Highest protein feed I can find is 22%

[SpotTheCat]

I am in the uk and it seems impossible to find good quality unmedicated feed with high protein. This is the best feed I have found so far for my coturnix quail
https://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/products/poultry/turkey-starter-crumbs/

Analytical Constituents​

Crude Protein:	22.0%	Crude Fats:	3.0%
Crude Fibre:	4.0%	Crude Ash:	6.0%
Calcium:	1.2%	Sodium:	0.16%
Phosphorous:	0.85%	Lysine:	1.20%
Methionine:	0.35%

but its seasonal so I can’t get it all year round. This is the next best for when I can’t get the starter crumb
https://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/products/poultry/turkey-grower-finisher-pellets/

Analytical Constituents​

Crude Protein:	19.0%	Crude Fat:	3.0%
Crude Fibre:	5.0%	Crude Ash:	6.50%
Calcium:	0.9%	Sodium:	0.16%
Phosphorous:	0.6%	Lysine:	1.0%
Methionine:	0.3%

I am not sure what to do my quail don’t seem to be doing very well on this feed. I am worried about adding anything and messing up some of the nutrients, but then again I don’t think its working well anyway

 

[Iluveggers]

@U_Stormcrow

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Do you have access to a grower or starter feed?

 

[threeepeat]

Can you find bags of dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae at your local feed stores? I'm new to this but I've been adding ground up BSFL to my chick's feed to boost the 25% protein level of the unmedicated turkey starter crumble that I was able to find in my area.

 

[SpotTheCat]

Do you have access to a grower or starter feed?

The feeds I have are starter and grower feed

Can you find bags of dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae at your local feed stores? I'm new to this but I've been adding ground up BSFL to my chick's feed to boost the 25% protein level of the unmedicated turkey starter crumble that I was able to find in my area.

sadly no I will see what I can find online! how much do you add?

 

[threeepeat]

The feeds I have are starter and grower feed

sadly no I will see what I can find online! how much do you add?

You may be able to find dried mealworms. I'm adding just a bit, erring on the side of not too much. I'd say I add about a 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup to a full size blender of the feed at the most.

From comments I just read on another thread from the very experienced Sean007, it looks like he uses about 25% protein from hatch until death. The quest for higher protein in chicks is just for faster growth with a focus on feed to meat ratio for meat/market birds. Based on his experience, you probably don't need to boost too much. There is a apparently a risk of too high a protein percentage with fat-related health issues etc. so you want to find the sweet spot.

I've started with a 25% non GMO turkey starter crumble, which I have been grinding down a little more for the young chicks. I grind the BSFL separately, and them I loosely mix the together. It's not an exact science but seems to be working. My chicks are coming on two weeks now, and I'm comfortable using less BSFL now.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I am in the uk and it seems impossible to find good quality unmedicated feed with high protein. This is the best feed I have found so far for my coturnix quail
https://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/products/poultry/turkey-starter-crumbs/

Analytical Constituents​

Crude Protein:	22.0%	Crude Fats:	3.0%
Crude Fibre:	4.0%	Crude Ash:	6.0%
Calcium:	1.2%	Sodium:	0.16%
Phosphorous:	0.85%	Lysine:	1.20%
Methionine:	0.35%

but its seasonal so I can’t get it all year round. This is the next best for when I can’t get the starter crumb
https://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/products/poultry/turkey-grower-finisher-pellets/

Analytical Constituents​

Crude Protein:	19.0%	Crude Fat:	3.0%
Crude Fibre:	5.0%	Crude Ash:	6.50%
Calcium:	0.9%	Sodium:	0.16%
Phosphorous:	0.6%	Lysine:	1.0%
Methionine:	0.3%

I am not sure what to do my quail don’t seem to be doing very well on this feed. I am worried about adding anything and messing up some of the nutrients, but then again I don’t think its working well anyway

OK, two things...

One, I have no idea what the nutritional targets for Quail are.

Two, the UK and the EU make FAR more use of synthetic amino acids than we do in the US, which allows them to get by with lower total protein. Makes direct comparisons hard.

and Third thing, your labels (mean no offense) suck - though those are better than some, it makes it very hard to be an educated consumer, because so much of what you might want to know in order to compare feeds simply isn't on the label.

Do you know what the nutritional targts for quail are? Knowing those, we might be able to identify a useful suppliment to fill in between the second feed and the desired...

 

[SpotTheCat]

OK, two things...

One, I have no idea what the nutritional targets for Quail are.

Two, the UK and the EU make FAR more use of synthetic amino acids than we do in the US, which allows them to get by with lower total protein. Makes direct comparisons hard.

and Third thing, your labels (mean no offense) suck - though those are better than some, it makes it very hard to be an educated consumer, because so much of what you might want to know in order to compare feeds simply isn't on the label.

Do you know what the nutritional targts for quail are? Knowing those, we might be able to identify a useful suppliment to fill in between the second feed and the desired...

Not really. I did find some research that I was using to go by (sort of)
http://www.worldscientificnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/WSN-492-2016-223-235.pdf

I have seen 007seans posts recommending 24% protein, so I was thinking of trying to increase the protein to around that amount

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You may be able to find dried mealworms. I'm adding just a bit, erring on the side of not too much. I'd say I add about a 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup to a full size blender of the feed at the most.

Mealworms are too high in fat to be a good addition to a regular feed

 

[007Sean]

Not really. I did find some research that I was using to go by (sort of)
http://www.worldscientificnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/WSN-492-2016-223-235.pdf

I have seen 007seans posts recommending 24% protein, so I was thinking of trying to increase the protein to around that amount

Yes, that's right, I feed a 24% protein feed ration from hatch till death. I'm not raising any of my birds for meat or for the market. I have my feed custom milled.

22% protein isn't that far off the mark, they would most likely do fine on that feed.
Another way to raise the protein levels is with cat kibble, it runs ~30% protein, at least here in the USA. Ground up and added to the 22% feed would probably be a better option, if you can not find any higher protein feed in you're area.

One thing I noticed on the feed label was the amount of lysine and methionine are low. The 1st label is better than the 2nd but not by much. As I have stated in other posts, this is becoming a real problem with mass manufactured feed, the costs of adding adequate amounts of both are becoming cost prohibited, so they skimp on it. It's one of the reasons I went from buying a manufactured feed to having a custom feed milled for me.