হাঁস মুরগির খাদ্য তৈরি

হাঁস মুরগির খাদ্য তৈরি:

বেশ কয়েক বছর ধরে আমাদের দেশে বাণিজ্যিকভাবে হাঁস-মুরগি পালন শুরু হয়েছে। বর্তমানে হাঁস-মুরগির খামার (পোল্ট্রি ফিড) বেশ লাভজনক ব্যবসা হিসেবে পরিচিত। আবার হাঁস-মুরগির খাবার তৈরি করে এসব খামারে সরবরাহ করাও বেশ লাভজনক ব্যবসা হতে পারে। আমাদের দেশে পোলট্রি ফার্মের প্রধান সমস্যা হচ্ছে মুরগির রোগবালাই এবং সুষম খাদ্যের অভাব। বাজারে বিক্রির জন্য চালের খুদ, গমের ভূষি, চালের কুড়া, খৈল ইত্যাদি মিশিয়ে হাঁস-মুরগির খাদ্য তৈরি করা হয়ে থাকে।

বাজার সম্ভাবনা:

বাজারে বর্তমানে বেশ কয়েক ধরণের পোলট্রি ফিড তৈরি অবস্থায় পাওয়া যায়। এগুলোর মধ্যে কিছু উৎপাদনকারী প্রতিষ্ঠান আছে যাদের উৎপাদনসামগ্রী মান বিএসটিআই কর্তৃক অনুমোদিত। আবার অনেক প্রতিষ্ঠান আছে যাদের পণ্যের মান নির্ধারিত মানের অনেক নীচে। দেখা যায়, খাদ্য উৎপাদনের সময় যে মান থাকে ব্যবহারের সময় পর্যন্ত সে মান আর অক্ষুণ্ন থাকে না। ফলে ওই সব খাবার খেয়ে মুরগির স্বাস্থ্যহানী ঘটে। অনেক ছোট ছোট হাঁস-মুরগির খামারী খাদ্য তৈরিকে ঝামেলা মনে করেন। তারা বাজার থেকে তৈরি খাদ্যদ্রব্য কিনে থাকেন। এ ধরণের খামারীর সংখ্যা কম নয়। সেদিক বিবেচনা করলে পোলট্রি ফিড (মুরগির খাদ্য) তৈরি একটি লাভজনক ব্যবসা হতে পারে। আবার খামারীদের সাথে যোগাযোগ করে খামারে গিয়ে এসব খাদ্য সরবরাহ অথবা বাড়িতেও বিক্রির ব্যবস্থা করা যেতে পারে। 

মূলধন 

আনুমানিক ৮০০ থেকে ১০০০ টাকার স্থায়ী উপকরণ এবং ১৮০০-২৩০০ টাকার কাঁচামাল কিনে হাঁস-মুরগির খাদ্য তৈরির ব্যবসা শুরু করা যায়। হাঁস-মুরগি ব্যবসা শুরু করতে যদি নিজের কাছে প্রয়োজনীয় পুঁজি না থাকে তাহলে স্থানীয় ঋণদানকারী ব্যাংক(সোনালী ব্যাংক, জনতা ব্যাংক , রূপালী ব্যাংক, অগ্রণী ব্যাংক, বাংলাদেশ কৃষি ব্যাংক)বা বেসরকারি প্রতিষ্ঠান (আশা, গ্রামীণ ব্যাংক, ব্রাক, প্রশিকা) থেকে শর্ত সাপেক্ষে স্বল্প সুদে ঋণ নেয়া যেতে পারে।

প্রশিক্ষণ

পোলট্রি ফিড তৈরির জন্য আলাদা কোন প্রশিক্ষণের প্রয়োজন নেই। তবে স্থানীয় যুব উন্নয়ন অধিদপ্তরে হাঁস-মুরগি পালন বিষয়ে যে প্রশিক্ষণের ব্যবস্থা আছে সেখান থেকে হাঁস-মুরগির খাদ্য তৈরির ব্যাপারে ধারণা নেয়া যেতে পারে। এছাড়া অভিজ্ঞ কারো কাছ থেকেও ধারণা নিয়ে কাজ শুরু যেতে পারে। 

