According to the packaging on my chicken feed it is 18% protein. According to the backyard chicken herders on YouTube hens need at least 17% of their staple feed to be protein, of which their bodies absorb around 14-15%. The rest is passed out in their poop. Too much protein is just wasted since they end up passing it out.
I know chickens like to eat bugs, which is a great source of protein for them. Once my girls are allowed out of the coop during the day they will be eating a lot of bugs in the muck pits. (I am expecting them to fling debris six ways to Sunday once they learn what’s in those piles.) Until then, I’ve been giving them mealworms on Sundays to up their protein intake a little. Mealworms are also high in calcium.
This past week, I started feeding them small handfuls of mealworms by hand. I thought it would fun. Big mistake! I never knew hens were so forceful when pecking at food. They pinch hard with their beaks, and they don’t care how deep into your hand they go before closing their little mouths. Let me tell you, those beaks can hurt.
To avoid being part of their snack, I washed out a couple of those small takeout cups that come with salads, hot wings, etc. These allow me to hand feed the girls without risking them drawing blood.
Now, whenever I walk over to the metal can where I keep the chicken scratch and treats I have at least Cinder and Henna — often some of the others — under foot watching my every move. They know where the mealworms are kept and they know I may be getting ready to give them a cup or two.
Ed