Protein content of grass (perenial ryegrass) & dandelion greens

[raindrop]

Can anyone help me with this information? I am interested just for academic purposes. The goslings INHALE dandelion greens, grass in good too. The Purina flock raiser I am starting them on is 20% protein and they eat about 50% grass/dandelion greens and 50% flockraiser. The ducklings are eating about 10-15% greens and 85% starter. Just curious what their overall protein intake is, would like it to be about 17% at this point as I am not feeding for maximum growth.

 

[greyfields]

It depends on the month of the year becasue the protein % varies with the age and height of the grass.

Long story short, don't worry about it at all. Let them have all the grass they want. They aren't going to turn down the grain. It's there to give them the minerals your soil (and consequently your grass) lacks. Watching goslings tear up grass and dandelions (and today daisies) is an amazing site, isn't it? I could watch them just TEAR at it all day.

 

[digitS']

I'm very inclined to agree 100% with greyfields but just out of curiosity, I decided to check if the USDA National Nutrient Database has anything on dandelion greens. They list the protein level at 2.7%

.

Montana State U says of Kentucky Bluegrass, "the protein content remains high throughout the season, varying from 20 percent during spring growth to 10 percent upon maturity." That's not especially helpful and not your grass species . . .

Steve

edited to say that Oregon State has perennial ryegrass at between 19% and 10.4% as forage.