By Christy Caplan

Feeding poultry involves special considerations you don’ t encounter when feeding other farm animals! For example, the chicken’ s body processes are conducted in a shorter time. Digestion is more rapid; respiration and circulation is faster, and their body temperature is 10 degrees higher than other animals.

Basics of Poultry Nutrition Chickens mature early and the production of eggs is always complete, or there is none! A hen doesn’ t lay half an egg. A young chick increases weight 10 times or more in five or six weeks. The bottom line is that chickens are animals that require a high rate of metabolism. This is what makes feeding your poultry unique.

Another interesting fact about chickens is that more than half of their body, and their eggs, are composed of water. With this in mind, like water, each nutrient in your feed plays an important role in poultry health.

For example, protein is the most expensive part of feeding chickens and plays a significant part in overall development. It is high in amino acids, nutrients that make muscles and ligaments, and a chicken’ s body needs 22 of the essential amino acids.

Mark Eggers, innovation & technology lead,

Cargill’ s animal nutrition & health, North America, told Chicken Whisperer Magazine that soybean meal is a fantastic ingredient.“ It is really high in protein, high in amino acids, and the vast majority of people don’ t have a reaction to soy,” said Eggers.

Eggers added that at Nutrena, a leading producer of animal feed for over 100 years, they’ ll use multiple different ingredients to create a complete, balanced poultry diet.

“ So that means we have ingredients such as corn, oats and milo. Those are all your kinds of energy sources. Soybeans and soybean meal are really good protein sources and then you have the vitamins and minerals that balance the diet.”

The exact nutritional analysis of each poultry feed ingredient varies within its source and the time of year it was grown. The methods by which it was grown and harvested also impact the nutritional value.

The essentials when it comes to nutrients include:

• Protein and amino acids: The most common source of protein in commercial rations is soybean meal.

• Vitamins: Derived from plant or animal sources, vitamins are needed in small amounts for normal growth and activity. Their requirements remain fairly consistent all year.

• Calcium and phosphorus: Calcium is the most important mineral in a chicken’ s body and phosphorus is the next most prevalent.

• Potassium: Potassium is the third most important mineral and is needed for cellular fluid balance and normal heart function. Legumes and other protein sources are potassium rich.

34 AcreageLife July 2024 AcreageLife. com