Can you give them too much protein?

[dkosh]

I cleaned out some old freezer meat and boiled up some old eggs and gave them to my girls. Since then they seemed to have stopped laying as much eggs and their poop has turned milky and very loose. Other than that they seem healthy. So I was wondering if I gave them too much protein? Any other suggestions. (I do have artificial light on a timer every winter which works fine, so I don't think it is not enough day light.)

 

[Lollipop]

Everything in moderation, dkosh. Just like when a kid eats to much chocolate, diarrhea for a week. Change the food your dog eats, same thing. To answer your question, extra high protien, in the 30% range will cause bone and joint problems in growing chicks. Old timers used to overdo the protien to force a moult, etc, etc. They`ll be OK in a few days. Why doncha give them a little yogurt to replace the good bacteria?.........Pop

 

[dkosh]

Good idea. Thank you!

 

[maizey]

now this is a potentially confusing topic after reading another thread about how users that have increased protein have seen larger and more regular eggs. I was wondering if it could be too much of a good thing myself. Some folks feed a game bird mix that is 20% protein instead of the regular 16% layer feed, but not everyone. Im assuming the paid, professional chicken experts came up with 16% for a reason and we just accept it without really understanding why. The thing is, even paid, professional human experts have been wrong about human nutrition....How much protein then, would be overdoing it? If 20% is good, why isnt 35 better? I guess this is why free ranging is a good thing...let the chicken decide.

 

[dkosh]

I do free range but unfortunately my farm is under a lot of snow at this time. That is why I figured, they could use more protein. Oh well maybe I should have done one or the other and not both. Live and learn. Next time I wont give them as much. They did love it though.

 

[elizabethbinary]

Quote:
Nutritionally speaking, all living creatures need the basic macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Upping a creatures protein would lower fat and carbohydrates - both are necessary in development.

Nutrition is incredibly complicated, which is why humans have been wrong. Each tiny thing affects a myriad of other things. For the longest time I was anemic because I had a vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A helps Iron go into the blood - but I was eating enough iron. It just wasn't going to the right place because I wasn't eating vitamin A. Same with chickens.. protein goes into the body - but it's not going to be processed by the body at near the effeciency you want because the other nutrients will not be able to support that much protein. Excess protein would not only damage, but be wasted entirely.

However treats are treats and one day of protein fuelled yummies isn't going to kill 'em.

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
maisey, 10 years ago layer ration was right at 20%, now in many areas it`s 16%. However, if you consider what I said about changing feed for dogs or kids, you can see that a body has to regulate to deal with big changes. the exception is feeding a high protein diet to growing youngsters of any species. Bones fed high protien grow way too fast and develope problems. Look at meaties that are fed broiler ration. You get tremendous growth rate, but you have to butcher them at an early age to prevent problems, and broilers that aren`t butchered early are pitifull sights.........Pop

 

[maizey]

wonder why the change from 20 to 16? Perhaps efficiency as ElizabethB pointed out? I guess chicken nutrition has been geared toward the factory process to get as much bang for as little buck as possilbe. Protein would be the most expensive component I imagine, and if 16 works well enough, then the extra 4% is just an extra expense. But I am curious about the larger egg aspect in the other tread (link below). If additional protein translates into consistently larger eggs, that might at least convince me to switch to the game bird feed with the higher 20% protein. Of course I am supplimenting the 16% with a heavy boss scratch, occasional protein treats and part time ranging.






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