Protein Matters During Molting Season, But It’s About More Than Percentages
Conventional wisdom has it that chickens need more protein during their molt.Certainly, that is true if you are feeding a conventional 16% layer feed. But if you are using our Layer with 18% Protein and Cold-Pressed Pumpkin Pellets or our Layer with 18% and Whole Grains with Cold-Pressed Pellets, we already have you covered. Your birds will still molt; that’s a natural chicken thing. But they will replace their old, tired feathers with less stress.
Here’s why: While it’s essential that they get 18% protein, what’s just as important is the quality of the protein.
This is because feathers are approximately 85–90% protein, primarily keratin. During molt, a chicken can be growing thousands of new feathers while maintaining muscle, immune function, and other body systems.
But despite what you hear, more protein isn't automatically the answer. Two feeds can both contain 18% crude protein but provide very different nutritional value depending on:
Balance of essential amino acids (so the chickens can actually use the protein)
Availability of sulfur-containing amino acids (for keratin)
Overall ingredient quality: 1) Peas and sustainably sourced fishmeal are among our favorite sources of protein – they are the highest quality source available. 2) Our feeds deliver 0.5% methionine, compared with conventional brands, which list at 0.3%.
The good news: If you’re using Union Point feeds, our formulas are built with all of this in mind. Specifically, our use of amino acids and clean proteins other than soy meal makes it easy for us to build a feed that is high in protein and balanced with these important feather-building nutritional blocks. You don’t need to change a thing.
The bad news? Your chickens are going to look a little scruffy no matter what you do – there’s no way around this important part of their biology. They might even be grumpy – we like to cheer them up with the fun of some black soldier fly larvae or maybe Sustainable Scratch, but that’s purely for fun and not needed nutritionally.