Protein percentage for chicks

[Johnny829]

I feed mine Purina 30% Game Bird Chow for the first 2 weeks, then switch to Dumor 24% Game Bird Chick Starter. I grind the 30%, but don't bother with the 24.

I wonder why you’d feed them 30% for the first 2 weeks.

 

[For my girl]

I wonder why you’d feed them 30% for the first 2 weeks.

They grow faster, are larger as adults, lay larger eggs, and I lose fewer of them. I put two feeders in the same brooder and they preferred the 30%. At about 3 weeks they preferred the 24%. They never prefer the 20% chicken feed which some of my friends use.

 

[Johnny829]

They grow faster, are larger as adults, lay larger eggs, and I lose fewer of them. I put two feeders in the same brooder and they preferred the 30%. At about 3 weeks they preferred the 24%. They never prefer the 20% chicken feed which some of my friends use.

I see. Thanks for your reply. I might try 30% for the first two weeks then go down to 24%. I’ve been using Dumor 24 for a while and all my birds are happy about it.

 

[For my girl]

I started out only using the Dumor 24, and only tried the Purina 30 because I was trading chicks for feed at a store that only sold 30, 20 and 16. I was curious if the chicks would like it (I wasn't going to trade for any more bags if they didn't like it). I run 2 brooders at a time (2 incubators, 1 hatcher, 2 brooders), so I used the 30 in one of the brooders with the same hatch - and the 30 chicks looked more robust and active. I have friends that raise their quail with their chickens, on 20% chicken feed - and their birds and eggs are much smaller than ours. We've traded eggs - and their eggs grow into birds as large as ours if we feed them the same. Whether it's the extra protein or just that they eat more when it is what they prefer I don't know. I grind the feed for the chicks in the brooders, but not once they go outside. What I haven't checked is whether the older birds only prefer the 24% when they aren't ground (my daughter likes to do comparisons like this for science projects).

 

[CoturnixComplex]

I adore my Purina, and my birds seem to too. I can get it in both 20% and 30%, so I also feed straight 30 for the first few weeks and then start mixing the two 50/50.

The other thing I like about erring on the high side of protein intake for base chow is that I can be a little more liberal with my non-bug treats without worrying.

Edit: I forgot to mention, but my first few pullets have grown MUCH bigger than their mothers at my place from eggs. I think they were fed 24% at the original breeders. So I also have some anecdotal evidence for that.