Poultry Feed: What Is It? Types, Ingredients, Importance

Poultry farming is a lucrative and popular business throughout the world. But it can be a risky business suddenly, especially if you are not concerned about poultry feed management. Success in the poultry farming business mostly depends on feeding very good quality feed and following good feed formulation system. For proper growth, egg production and good health, poultry birds require a balance of energy, protein and other nutrients.

In order to obtain desired growth rate, you must have to purchase and provide your birds highly nutritious poultry feed. Except adequate and quality feeding, you can’t run your business properly. As a poultry farmer, you should always produce and sell fresh and healthy birds and quality eggs.

For producing quality eggs and meat you have to feed your birds quality feed. This will also help to get maximum returns from your poultry farming business. Here we are trying to describe more information about poultry feeding and different types of essential ingredients in their feed.

What Is Poultry Feed?

Before discussing more about poultry feeding, let us first explain what poultry feed actually is. Poultry feed is actually a mixture of different ingredients that provide all the nutrients your chickens, ducks, quails, or other poultry birds need. These nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and some essential minerals. All of these nutrients are essential for the birds and they play a vital role in the health and development of the birds.

Proteins in poultry feed are important for growth and muscle development. Carbohydrates give energy, and fats help with energy storage and keeping the body warm. And some vitamins and minerals are needed for the good health of the birds and also helps to prevent diseases and other health problems. Poultry feeds are made from various grains, seeds, plants, and sometimes some animals products are used. These ingredients are mixed in the right ratio for creating a balanced food for your birds.

Essential Nutrients For The Poultry Birds

For healthy life, proper growth, maximum production and suitable breeding, all types of poultry birds need some essential nutrients. Most of these essential nutrients come from the natural sources. Pasture, grains  and seeds, bugs and insects, sunshine, gravel etc. meet up the demands of necessary nutrients.

Water: It is an universal truth that ‘animal can’t live without water but can survive longer without food’. Poultry birds are not exception. They also can’t live without water. Lack of adequate supply of pure water can causes different types of problems. It hinders the growth of young poultry birds and also causes early moulting in the laying flock, and directly minimize egg production.

Protein: The most expensive poultry feed element is protein. But it is a must to provide your poultry birds sufficient amount of protein contained feed. There are two types of protein source are available. Animal and vegetable protein. Animal protein is a great source of adding required protein in poultry feed. The animals protein means, that comes from animals sources such as meat, meat meal, milk, liver etc. This type of protein sources are very helpful for proper growth and better egg production, than vegetable protein.  Although, adding excess amount of protein in poultry feed can create a negative effect on your poultry bird’s health.

Carbohydrate: Carbohydrate is essential for a starved flock. This poultry feed materials can be found in grains and grainy products. Carbohydrate provide energy to your poultry birds and keep them productive.

Fat: Proper ratio of fat in poultry feed is also very essential. Usually fat is available in almost all types of feed elements. But an excess amount of fat that comes from fish products, fish oil or meat can causes digestive problem and lead to various poultry disease.

Minerals: Calcium carbonate (which is present in vitamin D) helps to formulate the egg shell. Calcium and phosphorous make the major part of poultry bird’s bone. But excess amount of phosphorous in poultry feed lead to crooked bones and slipped tendons in chickens and poultry birds. Salt is also a reliable source of essential minerals. Small amount of some highly important minerals can be found in green foods.

Vitamins In Poultry Feeds

Any vitamin deficiency in poultry feed rations can hinder the natural growth of young poultry birds. The term vitamin describe a variety of essential nutrients that are differ from one another. The activities of different vitamins are different.

Vitamin A: Vitamin A comes from green feed ingredients, yellow corn and fish oils. It is essential to protests the poultry birds against colds and infections.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D help to prevent leg weakness and rickets. It is found in synthetic products and also available in sea fishes. Vitamin D is a  must added elements in poultry feed.

Vitamin B Complex: Vitamin B complex is available in milk, green feed, liver, synthetic riboflavin etc. It helps to increase the growth of poultry and chickens. It also helps to prevent curled-toe paralysis in young chickens. While preparing poultry feed, you must have to be careful about adding adequate amount of Vitamin B Complex in the poultry feed mixture.

Types Of Poultry Feed

Poultry feeds are of different types depending on the age and purpose of the poultry.

Starter Feed: Starter poultry feeds are for feeding the young chicks that are just a few days old. This starter feed is very high in protein and very helpful for the growth and health of the chicks. Starter feeds are made to help the chicks develop quickly during the first few weeks of their life.

