Highest protein feed I can find is 22%

[SpotTheCat]

I was just giving you process for figuring out protein percentages. I was using the cat food because that's what was recommended by others and was using those percentages to calculate % for you. Me not knowing all nutritional values of the cat feed I myself can't give you a recommendation of how much to add. I usually only mixed other Poultry/Game bird feeds to get desired targeted values but that doesn't seem to be an option for you. Hopefully others can answer what other alternatives you may have for boosting your protein% and keep the nutritional value for your Quail. @007Sean @U_Stormcrow may have some better advice on that than myself.

The second bit on my post wasn’t directed at you. giving me the process was helpful!

Not necessarily, both feed may not have other essential vitamins and minerals in the correct ratio to provide optimal nutritional efficiency.
The only way to know, is to have a lab perform an analysis on the feed, (very $$$$) or if you can get a complete ingredient list from the manufacturer.

They do give a ingredients list on the website is that not necessarily complete?



Thank you everyone for your help so far!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

My Game Bird feed has Lysine, min of 1.60% and Methionine, min is 0.58%

This looks like what my Gamebird looked like 18 months ago, before they reformulated. My new number are in the post above. Another consequece of COVID...

 

[Huntmaster]

My Game Bird feed has Lysine, min of 1.60% and Methionine, min is 0.58%

Should have mentioned that is my starter feed 28% protein, and my grower 24% protein is Lysine min1.40% and Methionine min 0.50% @U_Stormcrow

 

[U_Stormcrow]

and here's three quick studies:


(1.28% Lys (about 1.3%) and 0.86% Met + Cys (met tends to be about 50-55% of that figure in the typical grain based diet, which is about 0.43-.45%. But that's just an estimate, because they fed a number of differing diets in that study, and the actual ration of Met:Cys can vary quite a lot if the feed isn't specifically built for that ration


This one suggests Met levels between 0.5 and 0.6%

Here's the third study, they started with a 0.35% Met level base diet, and maximized performance when Met levels were raised to 0.5%

So, hardly a summary of all the research, but three quick hits suggest desired Met levels are around 0.5%, or about 50% higher than your current feed.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Should have mentioned that is my starter feed 28% protein, and my grower 24% protein is Lysine min1.40% and Methionine min 0.50% @U_Stormcrow

I have ducks, so I don't buy over 24% protein, due to increased incidence of angel wing in some of the literature... Sounds like we are reading the same stuff, and have very similar targets for our birds, otherwise.

 

[Huntmaster]

I have ducks, so I don't buy over 24% protein, due to increased incidence of angel wing in some of the literature... Sounds like we are reading the same stuff, and have very similar targets for our birds, otherwise.

Yes, I have ducks also and they get a separate feed which is 19% protein. All my birds are separated so I can tailor all the separate needs.

 

[BrandonsBirbs]

I am in the uk and it seems impossible to find good quality unmedicated feed with high protein. This is the best feed I have found so far for my coturnix quail
https://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/products/poultry/turkey-starter-crumbs/

Analytical Constituents​

Crude Protein:	22.0%	Crude Fats:	3.0%
Crude Fibre:	4.0%	Crude Ash:	6.0%
Calcium:	1.2%	Sodium:	0.16%
Phosphorous:	0.85%	Lysine:	1.20%
Methionine:	0.35%

but its seasonal so I can’t get it all year round. This is the next best for when I can’t get the starter crumb
https://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/products/poultry/turkey-grower-finisher-pellets/

Analytical Constituents​

Crude Protein:	19.0%	Crude Fat:	3.0%
Crude Fibre:	5.0%	Crude Ash:	6.50%
Calcium:	0.9%	Sodium:	0.16%
Phosphorous:	0.6%	Lysine:	1.0%
Methionine:	0.3%

I am not sure what to do my quail don’t seem to be doing very well on this feed. I am worried about adding anything and messing up some of the nutrients, but then again I don’t think its working well anyway

Smallholder feed sucks, had to buy their bags many times and I really don't like them. I find their constituents are lower than most and their feed comes in those silly paper bags which one drop of moisture will destroy.

If you're buying from Amazon, stop.

I like some of the feeds from Burnhills but pretty much everywhere is out of stock of Gamebird feed so I understand the struggles. For adults, I feed good layer chicken feed usually 14-16% protein but high in calcium and aminos. For babies I have been ordering different stock everytime, order from somewhere and the next day they'll be out of stock.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Anyhow, the best ways to raise both Met and Lys are things like fish meal, crab meal, meat scraps, or a fat reduced (typically solvent extracted) seed meal byproduct of oil production - Soybean meal, Cottonseed meal, etc. If your flock is small enough, you can use brewer's yeast, but its WAY expensive.

 

[BrandonsBirbs]

Anyhow, the best ways to raise both Met and Lys are things like fish meal, crab meal, meat scraps, or a fat reduced (typically solvent extracted) seed meal byproduct of oil production - Soybean meal, Cottonseed meal, etc. If your flock is small enough, you can use brewer's yeast, but its WAY expensive.

Will add, I find that fish meal is easy to buy and inexpensive here in UK, I have used it to help increase protein/aminos in starter crumbs before. Want to say it was £3/kg.

 

[BrandonsBirbs]

Never buy these sorts of feeds either on eBay, they're effectively scams for those prices. Amazon's prices are usually twice the price you'd pay in comparison to sites like Burnhills, Mole Online, Feathers and Fur.