Modern poultry production in any part of the world is based on the manipulation of genetic and environmental factors that affect intensively farmed poultry. This includes feeding well-balanced and hygienically produced diets to highly productive lines of birds. A well balanced diet is that which contains all components such as carbohydrate, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals in their right proportions. Poultry keepers as a rule do not realize the importance of a good feed. Others place too much responsibility upon feeds and feeding. Poultry producers should note that no amount and no quality of feed or anything else will make all hens lay or all poultry profitable. Factors of individuality most always be taken into consideration. No amount of good feeding will make up for lack of good breeding and good housing.
Poultry feeds are referred to as “complete” feeds because they are designed to contain all the protein, energy, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients necessary for proper growth, egg production and health of the birds. Adding any other ingredients, mixed with the feed or fed separately, upsets the balance of nutrients in the “complete” feed, and therefore should be avoided. The use of “complete” feeds for growing, laying and breeding stock is highly recommended. The advantages of the “complete” feed utilization include the simplicity of feeding, accuracy of medication, improved balance of dietary nutrients and superior feed conversion efficiency.
NUTRIENT CONSTITUENTS OF POULTRY FEEDS: Poultry feeds contain various quantities of protein, carbohydrate, fat and water. Most producers often overlook the water. For example commercial mash containing about 18% moisture apart from being a potential substrate for mold growth will in addition contain over one kilogram of water by weight. No producer should pay more for water in the feed than the amount he pays for the water coming from his regular source.
Protein: The main functions of proteins are growth and replacement of lost tissues in the animal body. In poultry, the products produced consist mainly of protein. For example, on dry weight basis the tissue of an 8 weeks broiler is more than 65% protein, the egg contains about 50% protein. Sources of protein include plant sources such as soybean meal, cake and full fat soya, groundnut cake, sesame meal, cotton seed cake, sunflower seed meal, maize sorghum based brewers dried grain etc; and animal protein sources like fish meal, meat meal, blood meal, bone meal, milk products etc.
Carbohydrates: The main function of carbohydrate in the diet is to provide energy to the bird. The carbohydrates of major importance are starch, cellulose, pentosan etc. Although cellulose and starch are composed of glucose units, chicken enzymes can only hydrolyze starch, while cellulose is completely indigestible. Cereal grains are excellent sources of starch and thus constitute the bulk of poultry ration. Carbohydrates are sourced from Maize, sorghum, wheat, cassava, wheat middling, palm kernel cake and various grain by-products etc.
Fat: Fat makes up about 40% of the dry egg and about 17% of the dry weight of a broiler. Fats supply concentrated form of energy (2.25 times more energy than carbohydrate and protein). Addition of true fats and oils in the ration is seldom practiced because of high cost and the risk of rancidity of the feed during prolonged exposure to air, heat, sunlight etc. Most feed ingredients contain enough fat to supply the essential fatty acids, which must be present in the young growing chicks or they will grow poorly and become more susceptible to respiratory infections.
Minerals: The body of the chicken and the egg, excluding shell contain nearly 4 and 1% minerals respectively. The mineral elements required in the diet of poultry are calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, chlorine, iodine, iron, manganese, copper, molybdenum, zinc, and selenium. Grains and vegetable protein ingredients are relatively poor in mineral content when compared with animal protein feed stuffs. Common sources of minerals include, limestone, bone meal, oyster shell, sodium chloride, di-calcium phosphate, manganese sulfate etc.
Vitamins: These function mostly as coenzymes and regulators of metabolism. Apart from natural sources, commercial vitamin preparations are also available. Diets continuously deficient in any of the required vitamins will seriously affect egg production and then the life of the chicken. Natural sources include, yeast, fish soluble, distillers’ soluble, milk by products etc.
Feed Additives: Additives are never nutrients.They are either singly or in combination added to feed, usually in small quantities for the purpose of fortifying these with certain nutrients or stimulants. They include those that promote feed intake or selection (antioxidants, flavoring agents and pellet binders), those that enhance the color or quality of the marketed product (xanthophylls and synthetic carotinoids), additives that facilitate digestion and absorption (grit, chelates, enzymes, probiotics and antibiotics), additives that alter metabolism (hormones), and those that affect health status (anti-fungal compounds, anti-coccidials and anti-helmintic drugs).
