way they are NOT impressed with cabbage, in any form, that some have listed on this list, they just "turn their beaks up" at it.
Thanks for the help
Jim Brown
Lockport NY

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Suet is largely fat which my birds crave when it gets cold. I am reluctant to use fat from grain/corn fed animals as it may be more saturated than is ideal for poultry.

A relatively cheap although nasty protein dense feed is beef heart. May have same saturated fat problem as beef suet but likely not as bad.

Winter time feeding adjustments for me do not involve changing protein levels, rather I concentrate on increasing energy levels. Foods that during summer are too energy rich (corn) can be very good energy sources. I also use BOSS (black oil sunflower seed) that not only has lots of energy in the form of fat / lipid but also a fair amount of protein.

 

[oldchickenlady]

I give mine BOSS and I also give them cottage cheese. The cottage cheese is good in the summer time because it is cold from the refrigerator. It has protein and calcium which is good for egg shell development. They might like peanut butter mixed with some scratch, and I have read about giving them a little cat food for animal protein.

 

[The Tinman]

Peanut Butter! I got lots of that.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Yes, peanut butter, our "suet" based feeds for wild birds based at least in part on some sort of peanut butter.

 

[Lisa202]

Hi all,
my bantams are only 13 weeks old. Can I give them BOSS? I worry about it getting stuck in their crops.

 

[Smoky73]

Quote:
As long as you give them grit, you will not have a problem.

 

[Chris09]

The average protein percentage of BOSS is only 16% so, unless you are feeding a feed that is less than 16% protein Boss wont increase the protein and in fact if you feed too much it will deplete the protein of there regular feed.

Example -
If you are feeding a 18% protein feed and add 10 lbs boss to 90 lbs (18%) feed you are now feeding a little over a 17% feed.
18% ÷ 100 = .18 x 90 = 16.2 protein
16% ÷ 100 = .16 x 10 = 1.60 protein
16.2% + 1.60% = 17.8

Now if you are feeding a 20% protein feed and add 10 lbs boss to 90 lbs (20%) feed you are now feeding a little over a 19% feed.
20% ÷ 100 = .20 x 90 = 18.0% protein
16% ÷ 100 = .16 x 10 = 1.60% protein
18.0% + 1.60% = 19.60% protein

If you want to "boost" protein you can use feeds like Calf Manna (25% protein), Flax/Linseed Seed (23% protein), Fish Meal (60% protein).

Chris

 

[centrarchid]

Chris,

You are correct about to dilution of protein in a fixed ration diet.

When cold stressed, birds and allowed to consume BOSS, they can still`up net protein intake if intake not already maxed out. Birds hurting for energy can up feed intake readily and BOSS is a very good energy source as well as a pretty good protein source that is easier to store and handle than many other options.

When my birds are cold stressed increasing protein and energy together not always best or most cost effective thing to do. My logic is that protein requirment for a given life-stage chicken is relatively constant while energy requirments very with temperature. As temperature drops, energy requirment increases with protein relatively unchanged.

 

[Chris09]

Although BOSS is around 16% of protein (13% digestible protein) , 32% of oil,
3 1/2% of mineral salts, and 28 to 30% of crude indigestible fiber a better sores of energy would be -
Grains -
Corn, Milo, Wheat, Barley, and Oats
Grain by-products -
corn gluten & bran, wheat processing by-products, and brewery by-products
Molasses
(Not more than 2% of the diet)
Animal fats

A good way to boost energy is by upping the carbohydrates.

Simple carbohydrates: Simple sugars are found in refined sugars, like the white sugar you'd find in a sugar bowl. But you'll also find simple sugars in more nutritious foods, such as fruit and milk.

Complex carbohydrates: These are also called starches. Starches include grain products, such as bread, crackers, pasta, and rice. As with simple sugars, some complex carbohydrate foods are better choices than others. Refined grains, such as white flour and white rice, have been processed, which removes nutrients and fiber. But unrefined grains still contain these vitamins and minerals.

With that being said whole grains as in Wheat, Barley, and Oats would be a good source of complex carbohydrates and some simple carbohydrates.
When you eat carbs, the body breaks them down into simple sugars, which are absorbed into the bloodstream. Insulin is needed to move sugar from the blood into the cells, where the sugar can be used as a source of energy.

Now don't get me wrong, I do use BOSS in my feed mix it's just that I don't use a lot of it in the winter months. I feel that a better sores of Carbs/ Energy is cereal grains like Wheat, Barley, and Oats.

Chris