INTRODUCTION TO POULTRY FEED FORMULATION
Feed formulation is the process of quantifying the amounts of feed ingredients that need to be combined to form a single uniform mixture (diet) for poultry that supplies all of their nutrient requirements. Poor quality feed lead to slow growth in poultry chickens and all other types of domesticated and undomesticated animals. It could also lead to low egg production, diseases, and even death. Poultry feed is thus feed meant solely for poultry bird production. Poultry feed ingredients for poultry diets are selected based on a couple of factors such as
- Nutrient content
- Anti-nutritional factors or toxins
- Palatability
- Cost
For most chicken farmers, making your own feed or formulating what to feed chickens is cost effective and the best way to prevent loss due to low quality food. Commercial food has lowered in both quality and quantity over the years and the end results have affected farmers in the form of slower chicken growth, less egg production, disease and even death.
It has become easier however, to gather the raw materials for making your own feed, especially after harvest season. Farmers who make their own feed can exert quality control, making sure that their stock gets the best feed possible for growth and health, all while defending against disease, pest and illness. It is not difficult to make your own feed as long as you are mindful of the nutritional needs of your birds.
Poultry Feed ingredient are mostly classified into one of the following classes
- Cereal grains: these include cereal grains and its by-products. The dominant grain used is corn although different grains such as wheat and sorghum can be used. Cereal grains are usually used to satisfy the energy requirement of poultry.
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2. Protein meals: protein is both gotten from vegetable and animal sources. Vegetable protein sources usually come as meals or cake which are the by-products of oilseeds crops. These include soybean, sunflower, sesame seed. After extraction of the oil, the residue is used as feed ingredients. Animal sources on the other hand include meat meal, bone meal, fish meal, blood meal and feather meal. All this are by-products of animals.
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- Fats and oil: these are collectively known as lipids and can be used to satisfy the energy need of the animals and are good carriers of fat soluble vitamins which include vitamin (A, D, E and K). Fats and oil can be gotten from both vegetable sources such as palm oil, sunflower oil canola oil while animal sources include fats and lard.
- Minerals and Vitamins: these are essential poultry feed for normal growth and development in poultry such as bone formation, enzyme activation etc. calcium is of particular importance as it is used to produce the egg shells ad is thus needed in large quantity. Most poultry feed ingredients provide minerals and vitamin however it is not often enough and has to be supplemented with premix
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In Poultry feed formulation, a method known as Pearson square method is used. In this method, the digestible crude protein is the basis for measuring nutrient requirement during feed formulation. The following are the DCP values for each of the common ingredients used in feed making:
- Whole maize – 8.23%
- Soya – 45%
- Fishmeal – 55%
- Maize bran – 7%
- Sunflower – 35%
It should be noted however that each category of poultry bird i.e. layers, broilers all have specific nutrient requirements and feed formulation should be based on their requirements.
MAKING A 70 KG OF LAYERS CHICK MASH (1-4 WEEKS)
Growing chicks require feed with Digestible Crude Protein (DCP) of between 18 to 20 percent. The following formulation can be used to make a 70kg bag of layers chick mash:
Ingredients
31.5kg of whole maize, 9.1kg of wheat bran, 7.0kg of wheat pollard, 16.8 kg of sunflower (or 16.8 kg of linseed), 1.5kg of fishmeal, 1.75kg of lime, 30g of salt 20g of premix Amino acids 70g of tryptophan, 3.0g of lysine, 10g of methionine, 70 g of Threonine, 50g of enzymes, 60g of coccidiostat, 50g of toxin binder
MAKING A 70 KG BAG OF GROWERS MASH (4 TO 8 WEEKS)
Growers (pullets or young layers) should be provided with a feed with a protein content of between 16 and 18 percent. Such feed makes the young layers to grow fast in preparation for egg-laying:
Ingredients
10kg of whole maize, 17kg of maize germ, 13kg of wheat pollard, 10kg of wheat bran, 6kg of cottonseed cake, 5kg of sunflower cake, 3.4kg of soya meal, 2.07kg of lime, 700g of bone meal, 3kg of fishmeal, 14g of salt, 1g of coccidiostat, 18g of Pre-mix, 1g of zinc bacitracitrach, 7g of mycotoxin binder
MAKING A 70 KG BAG OF LAYERS’ MASH (18 WEEKS AND ABOVE)
Layer feed should contain a Digestible Crude Protein (DCP) content of between 16-18 percent. The feed should contain calcium (lime) for the formation of eggshells (laying hens that do not get enough calcium will use the calcium stored in their own born tissue to produce eggshells). Layer feed should be introduced at 18 weeks.
Ingredients
34kg of whole maize, 12kg of Soya, 8kg of fishmeal, 10kg of maize bran, rice germ or wheat bran, 6kg of lime, Amino acids, 175g premix, 70g lysine, 35g methionine, 70kg Threonine, 35g tryptophan,50g toxin binder
FORMULATING A 70 KG BAG OF BROILER FEED
Broilers have different feed requirements in terms of energy, proteins, and minerals during different stages of their growth. It is important that farmers adapt feed rations to these requirements for maximum production.
BROILER STARTER FEED (1-4 WEEKS)
Young broilers have a high protein requirement for the development of muscles, feathers, etc. As the broilers grow, their energy requirements for the deposit of fat increase, and their protein requirements decrease. They, therefore, require high protein content in their starter rations than in the grower and finisher rations. Broilers should have a feed that has between 22 -24 percent DCP. The following guidelines can help the farmer to make the right feed at each stage of growth:
Ingredients
40kg of whole maize, 12kg of fishmeal (or omena), 14kg of soya bean meal, 4kg of lime, 70g of premix, Amino acids, 35g of lysine, 35g of Threonine
PREPARING BROILER FINISHER FEED (70KG)
10kg of whole maize, 16.7kg of maize germ, 13.3kg of wheat pollard, 10 kg wheat bran, 6 kg of cottonseed cake, 4.7kg of sunflower cake, 3kg of fishmeal 2kg of lime, 3.4kg of soya meal, 40g of bone meal, 10g of grower PMX, 5g of salt, 5g of coccidiostat, 5g of Zincbacitrach
How to test the quality of your chicken feed
It is important to do trial batches first before making chicken feed in large quantities. This allows you to test the quality of your chicken feed. An easy way to test is:-
- Isolate a number of chicken.
- Feed them with your trial batch.
- Observe their performance. Broilers will add weight fast and layers will improve on egg production (the benchmark is at least one egg every 27 hours).
You can also have your feed tested in a laboratory.
How to Mix Chicken Feed
It is advisable to mix the macronutrients (amino acids) first. After you can add them to the rest of the ingredients and mix.
If you are making a small batch, a shovel will do. However, for larger quantities, a shovel is not recommended as it does not evenly distribute the nutrients.
For larger quantities, use a drum mixer. Drum Mixers are either powered or manual.
You can get one fabricated by a Jua Kali fundi or you can purchase a commercial one.
READ MORE:
An Introduction to Livestock Production
How to make Your Own Animal Feeds (For Cattles and Sheep)
Goat Production
Grasscutter
References
http://www.poultryhub.org/nutrition/feed-ingredients/
https://farmerstrend.co.ke/a-complete-guide-on-poultry-feed-formulation-and-calculations-kenya/
https://www.thespruce.com/types-commercial-chicken-or-poultry-feed-3016568