প্রয়োজনীয় উপকরণ, পরিমাণ, মূল্য ও প্রাপ্তিস্থান 

স্থায়ী যন্ত্রপাতি 

অর্থাৎ লাভ হয় ১০০০-১০৫২ টাকা। তবে সময় ও স্থানভেদে এর কম বা বেশি লাভ হতে পারে। 

তথ্যসূত্র : চাটমোহর, পাবনা, সেপ্টেম্বর ২০০৯। 

স্থায়ী উপকরণগুলো একবার কিনলে অনেকদিন ধরে কাজ করা যাবে। ব্যবসার শুরুতেই এ খরচটি করতে পারলে পরবর্তীতে শুধু কাঁচামাল কিনে ব্যবসা চালিয়ে নেয়া সম্ভব।

সচরাচর জিজ্ঞাসা :

প্রশ্ন ১ : হাঁস-মুরগির ব্যবসা শুরু করতে কি পরিমাণ পুঁজি লাগে ? 

উত্তর : ৩০০০ থেকে ৩৫০০ টাকা নিয়ে হাঁস-মুরগির ব্যবসা শুরু করা যায়।

প্রশ্ন ২ : খাদ্য তৈরি করা কি খুব কঠিন কাজ ?

উত্তর : খাদ্য উপাদানগুলো একসাথে মিশিয়ে খুব সহজেই খাদ্য তৈরি করা যায়।

প্রশ্ন ৩ : বাজারে হাঁস-মুরগির খাদ্যের চাহিদা কেমন ?

উত্তর : বিপুল সংখ্যক হাঁস-মুরগির খামার গড়ে ওঠার কারণে বাজারে তৈরি করা খাবারের বেশ চাহিদা রয়েছে।

হাঁস মুরগির খাদ্য তৈরির ব্যবসা সম্পর্কে তথ্য সংগ্রহের জন্য ২০০৯ সালের সেপ্টেম্বর মাসে পাবনা জেলার চাটমোহর উপজেলার হাঁস-মুরগির খাদ্য বিক্রির সাথে জড়িত মো. আসাদ হোসেনের সাক্ষাৎকার নেয়া হয়েছে। এছাড়া হাঁস মুরগির খাদ্য তৈরির ব্যবসা সম্পর্কে আরও তথ্য সংগ্রহের জন্য জন্য নিচের বইগুলোর সাহায্য নেয়া হয়েছে।

Making Your Own Poultry Feed

Making Your own Poultry Feed – Courtesy Organic Farmer

With the right ingredients portions, farmers can make their own qualityfeed to improve indigenous poultry production.

With the rising cost of poultry feeds, farmers rearing chickens areincreasingly finding it difficult to make profit from poultry keeping. While itis difficult for farmers to formulate feeds for hybrid chickens such asbroilers and layers, they can do so for their indigenous chickens ordual-purpose breeds such as Kenbro under intensive management system. This canbe done using the Pearson

Square method.

However, this is only possible if farmers have the right quality ofingredients or raw material for formulating feeds. The Pearson Square methodrelies on the Digestible Crude Protein (DCP) as the basic nutritional requirementfor feed. The most common ingredients used are whole maize, maize germ, cottonseed cake, soya beans, sunflower or omena (fishmeal).

Assuming that the farmer wants to make feed for their chickens using thePearson Square method, they have to know the crude protein content of each ofthe ingredients used in feed making. The farmer may use whole maize (8.23 %DCP) Soya (45 % DCP) Omena (55 % DCP) and maize bran (7 % DCP) Sunflower (35 %DCP). To make a 70 kg bag of feed for layers, a farmer would require thefollowing ingredients:

34 kg of whole maize

12 kg of Soya

8 kg of omena

10 kg of maize bran

6 kg of Lime (as a calcium source)

Each category of chickens has its own requirements in terms of nutrition.For example, feed for layers should have at least 18 per cent crude protein. Ifone were to formulate feed for layers, then they would have to calculate thepercentage of digestible crude protein in each of the ingredients to ensurethat the total crude protein content is at least 18 per cent to meet thisnutritional requirement. To find out if the feed meets this standard, a farmercan do a simple calculation as follows:

