Adding Soybean Meal to feed: Good Idea?

[The_Flower]

I’ve been thinking about the amounts of Lysine and Methionine found in commercial feeds. I’m wondering if I add small amounts (2lbs SBM/50lbs Feed) would be a good idea so as to bump up the percentages? I read in a different thread @U_Stormcrow was saying he tried to keep it around .8 Ly/.35 Met. I just bought a feed that has the following:

CP: 26
Ly: 1.00
Met: 0.4
CFat: 2.3
CFiber:7
Cal. Min.: 1.75
Cal. Max.: 2.25
Phosphorus: 0.7
Salt Min.: 0.15
Salt Max.: 0.45

I’m giving Oyster Shell on the side and potentially looking to give whole wheat and whole corn as free choice also.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I’ve been thinking about the amounts of Lysine and Methionine found in commercial feeds. I’m wondering if I add small amounts (2lbs SBM/50lbs Feed) would be a good idea so as to bump up the percentages? I read in a different thread @U_Stormcrow was saying he tried to keep it around .8 Ly/.35 Met. I just bought a feed that has the following:

CP: 26
Ly: 1.00
Met: 0.4
CFat: 2.3
CFiber:7
Cal. Min.: 1.75
Cal. Max.: 2.25
Phosphorus: 0.7
Salt Min.: 0.15
Salt Max.: 0.45

I’m giving Oyster Shell on the side and potentially looking to give whole wheat and whole corn as free choice also.

That looks like a "gamebird grower" or maybe a meatbird feed, curious as to how its described by the Mfg, other than the calcium. And I use something very similar to that for the first 8-10 weeks+/- for my hatchlings.

 

[The_Flower]

The manufacturer describes it as a Gamebird mix. I’ve got Brahmas, Jersey Giants and some French Black Copper Marans and I heard that larger birds would need more protein. (Protein is currently 17% and no eggs for about 9-10 months.) Combs and wattles are bright red suggesting that they may start laying again but no egg songs to be heard as of yet.

 

[The_Flower]

I figured I could start adding in the 26% into the 17% gradually so as not to “shock” the birds and then bring the protein back down to the 22%-24% range once laying has commenced again.

 

[Al Gerhart]

I believe the consensus is that the level of protein in a hen's diet doesn't prevent her from laying; it does prevent her from laying one egg per day due to the need to build up protein levels to produce the egg.

Perhaps you could continue feeding the commercial feed for now until the hens begin laying, then up the protein if you need more eggs per day?

I bet Stormcrow will have a more complete take on this.

 

[FrostRanger]

How old are your birds?

 

[The_Flower]

They just hit 1 1/2 years. @FrostRanger