FEED PRODUCTION: In Nigeria, most of the diets used in feeding poultry are commercially produced rather than home mixed. They are generally prepared by feed manufacturing companies, most of which employ trained nutritionists. The formulation and mixing of poultry feeds is a highly technical job involving the use of increasing amount of knowledge and experience in purchasing ingredients, the use of computers, experimental testing of formulas and laboratory control of ingredient quality. Improper mixing could result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, lowered diseases defense mechanisms or chemical or drug toxicity.
The physical form of the finished feed has important effect on the performance of birds. The feed could be sold as a mash of pellet. The pelleting process involves treating the mash with steam and then passing it through a suitable die while it is still moist. The pellets are thereafter cooled. Pelleting therefore has an important bearing on the nutritional quality of poultry mash.
Chick Mash: This is fed from the first day to 8 weeks of age for pullets and chicks intended for breeding stock. Its protein and energy specifications are essentially 20% and 2550 – 2640 ME kcal/ kg respectively.
GrowerMash: This mash is fed from 8 th to 18 th week of age in case of light layers and 20 weeks for heavy breeds. Protein and energy specifications are usually 16% and 2330 ME kcal/ kg respectively.
Layers Mash: Layers mash is fed from point of lay (18 weeks in case of light layers and 20 weeks for heavy breeds). It contains enough calcium to enable the hen produce hard-shelled eggs. Nutrient specifications for protein and energy are usually 16.5% and 2430 ME kcal/kg respectively.
Broiler Starter Mash: This is a high-energy ration fed ad lib to broilers from the first day to about 5 weeks of age, and has protein specification of 23% and 2650 ME kcal/kg for energy.
Broiler Finisher Mash: This again is a high-energy ration fed ad lib to broilers from 6 weeks to market weight and on analysis yields proximate protein content of 19% and 2700 ME kcal/kg energy.
Other poultry mashes such as turkey, duck and breeder mash are also prepared by many commercial poultry feeds manufacturers according to set standards and their nutrient requirements.
FEEDING STANDARDS: Nutritionists have over the years developed guidelines for selecting properly balanced rations for meeting the nutrient requirements of various types and classes of livestock. These recommendations have been collected, classified, tabulated and revised from time to time and have come to be known as feeding standards. Thus, feeding standards are tables stating the amount of various nutrients that should be present in the daily ration of different classes of livestock for optimum results in growth, work and production. The poultry feeding standards for Nigeria has been developed and is currently housed at the Standard Organization of Nigeria.
It is imperative that feed manufacturers and prospective feed producers whether for commercial or private use should as a matter of necessity, socio-economic jurisprudence and good conscience be conversant with the contents of this document. Every feed producer is expected to religiously follow the directives and instructions of this standard document for feed production in the country in order to continue providing good quality products to the public, which ultimately is the springboard for continued profitability and growth in business.
PRODUCING YOUR OWN POULTRY FEEDS: Most poultry farmers who venture into feed production do so because they needed to be in better control of the nutritional quality of the rations they feed to their birds. Second to this is the ever increasing need to decrease cost of feeding while increasing productivity. Feed is the greatest cost in poultry production. It is important to balance nutrients so that birds are not over fed or under fed. The primary nutrients to balance are protein and energy. Procuring the ingredients that provide these nutrients depend on price, particular nutrient content, quality and availability.
Highlights: The imperatives of profitable poultry feeds production firstly rests on knowledge of the nutrients required for the greatest performance or what is best for feed conversion under different environmental conditions and house types. Secondly, keeping accurate information on nutrient composition of all ingredients purchased. Thirdly, working closely with experts to coordinate feed systems and feed types, and fourthly, staying informed about current knowledge that may improve the company’s profitability. Research is ongoing in many Nigerian universities especially Federal University of Technology, Owerri, on cheaper and locally available ingredients to evaluate their success in production situations relevant to the tropical developing economy of Nigeria.
Cost of Products: A correct understanding of feeds and feeding must necessarily include cost and profit along side composition of the feeds themselves. Farmers producing feeds for private use should always be aware that though a ration may give good results, it might not be profitable because of high cost. Many rations are impracticable, simply because they are too costly. Many farm produced feeds on the other hand contain larger percentages of carbohydrate and fat than are required for optimal results, while they are deficient in protein, which is the most valuable constituent. As a rule, the value of the feed must be determined by the percentage of protein it contains. In general, feeds may be considered expensive or cheap in proportion to the quantity of protein they contain.
