Show Off Your American Gamefowl and Chat Thread!!!

[kingcocker]

I feed mine rooster booster. Its a 15 way scratch with like 18% protien and 6% fat and it seems to do ok. Most that see my birds say they look healthy

high octane is my food of choice, but I just got a bag of that scratch to mix. Glad to know its liked

 

[alroy82]

What is too much protien centra? Is my 18 percent too high?

 

[alroy82]

What I get is locally bagged and grown here In Cumberland county tn.

 

[alroy82]

Well bagged and sold here locally anyway

 

[kingcocker]

What I get is locally bagged and grown here In Cumberland county tn.

I will have to see if the one I got is locally produced. A sales rep from emu feed company told me a scratch like that allows the bird to use more of the protein. So I just asked for the highest level scratch and they put the 50lb bag with no name just the stats on the bag.

 

[centrarchid]

What is too much protien centra? Is my 18 percent too high?

When adult birds in molt or in lay about 18% or slightly higher in the basic ration is what I shoot for. I can dip down to 13 to 14% protein when birds are mature and in mature feather and otherwise not producing / working. When I say ration that means they eat every bit of what is offered and would consume more so it is better to say it is a restricted ration. The protein in that restricted ration of 18% protein is high quality (digestible and balanced with respect to amino acids). Higher protein feed applied in excess I restrict to chicks and early juveniles when they have all that rapid growth going on. The majority of my birds in that early interval are getting eats dominated by insects and the like but I do some brooder rearing on occasion. As they get a little more size, growth slows and they need time and exercise to fill out properly. By that time they do not need all the protein younger birds need. Pushing them too hard during those later stages of growth with overly nutrient dense feed results in what I like to describe as "doughy" feel. I prefer they feel like a wild pheasant.

For longevity my feeds are restricted in volume and not so hot (nutrient dense / high octane). Broodfowl need not be pushed all the time with lots of nutrition and I think (I say think), the birds benefit from lots of fiber going through the gut most of the time. Taking that into account, when performance is desired then the highest quality nutrient dense (high octane) feeds are applied but still as a restricted ration mostly as a method to control weight yet keep the bird in good energy reserve (glycogen / fat) status. You can be too high or too low on those and it is hard for me to explain what I look for in those. The high octane feeds with less fiber have two performance related advantages. Less fiber means less digesta mass in the gut which means less dead weight. Also the easier to digest feeds require less of a gut to digest so birds intestinal tract can shrink a little and still get nutrient processing done. Those modest reductions in non-performing mass make for very important advantages when it comes to speed and endurance. Same holds with human athletes..

 

[roosterhavoc]

If your protein levels start getting high it can cause bone problems in humans. Same for chickens I believe. I would think it would be best to bring the calcium levels up along with the protein when running high levels.

 

[B123]

Alfalfa meal is added to some commercial feeds as a "filler". It is high in fiber, so is generally added at approximately 5% of the diet. Protein requirements are not very high for chickens, even fast growing broilers. This is also true of calcium levels. Commercial layers do require a slightly higher calcium level in their laying ration, but this is only added when they start egg production. Balance is the key in a diet.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Alfalfa meal is added to some commercial feeds as a "filler".  It is high in fiber, so is generally added at approximately 5% of the diet.  Protein requirements are not very high for chickens, even fast growing broilers.  This is also true of calcium levels.  Commercial layers do require a slightly higher calcium level in their laying ration, but this is only added when they start egg production.  Balance is the key in a diet.  

I'm talking about packing on muscle in a relatively short amount of time for gamefowl. Also some form of dextrose given immediately after work/exercise helps to restore the glycogen levels that are stored in the muscles to help recover and gain size/strength

 

[alroy82]

Sugar cubes for dextrose?