The Importance of Chicken Feed
Chicken feed may not be something you give a great deal of thought to – you go buy a bag for your hens and that’s it.
Companies that manufacture chicken feed actually give a great deal of thought, time and research to feeding all poultry exactly what they need.
If your hens are eating the right feed you will be rewarded with healthy hens than lay lots of eggs for you. But feeding them the wrong feed can be a disaster for their health and also egg production.
In our complete guide to chicken feed, we are going to take a look at: basic requirement requirements, what goes into each type of feed, the perfect feed for your flock and lots more.
Over many years now the poultry feed industry has researched and refined the essential nutritional requirements of poultry, from chicks to adult, from chickens to quail, turkey and others.
The feed that they produce is formulated to maximize the growth and egg laying potential of each bird.
Needless to say this is a huge improvement over the way our great-grandparents would have fed chickens! Back in the ‘old days’ chickens would have to survive on what they found in the barnyard and any offerings from the farmers’ wife.
Research has shown that many nutrients are needed by all birds to a greater or lesser degree, your feed should include:
- All feed contains protein. The amount of protein will vary based on the age of the bird or type of bird (more on this later).
- There are usually some amino acids – lysine and methionine are the commonest.
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Vitamins – most often A, E, D3 and B12 plus trace mineral elements such as phosphorus and copper sulfate.
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Enzymes to help with digestion and of course fiber in the form of the grain in the product.
- Some feeds may have other additives such as Omega 3, but this varies brand to brand. This added Omega 3 increases the egg’s Omega 3 count, making eggs healthier for people to eat.
Source Credit: https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/chicken-feed/
Also in Hillsboro Feed Blog
If you eat dairy, eggs, meat, or other animal products, choosing items that are Non-GMO Project Verified is the single biggest way you can help protect a non-GMO future. That’s because the majority of genetically engineered crop acres in the United States are used for animal feed, and the Non-GMO Project is the only seal in the marketplace that requires ongoing GMO testing of feed.
The mantra of many chicken owners is “protein is king.” While in some situations this is not wrong, many times animals are over-fed protein or given the wrong amino acid balance.
Farmers keep livestock for obtaining milk, meat, wool, work etc. Food is the source for production for all such products as well for producing offspring. Also, a nutritionally balanced ration is a must for keeping the animals healthy and strong. Note that we call as ‘food’ of what ourselves eat. The same is known as ‘ration’ in the case of animals.
