Weird poop with my 7 week old chick?

[cherrynberry]

That's awfully high protein for chicken chicks.

Is there a side effect to this? I feed 20% protein throughout for my chicks.

 

[MadamContrary]

I feed it all the time, so I don't see what the concern is? The UltraKibble is a Ration you mix into regular feed to give them a boost of extra protein, plus extra Vitamins, & nutrients needed for normal growth.
I also use it for turkeys, since they need a higher amount of Lysine in their diet.

Long term high protein (28-30% like game bird/turkey starter) feeding for birds with access to no other feed it is hard on thier system from what I've seen. Same for human beings, high protein diet is hard on the liver. Rotation in the diet for moulting, boosting your breeders at the start of the season, or show prep is fine. If your birds free range and have a varies diet it's not as important.

 

[MadamContrary]

Is there a side effect to this? I feed 20% protein throughout for my chicks.

20% is fine

 

[MysteryChicken]

Long term high protein (28-30% like game bird/turkey starter) feeding for birds with access to no other feed it is hard on thier system from what I've seen. Same for human beings, high protein diet is hard on the liver. Rotation in the diet for moulting, boosting your breeders at the start of the season, or show prep is fine. If your birds free range and have a varies diet it's not as important.

I've never had a problem with it. My chicks have actually done better on high protein.

Plus the UltraKibble I give every once in awhile, mixed in.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I was actually told by someone it is actually better for chickens to be on a high protein diet. I feed 20% feed max for adult birds.

 

[MysteryChicken]

@U_Stormcrow

 

[MadamContrary]

I've never had a problem with it. My chicks have actually done better on high protein.

Plus the UltraKibble I give every once in awhile, mixed in.

Honestly I feed what I have on hand, all my birds have access to the ground by the time they're a week old. I keep a lot more quail than chickens, so I feed game bird/turkey starter about half the time to my chicks, they feather in faster. I toss a couple cups into the older chickens feed too periodically. They free range all day so I feel like it's protein insurance

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I believe @aart was referring to the 29% protein mix mentioned in that comment specifically. And while I've only skimmed backwards in the thread, someone mentioned meal worms as well (not sure if it was the same poster).

Anyhow, short answer, based on my readings, is that 24% protein is the highest I will go with my flock, and for reasons of cost and benefit, that's only for hatchlings. Then I drop to either an 18 or 20% mix (cost dependent).

Feeding 18-20% range all their lives is not associated, in any literature I've read, with any adverse health conditions, and appears to be quite beneficial across a range of measures, particularly as compared with 16% protein (and lower, as is popular in the EU). Plenty of "meat birds", for whom a very short life is intended, are raised at 24% protein without adverse effects exceeding the benefits of the "high protein" diet's costs in terms of accelerated weight gain and reduced time to processing. "Game Birds" are even higher protein - 28%, 30, 34%...

But I have seen absolutely nothing suggesting that feeding layer birds or dual purpose birds feeds in excess of 24% protein life long has any benefit exceeding its economic costs, and there are some studies indicating that protein above 24%, particularly in developing birds of certain species, can be associated with adverse health effects. i.e. increased incidence of "Angel Wing" in ducks. Higher nitrogen contents of chicken poops (which raise their own environmental concerns, including increased ammonia levels in the coop). ...etc

/edit and of course free ranging throws everything into doubt - too many variables, too much individualized to specific flock, season, pasture, management practice.

I think that's why I was paged??? Anyhow, hope it helps answer the question posed.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Honestly I feed what I have on hand, all my birds have access to the ground by the time they're a week old. I keep a lot more quail than chickens, so I feed game bird/turkey starter about half the time to my chicks, they feather in faster. I toss a couple cups into the older chickens feed too periodically. They free range all day so I feel like it's protein insurance

It's okay. Everybody does things differently when raising their own birds.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I believe @aart was referring to the 29% protein mix mentioned in that comment specifically. And while I've only skimmed backwards in the thread, someone mentioned meal worms as well (not sure if it was the same poster).

Anyhow, short answer, based on my readings, is that 24% protein is the highest I will go with my flock, and for reasons of cost and benefit, that's only for hatchlings. Then I drop to either an 18 or 20% mix (cost dependent).

Feeding 18-20% range all their lives is not associated, in any literature I've read, with any adverse health conditions, and appears to be quite beneficial across a range of measures, particularly as compared with 16% protein (and lower, as is popular in the EU). Plenty of "meat birds", for whom a very short life is intended, are raised at 24% protein without adverse effects exceeding the benefits of the "high protein" diet's costs in terms of accelerated weight gain and reduced time to processing. "Game Birds" are even higher protein - 28%, 30, 34%...

But I have seen absolutely nothing suggesting that feeding layer birds or dual purpose birds feeds in excess of 24% protein life long has any benefit exceeding its economic costs, and there are some studies indicating that protein above 24%, particularly in developing birds of certain species, can be associated with adverse health effects. i.e. increased incidence of "Angel Wing" in ducks. Higher nitrogen contents of chicken poops (which raise their own environmental concerns, including increased ammonia levels in the coop). ...etc

I think that's why I was paged??? Anyhow, hope it helps answer the question posed.

I was referring to what I feed chicks, not adult birds.
The 29% is a Ration I use occasionally, they don't get it all the time. It's called Farmers Helper UltraKibble it gets mixed in their regular feed to help support the Turkeys growing bodies.