Whole maize = 34 kg x 8.23 ÷100 = 2.80kg

Soya bean = 12 kg x 45 ÷ 100 = 5.40 kg

Omena = 8 kg x 55 ÷ 100 = 4.40 kg

Maize bran = 10 kg x 7 ÷ 100 = 0.70 kg

Lime = 6 kg x 0 ÷ 100 = 0.00 kg

(Total crude protein 13.30 kg)

To get the total crude protein content of all these ingredients in a 70 kgbag, you take the total crude protein content of the combined ingredients,divide by 70 and multiply by 100 thus, (13.30÷70) x 100 = 19.0 %. This showsthat the crude protein percentage in the above feed formulation is 19.0 % whichis suitable for layers. Before mixing the feed, whole maize including the otheringredients has to be broken into the right sizes through crushing or millingto make it palatable for the chickens. Add 250 g of table salt on every 70 kgbag of feed.

Feed for chickens meant for meat

Chickens meant for meat production require feed with a higher content ofDCP. From the first to the fourth week, the chicks require feed with a DCPcontent of between 22 to 24 per cent. From the fourth to the eighth week, thechicks require feed with a protein content of 21 to 22 per cent crude protein.To attain this requirement, farmers can formulate feed using the same methodgiven above. To make a 70 kg bags of feed, they will need to have all the rightthe ingredients in the proportions given below:

Whole maize = 40 kg x 8.23 ÷ 100 = 3.20kg

Omena = 12 kg x 55 ÷ 100 = 6.60 kg

Soya beans = 14 kg x 45 ÷ 100 = 6.30 kg

Lime = 4 kg x 0 ÷ 100 = 0.00 kg

(Total crude protein 16.10 kg)

To determine if a 70 kg bag of feed has adequate crude protein content forbirds meant for meat production, the same methods is used: (16. 10 ÷ 70) x 100= 23 %. The feed given in this example has a total crude protein content of 23% which is adequate to feed chicken in this category. In every 70 kg bag offeed, add 250g of table salt.

Ration for kienyeji chickens

Indigenous chickens are less productive in terms of egg and meat increase.They may not require intensive feeding and management. For this category ofchickens, farmers can constitute feeds with a DCP of between 15 - 16 %. Theycan use the following formulation to make feeds for the indigenous chickens:

Whole maize = 34 kg x 8.23 ÷100 = 2.80 kg

Soya bean = 12 kg x 45 ÷ 100 = 5.40 kg

Omena = 8 kg x 55 ÷ 100 = 4.40 kg

Maize bran = 10 kg x 7 ÷ 100 = 0.70 kg

Lime = 6 kg x 0 100 = 0.00 kg

(Total crude protein 13.30 kg)

Percentage of total crude Protein in the ingredients = (10.68 ÷70) x 100 =15.25 %

For farmers rearing hybrid layers and broilers, it is advisable to buyalready constituted feeds from reputable companies that sell quality feed. Themain reason is that it is very difficult for farmers to constitutemicronutrients such as amino-acids, trace minerals, fat and water solublevitamins that these breeds of chicken require for proper growth.

To be sure that their feed is of the right quality, farmers can send asample of the constituted feeds for testing and advice to KARI Naivasha, whichhas modern equipment for testing feed quality. A sample costs Ksh 1,000 totest. Send samples by courier to the following address: KARI Naivasha P.O. Box25, 20117 Naivasha, Tel. 0726 264 032. Results are ready within a day.

Some tips on how to feed chicken

An egg-laying chicken requires 130 g of feed per day (provide clean water atall times).

• 1 chick requires 2.2 kg of feed for 8 weeks (thus 100 chicks = 2.2 kg x 100=220kg. Chicks should be allowed to feed continuously and given adequate cleanwater at all times). If they finish their daily rations, give them fruit andvegetables cuttings to feed on.

