Protein Percentage Is Only Part of the Story
Does a higher protein percentage always mean better feed? Learn why amino acids, digestibility, feeding rate, and balanced nutrition matter—and how to look beyond the number when choosing feed for your animals.
Look Beyond the Number. Understand What You’re Feeding.
When comparing animal feeds, protein percentage often gets the most attention. You might see a 16%, 18%, or 22% feed and wonder: Does the higher number mean better nutrition?
Not necessarily.
Protein matters—but choosing the right feed also means considering protein quality, digestibility, energy, feeding rate, and the animal’s individual needs.
What Does Crude Protein Actually Mean?
Crude protein is an estimate based on the nitrogen content of a feed. On feed tags, it is generally listed as a guaranteed minimum percentage.
The word “crude” describes the testing method. It does not mean the ingredients are poor quality.
That percentage is useful, but it does not tell you which amino acids are present, how readily they can be digested, or whether the complete diet meets your animal’s needs.
Protein Quality Matters
Proteins are made from smaller building blocks called amino acids.
Animals need the right supply of these building blocks to maintain tissues and support functions such as growth, muscle repair, feather development, milk production, and egg formation.
Essential amino acids must be supplied through nutrition. If one is lacking, simply increasing the overall protein percentage may not solve the problem.
For poultry, methionine and lysine are particularly important. Properly balancing these amino acids can help meet a bird’s needs without unnecessarily increasing total dietary protein.
For horses, amino acid supply also matters when evaluating protein quality, especially for growing animals.
Digestion Changes the Picture
The nutrients in the bag must be digested and made available to the animal.
Two feeds with the same crude protein percentage can differ in their amino acid profiles and digestibility. Ingredient characteristics and processing can affect how nutrients are used.
Animals also have different digestive systems.
Cattle, sheep, and goats rely on rumen microbes to help process their diets. In cattle, nutritionists consider both the protein available to those microbes and protein that passes through the rumen for digestion farther along.
That is one reason a protein percentage alone cannot explain how a feed will perform.
Protein Needs the Rest of the Diet
Protein works alongside energy, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and water.
A feed can have an impressive protein number and still be the wrong choice for a particular animal or feeding program.
For example, rumen microbes need an appropriate supply of fermentable energy to use nitrogen effectively. Horses need their protein supply considered alongside forage and overall energy intake. Poultry need amino acids balanced with energy and other nutrients.
A well-matched diet considers how the nutrients work together.
The Amount Fed Matters, Too
Percentage describes concentration—not the total amount consumed.
For example:
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One pound of a feed containing exactly 16% crude protein provides 0.16 pound of crude protein.
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Two pounds of that same feed provide 0.32 pound.
This is a math example, not a feeding recommendation. The correct amount depends on the product’s directions and the animal’s needs.
Hay, pasture, other feeds, and supplements also contribute to the total diet. Evaluating one bag without considering everything else can leave an incomplete picture.
Match the Feed to the Animal
A growing chick, a laying hen, a mature horse, and a nursing cow do not need identical feeding programs.
Before choosing a feed, ask:
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Is it labeled for this species and life stage?
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Is it a complete feed, supplement, or another type of product?
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What feeding rate is recommended?
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What else is the animal eating?
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Does the feeding program match its growth, workload, or production needs?
More protein is useful when it meets a need. A higher number alone is not proof of a better fit.
Purposeful Nutrition Starts with Better Questions
At La Casa Del Grano, we manufacture our feed right here in Wapato, Washington, with fresh, premium ingredients and a focus on purposeful nutrition.
We encourage customers to look beyond a single number and understand the feed’s intended use, ingredients, guaranteed analysis, and feeding directions.
Bring us your current feed tag and tell us about your animals, their life stage, and what else they eat. We can help you understand our feed options and identify questions to discuss with your veterinarian or animal nutritionist.
The goal is a feeding program that fits your animals—not simply the highest protein percentage on the shelf.
La Casa Del Grano — Feed the Difference.