Too much protein

[Schroeder]

Is there such a thing as feeding too much protein? I switched to Purina Flock Raiser to get the 20+% protein because my chickens were plucking (eating?) feathers. That didnt' solve the problem but that is a different issue. Should I revert back to Layena in the spring when they start laying more heavily? I have oyster shell always availabe so that is not a consideration. I guess my real question is if there is a reason other than relative cost why you shouldn't always feed a high protein ration.

 

[Wifezilla]

It was years since I wrote that old post. Not only have I not had problems with my ducks, the chickens I just got last year are doing great too. I do give them kitchen scraps, pumpkins and other vegetables on occasion and give them time to run loose in the back yard though.

The only problem I noticed is when the local feed store was out of the high protein feed and I bought a bag of flock raiser. Within a week, my drake was having leg problems. He had been attacked by a skunk years earlier and, even though he recovered, he has vulnerabilities. Low protein food has him limping in no time.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Old thread, but an interesting topic for me as I've been reading about poultry nutrition and am trying to find out if any definitive research has been done to determine the safe upper limit for protein content of poultry feeds. Most nutritional recommendations are based on minimum requirements for economic reasons, I presume.

I just found this quote:
"Another misconception is that the protein level of breeder diets and handfeeding formulas is harmful to kidneys. In research studies in poultry, turkeys had to be fed diets with 40% protein to produce gout (one clinical sign of kidney disease) and they gradually recovered when put back on a diet with 20% protein (the amount of protein usually seen in breeder diets and handfeeding formulas). Chickens had to be fed diets with 70% protein to produce gout. No toxicity studies have yet been published in psittacines; however, Tom Roudybush will be participating in a study at UC Davis in which cockatiels will be fed diets with varying amounts of protein for 1 year. Evidence of kidney disease will be monitored using blood samples and the birds' kidneys will be examined microscopically at the end of the study to search for evidence of kidney damage.

"Studies at UC Davis conducted by Tom Roudybush demonstrated that 20% protein was required for growth in cockatiels. In that experiment, one group was fed 35% protein with no resulting kidney damage. It seems contrary to any logic or common sense to believe that the protein level required for growth would prove to be toxic.

"All information available for all species of animals, including man, studied so far suggest that there is a wide margin of safety for dietary protein in animals with normal kidney function. The fear over protein probably arises from the fact that a poorly functional kidney cannot process the nitrogenous waste from protein like a normal, healthy kidney can. People hear that too much protein causes gout. Well, it does, in a bird with a damaged kidney. Protein does not cause kidney disease at commonly fed levels, even up to 35% protein in normal cockatiels as demonstrated in Mr. Roudybush's research."

I found it at this link: http://home1.gte.net/impekabl/kid.htm

That link refers to another website: http://home1.gte.net/impekabl/impekabl.htm

I found no citation for what "research studies" discovered that "Chickens had to be fed diets with 70% protein to produce gout."

I know when I spoke to a poultry specialist at a custom feed mill about picking a protein percentage for an all-purpose flock food and expressed a concern about "too much protein," she indicated there was no real worry about hurting the birds with excessive protein as they just excrete it ...

 

[Wifezilla]

Animals tend to eat to a certain protein level to meet their body's needs and stop. If you feed higher protein feed, they just eat a little less. There is no reason that a higher protein feed is bad for roosters. People often believe that high protein is bad for the kidneys, but this belief doesn't hold up to scientific scrutiny. LAYER MIX can be bad for roosters because of the extra calcium in it for the hens.

I have ducks and feed high protein game bird feed. I offer free choice oyster shells because I have a drake.

If you do switch back, keep an eye on things and see if the feed disappears quicker.

 

[NYREDS]

I feed a 22% protein Game Bird Crumble. It's all I feed other than some scratch grain. I feed it from the day they hatch to the day they die. They grow well on it, have great feather quality, lay well & hatch well.
I don't know of any reason not to feed a higher protein. My experience with this feeding program has been totally positive. I'd love to know why "high protein is not good for cocks".
Another advantage of the feeding program I follow is there's no wondering who gwts what feed, there's only one feed. Don't have to decide when to change feed either.

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
I do something similar, and the feed isn't adequate in calcium, so I augment with free-choice oyster shell. I also augment with clearance fish from the store (super cheap salmon, etc) and brown rice casserole I make with food scraps from the kitchen.

It makes a difference, I feel, to give better nutrition, particularly when they haven't the choices outside because the world is a foot deep in snow.

 

[Feathered Wings]

I was thinking of switching from 16% layer to 20% flock raiser and it would be fed to Call Ducks and Old English Bantams.
Plan to breed and hatch eggs on both of these so i wasn't thrilled at the lower calcium in the Flock raiser.
Mostly just looking to improve on feather quality and color with the flock raiser is this a good idea??

 

[Wifezilla]

Not completely sure, but it looks like it might have been the feed. She was buying some kind of flock raiser mix. (Denver area). She had switched TO that, but after her batch of Welsh Harlequins had problems, switched back to her old mix.

 

[saladin]

High protein is not good for cocks. I would suggest a protein content around 15% for both hens and cocks. saladin

 

[NYREDS]

Didn't mention this but I keep Oyster Shell availabe free choice as well.