• 1 pullet (young chicken about to start laying) should be fed 4.5 kg offeed for two and a half months until the first egg is seen. It should then beput on layer diet. Supplement with vegetables, edible plant leaves or fruitspeelings in addition to the daily feed rations.

• All ingredients used must be of high quality and palatable. Never userotten maize (Maozo). Chickens are very susceptible to aflatoxins poisoning.

• When using omena as an ingredient, ensure it is free of sand andseashells. If

you use maize germ, it should be completely dry.

• Feed should be thoroughly mixed to ensure the ingredients are uniformlydistributed. It is preferable to use a drum mixer instead of a spade formixing.

• Note that even after giving them the formulated feeds, chickens should beput on free range to scavenge for other micronutrients not provided for in thefeeds

Guide lines for feed management

1. Purchase quality ingredients / feed. with least moisture and devoid of

adulteration.

2. If own feed is mixed formula may be modified depending upon the cost and

availability of ingredients

3. If agricultural farm is attached farm grown grain can be used

4. Purchase one month or two months requirements.

5. Screen the feed store room against rodents, sparrows other vermins.

6. Observe the feed intake by the birds during summer, winter.

7. If moisture level exceeds 15% (except molasses) during hot season it may

cause growth of fungus and precipitate problems like aflatoxicosis.

The feeder should not to filled to full to minimize the feed wastage..

Making Your Own Poultry Feeds: Part Two

পাউন্ড- কেজি কনভার্টার

https://www.google.com.bd/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=lbs%20to%20kg

Unless you are feeding very few chickens, making your own feeds requires a serious grinder. While it is true that I started out making feeds using a Corona hand mill, that’s more a testament to my stubbornness than to my good sense. I now make about four tons of feed a year, which requires a grinder a good deal more macho than I am. My heavy-duty feed/flour mill I bought from Lehmans. (Key in the search word “mill.” The model I bought is their Item # 2360.), powered by a 1-½ hp electric motor I purchased locally. It will grind a 25-lb batch of feed grains in a couple of minutes flat.

Some sort of catch basin beneath the grinder is needed to catch the feed. I like a heavy plastic, 15-gallon utility tub.

I recommend making a chute of some sort to channel the feed from the grinder to the catch basin, in order to minimize dust while grinding.

Storing the quantities of grain I’m using in 50-lb bags is not practical. I used materials left over from a house addition to build a storage bin, capacity about three-quarters ton. Interior partitions divide it into four separate bins, each with a sliding gate at the bottom for drawing off the grains. By adding new deliveries at the top and drawing from the bottom, I continually rotate the feedstocks. Once or twice a year I schedule a complete draw-down of the bin, and get inside the empty bin with my shop vac to vacuum out accumulated seed meals, weavils, and their eggs. Following that practice, I rarely have a serious infestation.

Ingredients:

One of the challenges for the homesteader making her own feeds is finding high-quality primary ingredients close by, at a reasonable price. I encourage like-minded homesteaders to band together, sharing orders and delivery chores. Such co-ops are especially desirable if they expand to include local farmers willing to grow specifically to meet their needs. In such arrangements the greatest obstacle, typically, is that of storage. Go on, try it—you need a challenge to your creativity.

I am lucky to be within the delivery area of Countryside Natural Products in the Shenandoah Valley of central Virginia, and receive monthly deliveries of certified-organic feed grains and legumes, as well as supplements. I buy the greatest diversity of primary feedstocks CNP can supply, which fortunately has steadily expanded over the years. The following are the ingredients I am now using in my feeds, or have used in the past.

Premix:

Aragonite

Nutri-Balancer

Salt

Kelp

Probiotic

Fish meal

Crab meal

Cultured yeast

Flax seed

Grind/Whole Portion:

Alfalfa pellets

Corn

Peas

Wheat

Oats

Barley

Aragonite

Mined from mineral deposits. High in calcium, needed by the hens for good shell quality. “Feeding limestone” can be used interchangeably. Note that hens on pasture have less need for such supplementation, but it can always be added for “insurance.”

