Protein is an integral component of chicken feed. Different types have differing amounts of protein content depending on their age and condition of chicks or hens.
Commercial layer feed rations typically contain around 16% protein. Most of this comes from energy concentrates like corn, oats and wheat as well as protein concentrates like soybean, cottonseed or sunflower meal as well as animal byproducts such as bone meal.
Contents
Eggs
Protein is an essential nutrient for chickens that aids in muscle building, reproduction, egg production and many other essential tasks within a flock environment. A hen typically requires between 12- 20% of her diet in terms of protein; during periods such as moulting or cold weather it may increase significantly.
Eggs are an excellent source of protein and contain many of the vitamins and minerals essential for human health, including choline for brain health and vitamin D, essential for immune system support.
Supplementing a chicken’s diet with additional proteins such as pumpkin seeds or Japanese millet is an easy and cost-effective way to increase their protein consumption, and are available at most natural food stores. Mealworms also provide 34% of amino acids required for optimal flock health; you can offer these dry or mix them into their feed for even greater protein enrichment.
Meat
Chickens are omnivores, so meat provides them with essential energy sources in the form of muscle protein. Furthermore, eating meat provides chickens with important collagen- and amino-acid-rich diets along with essential minerals and vitamins such as calcium phosphorus magnesium niacin vitamin B12.
Commercial layer feed rations typically contain around 16% protein content. Chicks and pullets require higher protein levels due to their active growth; starter/grower blends tend to have higher protein concentrations.
Though chickens can benefit from occasional extra proteins such as meat scraps and fish, too much protein at once should not be fed regularly as their bodies don’t have the ability to process and absorb excess amounts. Furthermore, too much protein may lead to ammonia build-up within their coop and create stress on their kidneys.
Fish
At first, protein levels must be high to support growth of chicks. But as they mature into pullets and reach laying age, their requirements decrease gradually until reaching laying age – when their needs remain relatively constant other than during molting seasons.
Fish meal from sources like sardines or tuna provides another rich source of protein that you can feed to your flock. As well as omega 3s, fish meal also contains essential amino acids methionine and lysine as well as iron, calcium, vitamin B12, and zinc – making this an essential addition.
Fish aren’t the only way to provide high protein diets for your flock; insects such as black soldier fly, mealworms, housefly cricket/grasshopper/locust (Orthoptera), crickets/grasshopper/locusts (Orthoptera), cricket/grasshopper/locusts (Orthoptera) crickets are an excellent alternative. Insect meals contain more amino acids than fish meals and often include antimicrobial peptides which aid digestion, intestinal health and immune function – just remember not overdoing it as too much protein can strain their kidneys!
Vegetables
Protein is an essential nutrient for chickens, so it’s crucial that they receive sufficient amounts. But too much of any one nutrient can adversely impact their health in an adverse manner.
A hen’s diet requires different levels of proteins depending on its season and moulting status, with higher-protein foods needed in autumn and winter to maintain weight and keep warm.
Addition of high protein foods to their feed is an effective way of aiding their transition through moulting, and ensures eggs will continue to be produced all winter. Common sources of protein for chickens include meat scraps, fish, brewers yeast, oats and field peas; you can also give your hens stale bread, pumpkin seeds or other plants such as kale as alternative sources of protein for them if supplementing feed isn’t an option – just remember to do it sparingly or they’ll have trouble producing eggs!
