Protein vs Calcium?

[BrindleFinch]

Hello there BYC! I have what's probably a silly question, but I'm interested to hear your opinions on it.

Within the next week or so, it will be time to move my girls onto their next stage of food. I would prefer to pick a food that can be used for everyone, including roosters, because you never know where life leads or your flock will end up. I've heard that Grower can be used as an all-flock alternative, and that protein is essential for good feathers & better yolks.

My problem is that the food I want to go with (Nature's Best organic line) doesn't have an all-flock specifically. Their starter/grower says that oyster shells should be offered from 15 weeks onward for pullets - does this mean the food contains too little calcium to be a food I feed my girls indefinitely as they get into laying?

The food contains 18% protein and 1.10% calcium. My original plan was to offer free choice oyster shell and simply continue feeding the grower crumbles so that any future roo/chick won't have to be separated for feeding.

IF I go to their layer crumbles instead, the protein decreases to 16%.

I'm not sure if I'm getting the best nutrition I can be from this brand/product. Do I have to sacrifice protein in order to get a sufficient amount of calcium for layers? Or is free-choice oyster shell going to be enough, and can I continue with the higher protein food?

Or will I just have to play it by how they lay/act when they get older?

 

[Mraya]

I feed my chickens high protein food with oyster shells on the side.
Just remember High protein does not equal to good nutrition. You need to also look at the other vitamins and minerals that make up the feed and make sure it is a complete feed.
I hope this made since to you.
But to answer your question Yes
Free choice oyster shell is going to be enough and you can continue with the higher protein food?

Edit to add: And you will still have to play it by how they lay/act when they get older?

 

[Kiki]

See if this helps explain things for you:


eta: The link to the chart and others.
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul...t-poultry/nutritional-requirements-of-poultry


Depends on the breeds of chickens you have and their ages as to what protein levels are the best.
It's not a simple answer, IMO.

 

[lazy gardener]

Many folks use the higher protein feed and offer oyster shell to make up the calcium difference. This allows the layers to choose exactly how much calcium she will eat.

IMO, an even more important consideration is this: what is the mill date of the feed? After 6 weeks, the feed rapidly oxidizes. The nutrients quickly degrade. If the feed is old, it really doesn't matter what the protein % is!

 

[BrindleFinch]

Thank you guys so, so much! I really appreciate it and especially the link @KikisGirls provided was exactly the sort of thing I was looking for.

Looks like the food exceeds the nutrient requirement for both types of layers, and is less deficient in calcium than I was expecting!

 

[Kiki]

Thank you guys so, so much! I really appreciate it and especially the link @KikisGirls provided was exactly the sort of thing I was looking for.

Looks like the food exceeds the nutrient requirement for both types of layers, and is less deficient in calcium than I was expecting!

I would offer calcium on the side for now.
See how much your flock chooses to eat it.
If they leave it alone then don't buy another package of it.
If they eat it up then you will know they actually need the extra calcium offered on the side.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Chicken feed is formulated to meet certain tests or times in the life of a chicken, and the test that laying feed is formulated to meet is egg production. This in no way means that laying feed is the do all and the end all of hen health. Laying feed is not even a satisfactory food for producing hatching eggs.

 

[Kiki]

Breeding chickens need to be feed extra vitamins and minerals.