Grower Feed: As the chicks grow, they need a different type of feed. The birds aged between 6 to 12 weeks of age are given such grower feeds. This feed contains less protein than the starter feed, but still provides enough nutrients for the birds to grow well.

Finisher Feed: Finisher feed is for the aged or older birds that are getting close to the age when they will be used for meat or egg production. Finisher poultry feed has the right balance of nutrients to help the birds grow to their full size.

Layer Feed: Layer feed is for the hens that are ready to start laying eggs or already laying. Such feed has extra calcium and is very helpful for the hens to produce strong eggshells. Layer feed also helps to maintain the health of the bird and also to keep the eggs production high.

Breeder Feed: Breeder feed is used for feeding the poultry birds which are being raised for breeding purposes. Such food contains special nutrients to support the health and reproduction of the birds.

What Are The Main Poultry Feed Ingredients?

Poultry farming business is very common and popular throughout the world. So poultry feed ingredients are also easily available.

Wheat: Wheat is one of the best grains as poultry feed ingredients. For this reason, you should include a certain amount of wheat in the poultry feed ration. During the wheat harvesting season, you can feed the poultry birds as mash or as scratch feed. You can also use wheat as a poultry feed ingredient throughout the year.

Barley: Generally barley is not delicious like wheat and oats. But it contains more fiber and a great source of fat. You can feed barley to your poultry birds, when oats and wheat are not available (or in poor quality).

Corn: Corn can be a very effective grain for your poultry birds. You can feed whole, cracked or by grinding. You can feed the ripe corn to your hens. But feed the shelled corn with other grains as an scratch feed.

Millet: Millet has good advantages as poultry feed. You can use millet in growing, laying and fattening ration. Millet is easily digestible and help to increase body temperature.

Rye: Rye is not so palatable poultry feed elements such as wheat, oats and barley. So feed rye to your poultry birds in small amount as a scratch feed with two or more other grains. Huge amount of rye in poultry feed may cause digestive disorder in your birds.

Flax: Flex is suitable for high amount of protein in poultry feed.  You can use small amount of flax in the feed mixture.

By Products of Grain: By products of grains have a great health value and suitable for feeding the poultry birds. Especially various types of by products of grains are available in the shop where poultry feed are prepared or sold. It’s price is comparably higher than any other poultry feed ingredients.

Skim Milk and Butter Milk: Skim and butter milk are very useful for all kinds of poultry birds. Especially for the growing, young chicks and laying hens. Skim and butter milk play a vital role to get high quality eggs for hatching. And it’s also a reliable source of protein.

Balancers and Concentrates: For preparing the poultry feed, concentrates and balancers are special supplement which are prepared by the commercial poultry feed companies. They are basically fed with home grown chopped grains.

Fish Oil: Fish oil is a dependable source of Vitamin A and D. Mainly it is used in chicken feed and laying hen’s feed. Fish oil is very effective when green pasture and sunlight is not adequate.

Why Providing Good Quality Poultry Feed Is Important?

Providing your birds with very good quality poultry feeds is very important for several reasons. A good and well balanced diet helps to ensure that the birds are healthy and are free from diseases and other health problems. The birds will become weak, sick, or stop producing eggs, if the birds do not get the right food. Sometimes poor nutrition can also lead to death.

Providing the right food is very important for both meat and eggs production. The birds will not lay eggs properly if they do not get enough protein, calcium, and other essential nutrients. Good quality food also help the broiler poultry to grow quickly and also to improve the taste and quality of the meat.

How To Choose The Right Poultry Feed?

Choosing the right poultry feed is very important, and it depends on several factors (such as the bird’s age, purpose, and the environment they live in. Consider following factors while choosing the right feed for your poultry birds.

• Provide right food to your poultry birds depending on their age. Depending upon the age, the chicks need starter feed, while adult birds need layer or finisher feed.
• Different birds need different types of feed. Growing birds need different food, and the hens that lay eggs need a different feed than those raised for meat.
• Always try to choose very good or high quality feed that contains the right balance of nutrients.
• Your local climate and environment can also affect the bird’s needs. The poultry birds may need more water and different types of feed to stay healthy in hot climates. But in cold climates, most of the poultry birds require extra fats for additional energy.

Providing quality poultry feed play a vital role in overall production from your poultry farming business. So always try to feed your birds quality and nutritious feed according to their demand. And always ensure availability of sufficient amount of clean and fresh water. Hope this guide has helped you. Good luck and may God bless you!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

People often ask some questions regarding the types, ingredients, making, and importance of poultry feeds. Here trying to list the most common and frequently asked questions and trying to answer them. Hope these answer will help you. Don’t hesitate to ask if you have more questions.