The Effects of Low Proteins on Laying Hens

Eggs are a great source of protein. They are approximately 15% protein by weight and contain all essential amino acids. Chickens must eat a healthy diet with plenty of macro- and micronutrients to live healthy lives and produce high-quality, nutritious eggs, and chickens raised on farms must be fed carefully to ensure optimal egg production. A high protein diet, supplemented with grain, grass, and other sources of nutrients, will yield chickens that lay large high-quality eggs daily.

  1. Egg-laying and Protein Loss

    • Egg-laying chickens produce approximately one egg per day. A single egg is anywhere from 1.2 ounces to 2.4 ounces of mostly protein. This amounts to to a huge percentage loss of body weight for a 5-pound chicken. Therefore, chickens must have constant sources of protein in their diets to allow for this protein loss and maintain consistent egg production. If chickens don't have access to enough protein, they will simply stop laying to conserve protein for their own nutritional needs.

    Protein in a Chickens' Diet

    • Laying chickens should have a diet composed of roughly 20% protein for optimal health and egg laying. A typical free-range laying hen's diet could include grass and wild plants, and be supplemented by high-protein fishmeal, beans, crushed oyster shells and grains. Chickens should also be able to hunt insects, as they were evolutionarily designed to do, to balance out the protein needed in their diet on their own.

    Vegetarian vs. Animal Protein

    • Chickens must consume protein with all 22 amino acids, just as humans do. Complete proteins can be produced from a purely vegetarian diet by combining grains with beans to produce a complete protein. However, a purely vegetarian diet is most often a convenience for mass production, as well as a safeguard against diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob that spread via animal feed. However, chickens fed on a strictly vegetarian diet may also be malnourished without access to the full range of nutrients available from an omnivorous diet.

    Effects on Egg-Laying

    • Chickens without access to adequate protein during their growing period will have stunted growth and delayed onset of sexual maturity, but can usually recover if their diet is later modified to include adequate protein. However, chickens that don't get adequate protein during their mature laying stage will yield smaller eggs, lay on an erratic schedule and have lower bodyweight.

    Fish Protein and Omega-3

    • Eggs are also affected by the specific type of protein eaten by laying hens. Chickens that feed on fish protein will yield eggs and meat especially high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids that lower individual levels of so-called "bad cholesterol" and raise levels of "good cholesterol." The "bad cholesterol," also known as LDL, builds up in artery walls and may eventually lead to heart attack or stroke. The "good cholesterol," also known as HDL, is a high-density lipo-protein that carries LDL out of the arteries and to the liver.