Nutri-Balancer

Fertrell’s broad-spectrum mineral supplement, now in an organic-certified formulation. Though I’ve used it for years, more and more I question its necessity. I am feeding the highest quality natural foods I can buy. If in addition the birds are getting plenty of enzymes from green forage and (in summer) insect food—all of which help achieve a more complete absorption of the minerals in the diet—why am I spoon-feeding them basically non-food mineral supplements, however natural? I am experimenting with a gradual reduction of mineral supplementation, other than that of kelp and salt.

Salt

An essential nutrient for chickens, but usually supplied in sufficient quantity in commercial mixes or a supplement like Nutri-Balancer. I am currently using a high quality livestock feeding salt that includes many trace minerals in addition to sodium chloride.

Kelp

Dried seaweed meal from the coast of Iceland or Maine, an excellent natural source of minerals. [Note that someone recently told me that kelp is not being harvested sustainably off the Maine coast. If some of you can point me to good information on this subject, I will post more about it.]

Probiotic

Live cultures added in very small amounts as a supplement to boost the flora in the gut, making it theoretically more efficient. This is another area where the science has been formulated with reference to a seriously flawed paradigm: chickens in high confinement without green forage or live animal foods, eating instead stale feeds based on highly questionable ingredients, birds with compromised genetics to begin with—well, duh, perhaps the digestive tracts of such birds need as serious a boost as we can provide them. But birds eating more natural foods are likely to have more healthy, abundant, and diverse intestinal flora to begin with, and perhaps need little additional boost from us. I no longer use probiotic supplements. [Incidentally, I recently met someone online who is feeding her birds raw milk cultured with kefir, as a part of her flock’s daily diet. Probably her birds get far more benefit from the cultures in that milk than those receiving a commercial probiotic. If you have access to high quality farm milk or its byproducts (skimmed milk, whey), by all means experiment with culturing it and offering it to your flock.]

Fish meal

Dried, ground menhaden, a species taken in quantity by commercial fishers, but not valued as a human food species, so converted to a potent protein supplement (60 percent protein). Most people I know who are making their own feeds do use fish meal—it’s hard to make feeds that are high enough in protein without it (at least if you want to avoid highly refined/processed alternatives like pure lysine from corn)—especially for growing birds, whose protein needs are higher than for mature fowl. Also, eating fishmeal, like eating insects, boosts the Omega 3 content of egg yolks. However, I am increasingly uneasy over the question: How sustainable is turning countless thousands of tons of fish into feed supplements? Furthermore, though a potent source of protein as said, fishmeal is not a fresh, live food, so will never be as good a food as possible alternatives which the homesteader or small farmer is in a position to supply, especially in the warm season. (I explore some of those alternatives in “Feeding the Flock from the Homestead's Own Resources”.)

Crab meal

Dried, crushed shells from commercial processing of crab meat, a good source of protein (about 25 percent or so), and of needed minerals like calcium. Though a good source of selenium as well (an essential trace mineral in which many of the nation’s soils tend to be deficient), it should for that very reason be fed in modest amounts: Selenium is one of those vital minerals needed in trace amounts, which actually become toxic at greater concentrations. I limit crab meal to 1-½ lb per hundredweight of feed. [Kelp also boosts selenium, incidentally, both as feed supplement and as addition to soil.]

Cultured yeast

Supplements not only protein (18 percent) but a number of minerals and vitamins, especially the B complex. It is particularly useful for waterfowl, whose needs for B vitamins, and especially niacin, are greater than for chickens. Contains live cell yeast cultures which become active in the gut. Together with digestive enzymes in the dried yeast, the live cultures enhance feed digestion.

Flax seed

Flax has become something of a buzz word because it boosts Omega 3 fatty acids in egg yolks (as does eating live animal foods such as earthworms and insects). In our modern diet we tend to get far too much Omega 6 in proportion to Omega 3, thus any way to get them into better balance is desirable. I only feed flax seed whole.Flax oil is highly perishable (i.e., goes stale/rancid readily when exposed to oxygen), so feeding flax meal is in my judgment not a good idea. It is important that the birds have free access to grit if you feed flax seeds, which are small and hard

Alfalfa meal

I start with 100 percent alfalfa pellets (17 percent protein), the kind fed to rabbits and horses. The chickens resist eating the pellets whole, so I grind, along with the corn and peas. I include alfalfa only in the winter, when green forages are less available.

