Too much protein?

[Luna Mesa]

I feed that 24% Nutrena Silkie crumble to my large breed chicks, it's rather awesome how much shinier their feathers come in. They grow quicker too. Down to 20% All Flock when they get to the messiest age (just did that with 3 week olds). I like knowing they had everything they could need when they're just starting life.
Then I use the 22% Layer in a separate feeder for my old girl who doesn't understand oyster shell and has arthritis (from her early life). She does wonderfully on it and some younger layers help her finish it up every day even though they have several feeders with 20% All Flock.

To the main conversation...
I've been feeding higher protein than most for years with no adverse affects. Only good results, like better feathering.
A hen can only lay an egg if it fits through her pelvic aperture... In other words, her body determines what is possible. So the idea that larger eggs are dangerous is unfounded. The worst eggs for size are those occasional pullet monstrosities and they are almost always just fine after those.

Egg binding is caused by calcium / synergistic nutrient deficiency, OR excessive fat buildup around the reproductive tract, OR structural defects or hormonal issues.

And the fat buildup isn't caused by protein but by excessive fat in the diet, which makes the suggestions in this thread to mix in scratch counterproductive.

I suspect the main incentive to be against protein is expense, and maybe folks try to justify it after the fact. So really, it's okay to make a decision for financial reasons (as long as animals don't starve). Just understand the potential downsides so you can be ready to respond if needed. Molt is one time that can really show the lack of protein, so it's a good time to level up.

I’ve noticed higher protein can work great for some flocks too, but it’s not one-size-fits-all. A few things worth keeping in mind:

Breed and growth rate matter. Fast-growing or light-bodied birds handle 22–24% fine, but slower or heavier breeds can outgrow their skeletal support if kept on it long-term. You won’t always see the effects — sometimes it’s joint wear or organ stress that shows later.

Protein isn’t the whole story. The amino acid balance (lysine, methionine), plus calcium-to-phosphorus ratios, are what actually make that protein usable. Two feeds labeled “22%” can behave very differently depending on their formulation.

Kidneys are the quiet casualties. Birds excrete excess nitrogen from protein through uric acid, and constant overage makes their kidneys work harder — especially as they age. It’s slow damage, so it’s easy to miss.

Shiny feathers ≠ perfect nutrition. That glow can mean good protein or just rich amino sources; it doesn’t confirm that everything else is in line.

So yes — higher protein can look great on paper and in feathers, but moderation and balance still win in the long run.

 

[Luna Mesa]

I’m a big fan of Kalmbach feeds — they’ve really nailed the range of protein levels for every stage of chicken growth. You can start chicks strong on their 20–22% starter, drop to an 18–20% grower or all-flock, then move to 16–17% layer when they start producing.

The nice thing is, it’s all under one brand, so the formulation stays consistent — same mineral balance, same vitamin pack — just tuned for each life stage. That makes transitions smoother and keeps the birds steady.

If anyone’s chasing specific results, Kalmbach has something for it: fast broilers, slow dual-purpose breeds, even non-GMO and organic lines. I’ve had nothing but good results.

 

[Luna Mesa]

16% does not support enough protein for molt or overwintering or healing because it is intended for caged birds in intensive farming that never live long enough for such things.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9179259/
"As expected, the dietary balanced protein influenced the dynamics of performance, body content, egg production, and egg mass of laying hens in the laying phase. The performance of laying hens increased with higher levels of balanced protein but other responses such as the feeding cost also influence the economic return and need to be considered to making a nutritional decision. The hen-housed egg production reduced in laying hens consuming a feed with low levels of dietary balanced protein. In this study, body ash was not mobilized, indicating that the minerals consumed were sufficient for egg production and that the dietary balanced protein levels applied in this study did not influence this variable. On the contrary, a mobilization of body fat was observed, being more evident at the end of laying cycle. The dietary balanced protein levels investigated in this study slightly affected the yolk percentage but had no influence on albumen and eggshell percentages. More persistence of egg production was observed for laying hens consuming a high dietary balanced protein feed."

I noticed the links on the YouTube Channel Link to Kalmbach feeds.

 

[Luna Mesa]

Kalmbach Chicken Feed — A Little History and Why I Trust It

For anyone curious about Kalmbach Feeds, they’ve been around since 1963, started by Milton and Ruth Kalmbach in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. What began as a small grind-and-mix mill grew into one of the most respected family-owned feed companies in the country. They still run it with the same idea Milton started with — make quality feed at fair value and treat farmers like neighbors.

Over the years they’ve built out a full poultry line: starters, growers, layers, meat bird, turkey, all-flock, and even organic and non-GMO options. The big advantage is consistency — their feeds share the same base formulation, so birds can move from one stage to the next without digestive shock or nutrient gaps.

Each ration is fully fortified with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, and many blends include their LifeGuard® system — prebiotics, probiotics, essential oils, and enzymes that keep digestion and immunity strong. Birds on Kalmbach tend to feather out smoother and handle stress better because of that.

I use Kalmbach across my flock — layers, meat birds, and turkeys — and like that the nutrition stays steady from bag to bag. It’s not the cheapest, but it’s honest feed: balanced, consistent, and backed by sixty years of real farm use.

And if you don’t have a local dealer, you can order it straight from Chewy — FedEx drops it right at your door. Hard to beat good feed that shows up without the feed-store run.