Using a supplement feed for molting chickens

[blackswamp]

Last year my local co-op recommend Home Grown game bird & poultry supplement for my chickens when they were molting. What I did was mixed some in with there food & would put a small bowl of it in there run. It seem to help them with there molt but I just looked at the feed label & it is 36% protein.

My question
Is this to high of a protein for my chickens? Like I said I just mix it in there layer crumbles.& a small bowl in the run.
My next question is I still have half a bag do you think I should get some new stuff or get a new bag if you think this protein isn't to high as a supplement?

Thanks!
Jeff

 

[beetandsteet]

I would say the higher protein the better, because a chicken's feathers are mostly all protein. The general rule of thumb for supplements/treats for a flock is no more than 10% of their staple layer diet. You should of course already be supplementing their diet with free choice oyster shell for calcium. Hope this helps

 

[Folly's place]

I feed Flock Raiser, with oyster shell on the side. It's fine for chickens of any age. Mary

 

[ChickenCanoe]

36% is too high but if you mix it half and half with a 16% layer feed, that comes out to 26% so if you are also feeding things like scratch grains that may be OK. I think I'd mix it at of a ratio of 1:2 game to layer because 22% is more appropriate.

It's not just the crude protein percent but which amino acids make up that percentage. An extremely high protein may be too much of the non-essentials and excreted as nitrogen producing ammonia in the bedding but more importantly overloading the liver and kidneys.