Corn

A high-energy feedstuff which I store whole and grind as needed.

Peas

I no longer use any soybean in my feeds. I can’t get into a long discussion on the subject here, but there are schools of thought I am influenced by [if interested, check out “Soy Alert!” on the Weston A. Price Foundation website to get you started] that find use of soy highly problematic, starting certainly with humans, emphatically for ruminants, though I am not as sure about avian species. Anyway, I haven’t fed any soybean since being able to substitute with what my supplier calls “field peas” (Pisum arvense, a relative of the garden pea, Pisum sativum). Peas of the Vigna group such as cowpeas can also be used if you can get them in quantity. I store the peas whole until ready to make feed, then grind coarsley along with the corn.

As for soybeans. 

At one time farmers grew many different legumes to feed livestock. Following the “soybean revolution,” however, soybeans are typically the only feed legume available in most areas. If you only have access to soybeans for your feeds, remember a few important points. Whole soybeans are the best option if you can get them, but make sure they are roasted. Never feed raw soybeans to any livestock—they contain growth-inhibiting factors which are a disaster for the animals who eat them. From commercial sources, the typical form of soy available is soybean meal as a byproduct of processing soy oil. Not only can such meals contain residues of hexane (a solvent used to extract the oil), but the high heat and pressure of the processing rancidifies whatever fats remain—that is, soybean meal is a stale feed. Finally, most soybean in the American market today is genetically modified, a fact deeply troubling to many thoughtful homesteaders.

Wheat, oats, and barley

The small grains I never grind—just weigh them out and stir in when I’m grinding and making the mix. If I could get other small grains I would use them as well—probably the greater the diversity of feed ingredients, the better. [Note regarding oats and barley: Do not feed at greater than 15 percent of the total diet, either individually or in combination.] During much of the year I hold the small grain portions out and sprout them prior to feeding.

Oyster shell and grit

Though not listed in my sample formulations, remember your birds’ needs for grit in the gizzard to grind their feed, and for oyster shell as an additional boost of calcium and other minerals needed for strong egg shells. When the birds are on pasture they usually get enough grit and mineral on their own. In the winter house, however, it is wise to offer them free choice.

Making Your Own Poultry Feeds: Part Three

Formulating Feed for Broiler Performance

Author/s : Dr. K. R. Gunasekar (Courtesy of Avitech Animal Health Pvt. Ltd.)

Every year the marketing age of broilers decreases by an average of 0.75 days for the same performance. This trend is likely to continue in the same direction for the coming years. Nutrition plays a vital role in enabling this improvement. As the feed cost represents an expensive input (~70-80% of broiler production cost), the poultry producer should be aware of the dynamics of the feed in its influence on final product quantity and quality.

Formulating feed ideally requires in-depth knowledge of several parameters such as the energy level to be maintained in the diet, balancing the amino acid profile and electrolytes of feed etc., which, otherwise, if not properly monitored, could negatively influence the performance and profitability of the business.

Further, in light of environmental challenges and disease outbreaks, it is even more challenging to extract the total genetic capability of the birds.

Nutritionists should look at several critical parameters whilst formulating broiler feed. Important amongst these are:

1. Nutritive value of raw materials

2. Amino acid digestibility

3. Amino acid and calorie ratio

4. Selection of suitable fat source

5. Calcium requirement of birds

6. Electrolyte balancing

7. Immuno-modulation

8. Summer management

1. Nutritive value of raw materials

Raw materials are purchased based on price, availability and nutritive value. Nutritive value of raw materials varies from time-to-time, source-to-source and batch-to- batch.

It is a very important task to assess the nutritive value each time to ensure that the feed being manufactured is of desired quality.

It is essential to have preset quality parameters for each and every raw material, based on which purchase of raw material should be made.

Upon purchase of raw material it needs to be analysed for quality parameters after collecting a representative sample. The ideal quality parameters for some key raw materials are as mentioned.

