Update on lower protein levels and quail chick maturation

[Susan Skylark]

My first two hatched were fed 30 percent game bird starter, my current hatches are getting a 21 percent chicken layer feed. My 30 percent birds started laying between 5-6 weeks, my current hatch is just starting at 7.5 weeks. They still grow ridiculously fast just not quite so ridiculous! Just an interesting observation!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Curious as to their long term health, rates of lay over, say, a 6 month period, and feed conversion ratios. I have some suspicions, based on what I know of chicken nutrition, but don't want to influence the results by sharing them quite yet.


Please keep us in the loop!

 

[Susan Skylark]

Sure, my adult birds (4 months or so) seem to be doing well, these four little hens are all laying now (8 weeks?). I definitely see a faster growth and maturity on the game bird starter and ideally that is what I should go with, but I do not have access to game bird or turkey layer feed (or rather an economical source, I could get it shipped but that’s not an option) and the local feed guy requires a 2 ton minimum on special orders (I have 20 birds). We ate a mean hen a bit ago and I will note she was a bit dry and tough (but she was a laying hen!) compared to other birds (6 week old males). Fertility rates are great (31/33) latest batch), 13 day old chick health is good, no birth defects in home raised birds as of yet, no weird eggs even in the pullets, not sure if that is significant but it is also early days. I had all sorts of double yolk, soft shell, fairy eggs from the original birds coming off game bird starter (also started laying at 5 weeks bs 7). These four hens are laying smaller eggs (obviously) but very normal. I’m guessing you’re anticipating some issue with amino acid levels? Any suggestions on how to raise the methionine and lysine if need be? Short term this feed is a viable option but I too am curious on long term effects in the flock though as most birds will be rotated out at a year or so of age, I’m not sure if you can measure it with individuals. Nutrition is so much fun on the computer, your ration can be perfect but then reality happens and you have to deal with an imperfect system, that’s where it becomes an art rather than a science. So far observable parameters are looking good but we’ll see what happens!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'm thinking the birds raised on the lower protein feed will have (slightly) lower rates of lay over time - but that the numbers will be very close to those on the higher protein feed. Also suspect the numbers will be so close in this sample size that they might fall w/i the realm of statistical noise.

 

[Susan Skylark]

An n of 12-15 isn’t significant, certainly . Sort of like egg turning, hand turning 3 or 5 times daily is adequate but you can increase hatch rates by two percent by doing it eighty eight times daily! I also would love to know if limit feeding protein in these fast growing creatures isn’t actually of some long term benefit? Broiler breeder hens are fed restricted energy (maybe protein too) so they don’t reach their genetic potential quickly which would hinder egg production. We feed large breed puppies a food lower in energy, protein and certain minerals to improve bone and joint growth so they are less likely to have joint issues later in life. Race horses have a sad tendency towards catastrophic leg breaks due to how hard we push the breeding/feeding so they are big enough to race at a ridiculous age. I wonder if restricting protein in young layer quail might actually improve long term production (again, insignificant n!) but if anybody wants a PhD thesis let me know!