Protein ? What should I feed them ?

[mrl9956]

Many here have told me that my chickens need protein if they are to start laying again. They seem to be done molting and I just started to give them more light. What should I feed them to up the protein? Thanks

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

chick and game bird starter crumbles has 22%, but i was giving that to my birds while they were molting since i was told that is when it should be given to them. the other thing i like about the chick and game crumbles is that it doesn't have soy listed as an ingredient! so now i am switching over for good to that since my girls don't seem to eat as much even though it is about $1 more than the egg maker crumbles in my area!

 

[gritsar]

For added protein when molting I give my girls scrambled eggs, cheese, yogurt, small amounts of dry cat food; basically anything I can think of with high protein %.

I would like to give mine gamebird feed, but the only gamebird feed available around here is crumbles and my big girls refuse to eat crumbles.

 

[naturegrrl]

I experimented with a lot of different protein sources to boost my girls' protein intake during and after molt, including quinoa, yogurt, TVP, fish, and a variety of worms. The best thing I found, and (happily) the girls' favorite, is dried mealworms. You can get tubs of them at PetSmart/PetCo, some birdwatching stores, and online (BYC runs an ad for Happy Hen Treats). Dried mealworms are 50% crude protein, and the girls go nuts for them!

 

[catdaddy66]

A high protein starter feed is always good (20-24%) or any other source is feasable. Chickens are omnivores and eat both plant/animal tissue, but animal sources have the most protein available. Beef, pork, seafood, etc. are all good choices but the absolute best source of protein on the planet (which ALL other sources are measured against) is eggwhite, or albumin. Your molting birds need high protein to form replacement feathers, as the protein is the building block for all tissues in the body. Another prepared food that is high in protein is catfood.