Thoughts about protein levels, corn, heat

[eatmorechicken]

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I have tried kale and they don't care for it at all. however mine will eat the clover and alfalfa to the crown!

 

[triplepurpose]

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Good for you, keep it up! And BTW IMO fast growth is totally overrated, so I think you're on to something.

 

[Beekissed]

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I would have to disagree with this. I never fed my meaties any high protein feeds and only fed once a day. They free ranged with my layer flock and towards the end I was mixing a fair amount of cracked corn in the rations they were eating. No signs of weakness or muscle atrophy and no signs of excess hunger noted. They were active, foraging and tolerating the heat well right up until the day of butcher. They were extraordinarily healthy inside and out...all without high protein feeds. I agree with the OP....the high protein rations are just not necessary for reaching optimal growth and seem only to be detrimental to their overall health.

High protein diets will cause liver damage and inflammation...and this will certainly slow them down.

 

[Tracydr]

I certainly didn't see any obvious signs of starvation on the inside when butchered. Considering the heat they have been raised in, averaging about 108 daytime highs and frequently well above 110 with the highest being 121, their weight gain has been decent. The two I butchered were one week on scratch and had a dressed weight near 7 pounds. I didn't get live weights. 6.6 and 6.9 including organs and skin but not including feet. Liver, heart and muscles looked very healthy.
I started them back on flock raiser mixed with scratch yesterday morning. Both yesterday afternoon and today, two girls came running all the way across the yard to get to the Bermuda grass, I have no idea what the hurry was. This was during the heat of the day both times. They are digging through the cut weeds and garden scraps rather than sitting in front of the feed pans far more than last week.
The thing that really amazes me is the lack of panting. It's not like it got cooler here in AZ, it's August!

 

[Beekissed]

Some birds fed high pro diets can develop ascites from the hepatic inflammation. This ascitic fluid fills the abdomen and restricts full lung expansion....humans and, I imagine, chickens cannot breath normally if their lungs can only fill partially with each breath. They both will "pant" to breath.

 

[eatmorechicken]

I'm beginning to view commercial feed as happy meals without the free toy inside the bag.

 

[eatmorechicken]

Chicks getting sticky from watermelon juice!

 

[eatmorechicken]

An older batch of cornish X

 

[DMRippy]

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How much is too much protein for a general flock feed?

 

[DMRippy]

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Must go get me some fresh watermelon! The birds can have the rinds

I don't have enough watermelons to share with my few birds. Lucky chickens! Mine can have all the cucumbers they want, but watermelon....