protein too high?

[Tonyroo]

the only treats i give them is fresh veggies and fruit and sometimes dried solider fly and mealworms. i should stop giving them those?

No treats during there growth period. Treats disrupt there protein intake and metabolic functions. Causing excessive fat formation around there organs and promotes diseases to occur.

 

[catecorsaut]

No treats during there growth period. Treats disrupt there protein intake and metabolic functions. Causing excessive fat formation around there organs and promotes diseases to occur.

gotcha

 

[catecorsaut]

To stop the runny poops, yes. Or really cut back, treats should be only small (10% or less) if their diet.

noted thank you

 

[Perris]

the comments about 'treats' are nonsense. Any real food that you give that they can choose to eat, or not, is fine, and probably healthier for them than ultra-processed commercial pellets, which include additives to facilitate the production process, preservatives to extend the shelf life, and more chemicals to improve the nutritional value and palatability for chickens who wouldn't otherwise touch the stuff.
You might find this interesting and useful
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...eat-tears-a-calculator-or-deep-pockets.78655/
My birds and their chicks eat what is there described and are healthy, lean, fit, and fecund. And 7 year old hens are still laying. And chicks get live mealworms and plenty of other things other posters have told you disrupt their growth. Edited to add, and they don't have diarrhoea, needless to say. It's nonsense. See e.g.

This bird has never eaten any commercial feed.

 

[EddieSalita]

I want to see where it's been established that excessive protien causes runny poo in a chicken? I agree with perris. Seems like nonsense.
It certainly doesn't in humans and dogs.

I've fed gamebird starter to my flock in the past for protracted periods out of necessity. As it was the only lower calcium chick feed available at the time. That stuff ran 28%. No runny poops.

Treats for my flock usually include canned tuna, sardines, trimmings from home butchered meat.
On top of this they have unlimited access to feral cane toads. Which they eat in large numbers. It's not possible to stop that. God knows what else they find in their food forest. I've seen them with snakes, lizards, geckos, mice. Basically anything that dares move is fair game.

They are extremely healthy and no runny poops.

 

[NatJ]

i have little drinking cups attached to a bucket and then a small water dish for them. both have supplements but they don’t really seem to understand how the drinking cup works.

I don't have any suggestions about the drinking cups, but I would suggest providing one source of plain water (no supplements).

For normal healthy chickens of any age, they do not need supplements in their water. Plain water, plus a complete chicken feed, will provide all the nutrients they need. The chicken feed already contains supplements at the rate that is correct for most chickens.

Optional supplements (with plain water provided separately) will usually not cause problems. Forced supplements do sometimes cause problems, sometimes including runny poop, or health problems from too much of whatever is in the supplement. (Effects vary depending on the supplement, and various other factors.)

 

[RoyalChick]

so my chicks are just over 8 weeks old and i’ve been feeding them modesto milling organic chick starter and grower. i am worried the protein may be too high for them. i know people will lower the protein when the chicks reach the growing age. protein is at 22% right now. i do know some people say to switch to a lower protein grower feed and i’ve noticed the chicks have runnier poop recently. i still have a lot of the 22% feed and i was going to feed it until they reached laying age. should i switch feed or will they be okay?

Switching to a lower protein feed is about cost. Layer pellets for grown hens are convenient because calcium is included and they are usually only 16% protein.
Mine are on a 20% protein feed and I also give them meat and cheese and they are adept at catching worms, mice and little snakes.
I wouldn’t worry about the 22% at all - but if it is unaffordable your chickens will do fine on a slightly lower % protein.
If you give your chickens a chance to free range they will find stuff to eat.
Mine consume less commercial feed at this time of year because there is just so much out there to feast on!

 

[catecorsaut]

the comments about 'treats' are nonsense. Any real food that you give that they can choose to eat, or not, is fine, and probably healthier for them than ultra-processed commercial pellets, which include additives to facilitate the production process, preservatives to extend the shelf life, and more chemicals to improve the nutritional value and palatability for chickens who wouldn't otherwise touch the stuff.
You might find this interesting and useful
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...eat-tears-a-calculator-or-deep-pockets.78655/
My birds and their chicks eat what is there described and are healthy, lean, fit, and fecund. And 7 year old hens are still laying. And chicks get live mealworms and plenty of other things other posters have told you disrupt their growth. Edited to add, and they don't have diarrhoea, needless to say. It's nonsense. See e.g.
View attachment 3829189
This bird has never eaten any commercial feed.

this is what i was thinking too! thank you for your help!

 

[catecorsaut]

I don't have any suggestions about the drinking cups, but I would suggest providing one source of plain water (no supplements).

For normal healthy chickens of any age, they do not need supplements in their water. Plain water, plus a complete chicken feed, will provide all the nutrients they need. The chicken feed already contains supplements at the rate that is correct for most chickens.

Optional supplements (with plain water provided separately) will usually not cause problems. Forced supplements do sometimes cause problems, sometimes including runny poop, or health problems from too much of whatever is in the supplement. (Effects vary depending on the supplement, and various other factors.)

thank you i just filled one up with regular water

 

[catecorsaut]

I want to see where it's been established that excessive protien causes runny poo in a chicken? I agree with perris. Seems like nonsense.
It certainly doesn't in humans and dogs.

I've fed gamebird starter to my flock in the past for protracted periods out of necessity. As it was the only lower calcium chick feed available at the time. That stuff ran 28%. No runny poops.

Treats for my flock usually include canned tuna, sardines, trimmings from home butchered meat.
On top of this they have unlimited access to feral cane toads. Which they eat in large numbers. It's not possible to stop that. God knows what else they find in their food forest. I've seen them with snakes, lizards, geckos, mice. Basically anything that dares move is fair game.

They are extremely healthy and no runny poops.

thank you for replying!