What feed can I buy with highest protein percentage?

[Sugar Sand Farm]

My cochins werent laying well eithr then I put a light in their coop for some younger birds and they started laying agin. Unfortunetly they went broody on me so I dont have any eggs again lol But I did notice Isis had one chick hatch yesterday so thats OK too. Where are you located I feed my cochins a 17% layer feed and they are big fat and georgous. I buy my feed from the mill not a feed store so I dont feed a name brand. You could try googling feed mill in your area and you might find one locally. I did.

 

[technodoll]

My show-breeder feeds his birds (chickens, turkeys, quail, geese, everything) with a mix of turkey growth crumbles (24% protein), cracked corn and a bit of layer crumbles.

A 50-pound bag of turkey growth crumbles costs me $13 at the feed store and the flock LOVES it!!

 

[Guinea Goonie]

If my birds molt, I put about 50 percent "hog finisher" into the layer pellets. Oh, come now, we all know the roos eat it too and they get a beautiful plume of butt feathers.

I have Guineas, so they have a hanging feeder of Game Bird which OF COURSE every one else eats too.

I keep them at bay with a feeder full of poultry grain too.

As Always keep Clean, Fresh, Cool water out for your birds in plenty. This really is the key to having a gorgeous flock.

 

[pkeeler]

I am not getting ANY eggs from my 28 week olds. None of them have laid a single egg yet. So, I think I need to do something different with feed. That's part of why I'm asking about protein. My older hens that have laid before aren't laying right now, but I assume that's because of the winter.

If they are 28 now, they hit egg laying age in November/December. This is when the cold and light will have probably reduced or eliminated egg production. They will probably start laying in the Spring. This is why people raise chicks in February/March/April. This gets the pullets laying before winter, and some breeds will keep laying. It is much easier to raise chicks in late May/June, when temps are warmer and things are drier. This is when wild turkeys raise poults, for instance. But, a June 1 chick, might not lay until the following Spring.

Go ahead and change feed, but be realistic and patient.​

 

[Overeasyplz]

Mine were april chicks, they started to lay for two weeks in september, then quit. I kept feeding layer pellets anyways so they would get proper nutrition for most of the winter.. now its January and I hung a light in their coop. I get 6/7 eggs a day from 7 layers. And they still get their complete layer pellets..they look great!

 

[briteday]

The only feed we get reliably around here is Purina. So I keep Purina Turkey Starter around (26% protein, salt and sodium is the same as chicken feed) and mix it in different proportions with Layena, depending on how the flock is looking and laying. Layena is 16% protein here. And about once every two months I buy a 7.5# bag of kitten chow (usually around 40% protein), cheapest I can find that has an animal product as the first ingredient, and for 20 birds I give about a fistful maybe twice per week spread out for them to scratch around in the bedding or outside. I limit the use of corn scratch to days when they have been in the coop a lot due to bad weather. I use corn more for entertainment than for food treat. One 50# bag will last about 6 months around here, kept clean and dry of course. Beyond that they get a small amount of kitchen leftovers and/or veggie scraps from the kitchen or grocery castoffs. And small is a 1-gallon container for 20 birds maybe once per week. Also if they are coop-bound due to weather I will soak a pan of alfalfa cubes in water for them to peck at. Lastly, plenty of fresh clean water.

Mostly I try to keep the micromanaging to a dull roar. If they are looking poorly, going thru moult, stressed...I increase their nutritional rations. Really bad, egg production almost to 0...add in some kitten food. If the weather is great and bugs abound...just Layena.

 

[kennedyscochins]

Okay, guess I should just be patient and wait. It just seems like it's been a long time feeding with no eggs in return. I go out there everyday thinking someone will have laid an egg, but nothing.

 

[dani2]

Hi

I put a light in my cochin house about a month ago and they are laying pretty good now but it did take a while they were spring chicks last year and did not lay at all in the fall so they do seem to mature a bit later and I dont know if anyone else who has cochins has this same problem all of my other breeds lay eggs during the day usually everyone is done by 3 or 4 in the afternoon the cochins are afternoon evening layers.