Protein in feed

[Cryss]

I feed them a feed called U2 which basically just means "after 7 week feed until they start laying"

If your birds will never be housed with roosters or younger non laying pullets you can switch to layer feed once they start to lay eggs. It contains the calcium needed for hard shells. However if you have a regular backyard flock that may have young pullets introduced over time (chicken math here!) then just feed the flock grower type feed (I’m assuming U2 is this type) and provide a separate feeder or bowl or whatever filled with oyster shell sold where you buy your feed. Laying birds can eat at will. Non laying birds won’t eat it other than a curious nibble.
Layer feed provides way too much calcium for males and non laying females. It adversely affects their livers (I think it’s the liver. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.)

 

[CatWhisperer]

Dry cat food is cheaper and easier to get in the bulk that you want for chickens. Cheaper cat foods will have corn as the first ingredient (at least in US) which is great for chickens but not so great for cats.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A standard feeding sequence commercial operations use for flocks that will be an egg-laying flock is to start them off with a Starter, fairly high protein, say 18% to 20%. This helps them got off to a good start and feather out pretty quickly. Then around 4 to 6 weeks they switch to a Grower, probably around 16%. This slows their rate of growth a bit so the skeleton and organs can keep pace with muscle. Then around 12 weeks they often switch to a 15% Finisher/Developer. Again this slows their growth down to allow their bodies to mature more before they start laying. Then a few weeks before they start to lay they switch to a higher (16%) protein Layer with extra calcium. Too high a protein diet can lead to health problems with these chickens. They are not restricting the protein in the diet because they are mean cruel people who take fun in torturing their birds, a healthy bird is a more productive bird. They have spent a lot of money researching what is the healthiest diet for those special birds. This feeding chart is often what yo see on the bags of feed. You do not have to follow it

These are the specially bred egg laying hybrids. They don't want them to start laying too early for business reasons. They are bred to be fairly small so they don't use a lot of feed to maintain large bodies. That feed can go to egg production, more efficient use of money to buy feed. They are bred to lay large eggs even with their smaller bodies. They want their bodies to mature a little more so those large eggs are less likely to cause harm. The first eggs a pullet lays are generally pretty small which are not all that economical plus pullets just starting can lay weird eggs. They pretty much use lights to control when they start to lay, but feed is part of it. Because of breeding and the use of lights they can get most of them laying around 22 to 23 weeks of age.

People raising show chickens go about it differently. They want their chickens to grow large, weight is a breed requirement and big is often rewarded by the judge. Also they do things like add a little oil to the feed to make the feathers nice an shiny. They typically feed a fairly high protein diet. Birds raised for meat also have higher protein requirements, commercial meat birds as well as the dual purpose some of us raise for meat. Breeding flocks also get a special diet.

Most of us are not raising them for show or raising commercial birds commercially. You have a lot more flexibility in how you can feed them. Our flocks raised for laying can handle more protein than the commercial layers and don't really need as much protein as the meat birds.

There is another factor. It is not how much protein, calcium, or other nutrients are in one bite, it's how many total grams they eat in a day. Even then, it's more of an average over several days. The more treats you feed the more those affect their overall balanced diet. It's not just about protein, they need a balance of the other nutrients too. That's why we often say to limit treats to about 10% of their overall diet, to keep that balance. If yours forage for a lot of their feed you've surrender control as to how much you can micromanage that anyway. Plus if you free feed, the bullies may get more of their favorites, whether its good stuff or bad stuff.

I know this is long, hopefully you are not reading it on a tiny handheld device. Some people seem to feel you are being cruel and abusive to your chickens if you don't feed them a lot of protein. I don't see that as necessary but I also think it doesn't hurt them as long as you don't get ridiculous about it. Mine forage for a lot of what they eat and I typically feed them the 15% protein Developer with oyster shell on the side for the ones that need the calcium for the egg shells. Mine lay a lot of decent sized eggs, hatch and raise chicks, are pretty nimble when it comes to catching grasshoppers, and I don't worry about them injuring their legs when they fly down from my 5' high roosts since they are not that big for their breed.

 

[aart]

Dry cat food is cheaper and easier to get in the bulk that you want for chickens.

Yeah....but the other ingredients, especially vitamins/minerals/amino acids, are not formulated for chickens.

 

[Freysnes]

A standard feeding sequence commercial operations use for flocks that will be an egg-laying flock is to start them off with a Starter, fairly high protein, say 18% to 20%. This helps them got off to a good start and feather out pretty quickly. Then around 4 to 6 weeks they switch to a Grower, probably around 16%. This slows their rate of growth a bit so the skeleton and organs can keep pace with muscle. Then around 12 weeks they often switch to a 15% Finisher/Developer. Again this slows their growth down to allow their bodies to mature more before they start laying. Then a few weeks before they start to lay they switch to a higher (16%) protein Layer with extra calcium. Too high a protein diet can lead to health problems with these chickens. They are not restricting the protein in the diet because they are mean cruel people who take fun in torturing their birds, a healthy bird is a more productive bird. They have spent a lot of money researching what is the healthiest diet for those special birds. This feeding chart is often what yo see on the bags of feed. You do not have to follow it

These are the specially bred egg laying hybrids. They don't want them to start laying too early for business reasons. They are bred to be fairly small so they don't use a lot of feed to maintain large bodies. That feed can go to egg production, more efficient use of money to buy feed. They are bred to lay large eggs even with their smaller bodies. They want their bodies to mature a little more so those large eggs are less likely to cause harm. The first eggs a pullet lays are generally pretty small which are not all that economical plus pullets just starting can lay weird eggs. They pretty much use lights to control when they start to lay, but feed is part of it. Because of breeding and the use of lights they can get most of them laying around 22 to 23 weeks of age.

People raising show chickens go about it differently. They want their chickens to grow large, weight is a breed requirement and big is often rewarded by the judge. Also they do things like add a little oil to the feed to make the feathers nice an shiny. They typically feed a fairly high protein diet. Birds raised for meat also have higher protein requirements, commercial meat birds as well as the dual purpose some of us raise for meat. Breeding flocks also get a special diet.

Most of us are not raising them for show or raising commercial birds commercially. You have a lot more flexibility in how you can feed them. Our flocks raised for laying can handle more protein than the commercial layers and don't really need as much protein as the meat birds.

There is another factor. It is not how much protein, calcium, or other nutrients are in one bite, it's how many total grams they eat in a day. Even then, it's more of an average over several days. The more treats you feed the more those affect their overall balanced diet. It's not just about protein, they need a balance of the other nutrients too. That's why we often say to limit treats to about 10% of their overall diet, to keep that balance. If yours forage for a lot of their feed you've surrender control as to how much you can micromanage that anyway. Plus if you free feed, the bullies may get more of their favorites, whether its good stuff or bad stuff.

I know this is long, hopefully you are not reading it on a tiny handheld device. Some people seem to feel you are being cruel and abusive to your chickens if you don't feed them a lot of protein. I don't see that as necessary but I also think it doesn't hurt them as long as you don't get ridiculous about it. Mine forage for a lot of what they eat and I typically feed them the 15% protein Developer with oyster shell on the side for the ones that need the calcium for the egg shells. Mine lay a lot of decent sized eggs, hatch and raise chicks, are pretty nimble when it comes to catching grasshoppers, and I don't worry about them injuring their legs when they fly down from my 5' high roosts since they are not that big for their breed.

Wow that was really informational!
Thank you !

 

[bradymars]

Feeding to high protien to chicks is not good as it makes Them grow to fast and will cause joint problems. For adults 14 to 16 % protien is fine for your maintenance feed. I mix my own and it is 15.5 % protien.