Rooster food, no all flock?

[sean_wonder]

It's not until you get to over 30% protein that you have to start worrying about too much protein

I am not familiar with a defined “maximum” for protein for chickens, is there a source? (I prefer to feed all flock 20% to my girls even though I have no roos because I like more protein and free choice calcium better.)

 

[Ridgerunner]

I am not familiar with a defined “maximum” for protein for chickens, is there a source? (I prefer to feed all flock 20% to my girls even though I have no roos because I like more protein and free choice calcium better.)

Research gout in chickens. Studies have shown that high levels of protein can cause gout in them.

There is a lot of personal preference in protein levels. For my goals I don't see any benefits for protein levels over 16% except for chick starter for their first month of life. Higher protein helps chicks feather out faster but after a month they are generally feathered out.

I don't see any harm in levels up to 20% protein in any chickens. The "harm" I'd be concerned with in higher amounts is that they may get so big that they can hurt their legs flying down from the perches or have trouble flying up to the perches. Mine do not hurt their legs flying down and have no problems flying up.

This is just my opinion, many people I respect on this forum disagree.

 

[sean_wonder]

Ahhhhh, how could I forget about gout?? I was aware of that (deep down xD) but more so meant what is the actual number that is too much protein for a chicken. Excessively high protein diet is certainly bad for them… I think I left 20% as my personal maximum, but I see some people on here feeding Mixed Flock with 24% and just curious if someone has defined a maximum protein amount (as in, this will cause articular gout for sure)

I personally like giving my girls 20% all flock because we’ve been through a few hard molts and some of them are extremely prolific layers. I also like to feed calcium free choice oyster shells because I was seeing more calcium deposits when they were on layer feed. Yes, could feed grower, but just my preference!
@Ridgerunner

 

[Ridgerunner]

Ahhhhh, how could I forget about gout?? I was aware of that (deep down xD) but more so meant what is the actual number that is too much protein for a chicken.

I think people should do their own research. I'm on the internet, how do you know I'm trustworthy? If you do your own research you can decide if you trust the source or not.

If I'm telling the truth, I found a source that I trust that says gout can be caused in chickens by too much protein. So that is one data point. I have never found a source I trust that says a lesser amount will never cause a problem, whatever that problem may be. It could be something totally different from gout.

In that study they fed a 30% protein feed. Over time, some chickens developed gout. Not every chicken, but some. That was at 30%. If they had run the test at 28% or 29% would some chickens have developed gout over time? I have no idea. I have not seen any results from tests with those numbers.

if someone has defined a maximum protein amount (as in, this will cause articular gout for sure)

Since some chickens in that test at 30% protein developed gout and some did not, I cannot say that 30% will cause gout in any one specific chicken. It will in some. It will not in some.

I mentioned my goals. I do not raise chickens for show, many who do feed relatively high levels of protein as they are rewarded for size. If you are raising them for meat you might want to feed them a higher level of protein that I do. Some people like to feed their pets a high protein diet. For some people these answers are always black or white, always or never. In my opinion I think we need to decide what the limits are for ourselves.