I was feeding a good quality Game Bird Breeder (20% protein), based on advice I read from breeders here and elsewhere.
A few of my hens were laying soft shelled eggs, even though I was providing free choice oyster shell. I emailed the manufacturer
(FRM) and the response was that GBB was not formulated for chickens, calcium % and in other regards.
I had a very informative email exchange with the Poultry Nutrition professor at the University near me, regarding this.
Some of the interesting info he provided:
In regards to your question about the extra protein you are feeding to your birds by feeding them the Game Bird Breeder (GBB) feed. Your mature birds, roosters and hens, do not require the extra protein that is being furnished to them as they consume the GBB feed. As you probably know the protein is made up of individual building blocks known as amino acids and your birds really have a requirement for certain of these amino acids and not protein per se. The protein is used to only furnish the amino acids into the bird just as the feed ingredients are the furnishing the protein to the diet. So, once the requirement for specific amino acids is met the birds liver will have to dismantle the extra amino acids and dispose of the nitrogen from the amino acids as waste. The waste nitrogen that is being excreted by your birds (and all birds and reptiles) is the white material in their droppings. Whenever the birds liver has to dispose of lots of nitrogen from the extra amino acids being furnished from the extra protein in the GBB feed it has to work overtime and in hot weather, as we are having now and for many months to come, this will be a stress on the birds because of the extra heat that is being produced in the body as the nitrogen is excreted. The layer feed will furnish the protein level which is closer to your birds requirement for protein and in hot weather this will make your birds more comfortable. Your birds will more than likely do very well and have good condition and performance on the commercial layer feed once you switch to the layer if you decide to do so.
My question to him was that my flocks seemed to have such nice feather condition, was not the extra protein responsible for this? His reply:
One further comment about protein and feathers: I am not surprised that the GBB feed is promoting good feather growth and condition since it is higher in crude protein. When considering the many factors that are required for feather formation, overall nutritional adequacy of the diet is of utmost importance during feather growth and development. Feathers consist almost completely of protein (~90%+) and when the bird is synthesizing new feathers a source of high quality protein in the diet becomes very important. High quality protein contains the amino acids in the proper quantity that will be required for feather synthesis. This is especially true at the time the bird is molting and after which will grow new feathers. However, mature feathers are not living tissue like other tissues in the birds body. Feathers are made up of the same type of protein as is found in finger and toe nails, claws, hoofs, horns, hair, beaks, etc. This protein is called keratin and contains a lot of sulfur in special bonds referred to in nutritional chemistry as di-sulfide bonds. So, there are two sulfur containing amino acids that are very important during feather formation. These amino acids are methionine and cystine. Cystine is the one that is found mostly in feathers and is made from methionine. So, methionine is really the important one and must be adequate in the diet during feather formation. Feeding the higher protein feed (i.e., GBB), which would provide more of these and other amino acids to the bird, would be very beneficial at the time the bird needs them for lots of new feather formation, however after the feathers are mature the extra protein is of no use for feather formation and is a burden on the birds liver as has already been discussed. If a feather is lost now and then from the bird, as we know happens at times in the barnyard, it should be able to grow back with no problem as long as the diet the bird is eating is of high quality.
I posted this info on a breed forum because I saw several people were really uping protein levels with fish meal, cat and dog food, etc. to well over 20-30%. I was concerned about the effect on the overall health of the birds with this high protein, especially in regards to the liver and heat stress. I stirred the pot a bit, as some saying higher protein was needed for good hatchability...and don't want to do that here...but this is what I feed now, and have nearly 100 % hatches on my own eggs, even Marans eggs up to 3 weeks old, that are supposed to be difficult to hatch.
1) Basic feed is FRM 15% Layer. Contains animal protein, it may be chicken byproducts, but it reduces the amount of soy (agree that too much of this is not good).
2) Have put a 6 foot fence around the chicken compound in a large area, and let each breed free range several times a week. Keeps them from getting bored as well.
3) Never used scratch, as they get plenty of corn in their Layer, but they get BOSS as a treat, and useful in getting them back in pens.
4) Garden culls-depending on the season they get tomatoes, squash, turnips, cabbage, etc tossed in the pen.
5) Quail eggs-we are getting so many right now that twice a week I throw them in the blender, adding microwaved sweet potatoes, shredded carrots, and greens.
I fry or bake this mixture and it's entirely too labor intensive, but gives that the yolks that nice deep orange color, and adds some diversity to their diet.
6) Molting birds get Layer mixed with some Game Bird Starter (27%), to help with feather growth.
7) I add cayenne pepper to their scrambled egg mixture as well as pumpkin seed once a month or so. These are supposed to be natural wormers. I've had a few tests done,
and so far, negative for worms.
I know I totally spoil them, but no illness, good hatchability, and happy birds
