People often wonder where chicken protein comes from. This component is present in many products. These include chicken eggs, meat, fish. Sources of plant proteins include sprouted grains, oats, seeds and nuts. To achieve normal development of chickens and ensure their high productivity, it is worth choosing the right balanced diet and using the necessary additives.
Do chickens need protein?
Protein is considered an important element in the cells of birds.Chickens experience a high need for this element during egg laying. These are the substances required for the formation of egg whites..
If there is an insufficient amount of protein components in food or an imbalance of amino acids in the menu, birds stop developing and their growth slows down. Problems often arise with the formation of eggshells, feathers become hard and brittle, and spermatogenesis decreases.
What foods contain protein?
Protein is present in many foods that can be used in a chicken's diet.
Eggs
This is one of the most complete foods that contains protein, a large amount of vitamins and minerals. Eggs are actively used to feed chicks. Adult chickens need this product during laying and molting.
Each farmer has his own recipe for making egg feed. However, most often they chop it with a knife or grater, add carrots and 1 large spoon of crackers, semolina or bran. The composition is thoroughly mixed and given to the birds.
Poultry meat
Chicken meat contains a lot of protein. The same goes for turkey. Birds are given this product boiled. In this case, birds can be given a whole carcass. It is also acceptable to feed offal to chickens.
Meat
Chickens can eat beef and pork. They often eat lamb. It is also permissible to give birds bones with meat or offal. Meat can be used raw or boiled.
Birds need meat and bone meal. It is made from waste from meat processing plants. The composition contains a lot of protein, which contains a large amount of lysine. The product also includes 11% fat, 30% ash components. In addition, flour contains vitamins A and E.
This product is given to chickens no earlier than 30 days. In this case, the volume of this component should not exceed 3%. Adult birds are given 5-7% meat and bone meal in their feed.
Chickens are also given meat meal. It is a product that is obtained from internal organs or meat trimmings. It has a higher protein content. The amount of this substance is 56-64%. At the same time, the share of ash components accounts for 12-14%. The volume of fat in such flour is 18%.
The amount of meat and meat and bone meal in the bird menu is the same.
Thanks to strict adherence to proportions, it is possible to achieve the full development of laying hens.
Fish
Fish can be used in any form - boiled, raw, canned. This product is a valuable source of protein, which birds need during molting. It is permissible to give birds a whole fish. It is used with the head, bones and entrails. Birds love this product.
It is sometimes permissible to include fishmeal in the chicken menu. It is considered one of the most nutritious protein foods. This flour is made from non-commercial fish and waste. It contains a lot of easily digestible protein, which includes the optimal amount of valuable amino acids. These primarily include lysine and methionine.
Shellfish
Laying hens require slow-release calcium sources. This is due to the fact that the production of eggshells occurs at night, when the birds do not eat. The most valuable and reliable source of calcium release is considered to be the shells of mollusks - for example, oysters.
Mealworms
Mealworms are the larvae of the large mealworm. They are distinguished by their cylindrical shape and yellow-brown tint. The length of the worms reaches 25-30 millimeters.
You can breed mealworms yourself. To do this, take a box and pour bran, flour, crackers or oatmeal into it. It is worth placing a cotton cloth on top, which should be wetted occasionally. Mealworms are placed in the box. They should be fed potatoes, cabbage, and beets. The birds are fed worms made from cotton cloth. They enter it to pupate.
Nuts and seeds
Seeds are considered a valuable source of protein components. An excellent option would be sunflower or pumpkin seeds. You can use chopped nuts as a treat. Almonds and peanuts are suitable for this. It is acceptable to give birds walnuts. It is worth considering that it is strictly forbidden to give chickens salty foods - nuts or seeds.
It is also useful to give hemp cake to chickens. Untreated seeds contain 33% protein, while processed seeds contain 35-38%. Meals contain several times more proteins.
When producing vegetable oil from sunflower or soybean seeds, special substances are obtained - phosphatides. They contain many nutritional components. The use of phosphatides in the menu increases egg production and disease resistance.
Oats
This product is given to birds raw or cooked. Oats are a natural protein supplement. Chickens love this product. Both whole oats and flakes are beneficial.
Sprouts
Chickens like sprouted grains and legumes. These products contain a large number of valuable protein components. Peas, lentils, and beans are considered an excellent option for birds. Growing sprouts is considered an easy and reliable way to provide birds with protein.
Chicken feed
Feeds for chicks under 8 weeks of age contain more protein than those for laying hens.Compound feed for young animals includes 17-21% protein. At the same time, feed for adult chickens includes 16-17% of this component. Therefore, many poultry farmers add a little chicken feed to the feed during molting and laying of chickens. This helps increase its nutritional value.
Some farmers advise feeding chickens cat food during the molting period, as it contains a large amount of protein components. However, this is still not recommended. Cat food is not intended for birds. It is better to buy some sardines or other canned fish.
In what proportions and when is it better to give protein foods?
Adult laying hens need a balanced diet. They should receive 10-15 grams of animal feed and 3-5 grams of plant proteins. During the period of molting or active egg-laying, the amount of protein products can be increased.
In addition, chickens need grains, herbs and vegetables. They should receive 100-120 grams of grain and 40-80 grams of greens and succulent feed per day. The introduction of mineral supplements into the diet is of no small importance. These include shells, chalk and other elements.
Protein products are very important for the full development of birds. Birds experience the maximum need for proteins during molting and active egg laying. With a deficiency of such elements, the development of chickens is disrupted, their feathers acquire a brittle and hard consistency..