Maize is the most widely used grain for feeding poultry in Nigeria, because it is safer than most other grains and is relished better by the fowls. The nearest competitor is sorghum. The market price of grain may be taken as a safe basis for selecting maize or sorghum. Bran, middling and offal are richer in protein than whole grain, since there is about 14 – 15% protein in bran and about 10% in maize. These grain by-products are also richer in fat and on these accounts they are usually economical feedstuffs.
Feed Composition and Nutritive Ratio: In formulating a ration the digestibility of the ingredients used most be considered. Composition does not necessarily indicate true value of feeds, because these may not be digestible. So far, the chemical composition of feeds and the analogies between poultry feeding and animal feeding are the only guides for working out balanced ration for poultry. Many documents exist on the composition of tropical feedstuff.
Nutritive ratio is the proportion existing between the content of protein and that of fat and heat-producing constituents. For optimal egg production, feed should have a narrow nutritive ratio; that is a proportion of one part protein to four or five of carbohydrate and fat. It must be noted however, that nutritive ratio in itself does not necessarily indicate the true value of a ration. Even a proper ratio does not guarantee a good performance. Palatability, digestibility and other factors like the kind of feed must also be considered. Experience also shows that apart from bulk and filling capacity of the ration, energy content is also a limiting factor for appetite and feed consumption. The feed producer must be guided by results that indicate the value of the different feeds.
Computation of Balanced Ration: When one understands the nutritive values of various feed ingredients, their metabolic significance and feeding standards, one is equipped to compute balanced rations for birds. This involves translating the recommendations contained in feeding standards into actual formulation of ingredient mixtures and feeding practices. Furthermore, since rations are not formulated from individual nutrients but from various feedstuffs which themselves contain many different nutrients in varying proportions, it is usually difficult to formulate rations, which follow exactly the feeding standards. The mathematical aspect of the topic is however beyond the scope of this write-up.
APROACHES TO PRIVATE FEED PRODUCTION: The issue of producing ones own feeds could be approached from different dimensions depending on the expertise, time and equipment available to the producer. The farmer may decide to begin with toll milling and step up to custom mixing and finally complete feed formulation and production.
Toll milling: This type of production involves the milling of feeds at a commercial feed milling center for a price. The feed raw materials are either purchased at the milling center or the farmer may purchase the materials at other points and transport them to the center. The services rendered include grinding of grains and final mixing of the ration using formulas usually provided by the milling center. The arrangement makes it possible for the farmer to have some control on the cost and quality of feed without investing on costly equipment.
The disadvantages of toll milling are many; chief among them being the possibility of using poor quality feed raw materials for ration mixing and inability to safe guard against feed contaminants. Toll milling is a recent phenomenon in the Nigerian feed milling industry and has provided job opportunities to many animal production graduates. Even at its present early stages of development the enterprise is already flooded with quarks that care more for financial dividends than standards.
Custom Mixing: Custom mixing, introduced by multi-national feed milling firms in Nigeria involves the use of a factory produced custom or home mix concentrate as the foundation stuff for on farm or small-scale commercial feeds production. Under this arrangement, maize and offal are added to a custom-mix concentrate produced by the feed milling firm to produce the desired feed. The manufacturer usually provides the specifications for inclusion of the different ingredients. This arrangement has the advantage of assuring nutrient quality of the final product as long as the manufacturers mixing instructions are adhered to. It is also possible to make some savings from maize and offal purchases thereby reducing the cost of the final products. This calls for adeptness at ingredient purchasing.
For some types of custom concentrates, the operator is allowed to have control over a wider range of ingredients such as maize, protein cakes, offals, bone meal and limestone. Again savings made from purchases of a wider range of ingredients by the operator improves profitability of the enterprise. Such concentrates are better suited for beginners in small-scale poultry feeds production.
Complete Feed Formulation: Inthe previous sections of this write-up attempt was made to throw light on some of the technical points on formulating poultry ration from the scratch. Apart from the mathematical aspect of feed formulation, which is not covered, the information provided is enough to guide a beginner. When embarking on this method of production, it is important to hire the services of a nutritionist who by training has the requisite knowledge of the subject. Computer programs for formulation of feeds are also available in the market today. These programs among other things save time and simulate the expected nutrient compositions of finished rations at the touch of buttons.
When undertaking complete feed formulation, one should note that many ingredient types are usually needed to produce a single feed type. To assure the availability of enough quantity of each ingredient could be such onerous task that the producer and his agents may have to be constantly on their toes. The absence of one ingredient may cause unwanted delays in production or a change in formulation. Raw material procurement and quality assurance of procured materials should therefore be placed under the control of an experienced and diligent staff.
