Soy bean (milled) for extra protein source

[Kirmi8]

Do you have grit and oyster shells available free choice?

Yep!

 

[Kirmi8]

There's nothing inherently wrong with using medicated Starter, assuming its medicated with Amprolium (most medicated feed in the US is), but that's a personal and flock specific decision to be made in consideration of past experiences with coccidia and local risk vectors. If you've ever eaten grocery store chickens, or grocery store eggs, you've eaten birds (or eggs from birds) feed medicated feed all their lives. Amprolium has no withdrawal period.

Layer rations are bad for the long term health of your rooster, less bad for any slow laying hens and any pre- point of lay birds. Its the excess calcium, which acculates in the organs over time, contributing to a host of (largely internal) issues.

Which layer are you using, and what's the nutritional label on your soy product say? Soy beans are not the same as soy meal, and there's lots of variation in soy meals...

With that information, its simple math.

Okay - just picked these up today.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Okay - just picked these up today.

Excellent, What's your target protein %? 20%?

If so, mix 9# Layer Crumble with 1# Soy Meal. You will be very close to target. Amino Acid profiles aren't offered, but Soy is a nearly complete profile, and tends to be strong in areas where grains (which make up the bulk of most feeds) tend to be weak, so I'd not be particularly concerned regarding that issue. Consider adding a tiny amount of nutritional yeast for a B vitamin boost, where soy tends to be low.

 

[NatJ]

Hi! I’d like to boost protein for my hens but my feed store doesn’t have any I medicated starter feed

You could ask about gamebird starter or turkey starter. Those are usually higher protein than the chick starter meant for chickens, so they can be good for adding a bit more protein to the diet.

 

[Kirmi8]

You could ask about gamebird starter or turkey starter. Those are usually higher protein than the chick starter meant for chickens, so they can be good for adding a bit more protein to the diet.

We are pretty limited here to starter/grower/layer it seems.

Excellent, What's your target protein %? 20%?

If so, mix 9# Layer Crumble with 1# Soy Meal. You will be very close to target. Amino Acid profiles aren't offered, but Soy is a nearly complete profile, and tends to be strong in areas where grains (which make up the bulk of most feeds) tend to be weak, so I'd not be particularly concerned regarding that issue. Consider adding a tiny amount of nutritional yeast for a B vitamin boost, where soy tends to be low.

I’m assuming 9 pounds to 1 pound? This might be a stupid question, but can I extrapolate that to just 9:1 and do say 9 cups to 1 cup? I don’t have a scale but can measure it out by volume.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

We are pretty limited here to starter/grower/layer it seems.



I’m assuming 9 pounds to 1 pound? This might be a stupid question, but can I extrapolate that to just 9:1 and do say 9 cups to 1 cup? I don’t have a scale but can measure it out by volume.

By volume is better than nothing, but you are assuming those feeds are the same density. I don't know that that is the case - strongly suspect it is not.

 

[NatJ]

I’m assuming 9 pounds to 1 pound? This might be a stupid question, but can I extrapolate that to just 9:1 and do say 9 cups to 1 cup? I don’t have a scale but can measure it out by volume.

If the bags are the same weight, look to see if they are the same size.
Same weight AND same size means volume measurements will work fine.
But if the weight is the same and the size is very different, then volume measurements will be badly wrong.

Do you have any kind of scale? Kitchen scale, bathroom scale, baby scale, hanging scale-- there are ways to make just about any scale work.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

If the bags are the same weight, look to see if they are the same size.
Same weight AND same size means volume measurements will work fine.
But if the weight is the same and the size is very different, then volume measurements will be badly wrong.

Do you have any kind of scale? Kitchen scale, bathroom scale, baby scale, hanging scale-- there are ways to make just about any scale work.

even a stick and two buckets if we have to get primitive.

 

[NatJ]

even a stick and two buckets if we have to get primitive.

And then I suppose you could check it for accuracy with a matched pair of something like canned goods, bags of flour, jugs of milk...

 

[U_Stormcrow]

And then I suppose you could check it for accuracy with a matched pair of something like canned goods, bags of flour, jugs of milk...

Butter. We bake, so we keep salted and unsalted in the freezer. (I know, I know, only barbarians salt their butter). Anyhow, 4 sticks is 1 lb. Package weight (unlike canned goods) is negligible. So once the scale is balanced, all you do is remove one of the butter packages back to the freezer, and fill the bucket with feed till it balances again. Measure that volume, and you have your pound of "whatever". Or just mark the bucket and always fill to that line.