Question on feather development..

[Year of the Rooster]

When is the most crucial time to give protein? Or is it just best to increase the protein throughout the whole growth period?

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Does anyone know?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I don;t really know, but it would seem to me that giving it from the time you suspect a molt is imminent until complete would be prudent.

I know that nursing babies tend to being nursing far more frequently before a growth spurt to build up their mama's milk supply so that it is sufficient when they need it.

 

[Judy]

People here often give extra protein during a molt to help them grow new feathers more quickly. Some evidently feel that higher protein feeds help a chick develop better. I would personally not do this unless the feed was medicated with amprolium.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Thanks.

I thought I would throw out there that I am not dealing with a full molt. I plucked a few of my hens' tail feathers because they were damaged. I would like to show them at my county fair in August so I need to be prepared ahead of time.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Oily seeds such as sunflower, safflower & flax will help the feathers grow in in good condition, and will also help the bird condition its existing feathers (through the oil available to the preen gland, not by modifying an existing feather.

Some breeds need higher protein than others, and some feeds dramatically different in their protein levels. Too low a level is not good; neither is too high a level.

Fish and fish oil will help supplement the protein, as will cat or dog food. Don't overdo any of these as they are not balanced for chickens.

What protein percentage is your regular feed?

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote:
Their staple is 16% layer. I have been giving them BOSS for quite a while but I recently ran out of it.

We just bought a new bag of feed. My mom was the one who bought it as she was by it at the time. I had her ask the clerk at TSC if they had gamebird feed and they had nothing like it or never heard of it.

These birds are Sebrights, so how much protein do you think they'll need?

 

[Krys109uk]

Overwinter a low protein maintenance diet is sometimes fed then bumping up the protein towards the breeding season.

It's not just a matter of the percentage protein but the type of protein used & its bioavalability to the chicken. As I had it explained to me....just a percentage of protein doesn't tell one much....basically feathers are protein but probably not the best thing to be feeding the bird. Apparently say soya protein is not as bioavailable to chickens (or humans) as meat protein. If feeding high levels of soya protein the bird's digestive system will not be able to utilise this protein as readily as it could meat protein. Consequently feeding a high percentage of soya protein could result in the bird pooing out the protein it couldn't cope with, often giving diarrhoea whereas the same bird fed on the same percentage (or sometimes higher) of fishmeal would be able to utilise the protein & get the benefit.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Soy also contains estrogen, which can impact fertility and virility.

What is BOSS? Never heard of it. We don't have any TSC's but I have heard others comment that they feel the quality of their feed is lacking.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote:
It's an acronym for Black Oil Sunflower Seeds