Soya de-oiled cake

·Bulk Density: 570-640 g/1000 cc

·Desired Physical Properties

- Colour - Light tan to light brown

- Odour - Fresh, not musty, not sour or burned

- Texture - Homogeneous, free flowing, no lumps or cakes, without coarse particles or dusty

·Urease activity: 0.05-0.20-pH unit change

·Moisture (max): 12%

·Protein solubility (0.2% KOH): 73-85%

·Protein Dispersibility Index: 15-30%

·Contaminants: Particularly check for urea, non-protein nitrogen and/or ammonia

·Crude Protein (min.): 44.0%

·Fiber (max.): 7.0%

·Ash (max.): 6.0%

·Silica (max.): 1.0%

·ME (kcal/kg): ~ 2,375

Fish / Fish meal

·Moisture (max.): 10.0%

·Sand and silica (max.): 5.0%

·Salt (max.): 3.0%

·Urea: Nil

·Check for Decomposition / Rancidity

·Contamination with leather meal

·Bacterial load

·Crude Protein (varies depending on the variety of the fish)

·Ether extract (varies depending on the variety of the fish)

Maize 

·Moisture (max.): 12.0%

·Check for Aflatoxins

·Thiram

·Grain size

2. Amino acid digestibility

In general, an average of 90% digestibility is considered whilst formulating feeds or feed formulations are based on total amino acids only. Since the raw materials vary in digestibility, it is necessary to consider digestible amino acids whilst formulating the feed to ensure optimum performance.

From Table 1, it is clear that formulations based on digestible amino acids will deliver better results as in many cases the actual digestibility is much lower than the assumed level of 90%.

Further, feed formulations made by using digestible amino acids will economise feed cost for equal performance.

3. Amino acid and calorie ratio

Environmental temperature and the energy content of the feed are key determinants for the feed intake of the bird. Other nutrients are normally adjusted based on the feed intake of the bird. There exists a relationship between energy and digestible amino acids, which if maintained, will enable adjustment of crude protein levels in the diet, thereby reducing the feed cost without compromising performance.

Optimum live performance, maximum protein retention and reduced carcass fat content can only be obtained if a proper ratio between energy and digestible amino acids is maintained. However these ratios vary between different growing periods, i.e. Starter, Grower and Finisher.

Nutritionists employ different energy levels ranging from 2800 to 3300 kcal/kg of feed whilst formulating broiler feeds. As energy increases it is imperative to increase the digestible lysine content.

The energy amino acid ratio as depicted in Table 2 has been found helpful in extracting the maximum genetic capacity of broilers in the Indian context.

In order to arrive at an ideal amino acid profile, the other critical amino acids need to be balanced with reference to lysine (Table 3) after maintaining the energy and digestible lysine ratio.

4. Animal Fat/ Vegetable Fat

Fat from animal source as well as from vegetable source are used in feeds. An ideal fatty acid profile should be maintained in the diet to improve the keeping quality and meat quality. Ideal ratios of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids ensure the desired fatty acid profile and ultimately better results.

As a general guideline the ratio between unsaturated and saturated fatty acids should be 'more than one' for better meat quality.

Depending on the following factors, the poultry feed manufacturer should select the fat source to be included in poultry feed:

·Fatty Acid Composition

·Availability

·Quality

·Metabolizable energy content

·Price

Some points regarding fat usage in diet are as follow:

·Crude Oils are preferred in poultry over refined oils

·Vegetable source is preferred over animal source

·The essential fatty acids for poultry are Linoleic acid and Linolenic acid, based on which, fat source may be decided

·The oil should be procured fresh

·An Antioxidant should be used for the oil source to avoid rancidity

Some fats and their fatty acid composition are given in Table 4 and energy provided by them in Table 5.

Feed grade fats and oils usually contain water and other non-fat materials; adjustments in fatty acid and ME concentrations should be made accordingly. ME level of diet is subjected to variation depending on level of fat inclusion in diet, ingredient composition and age of poultry.

5. Calcium requirement of birds

Next to energy, birds adjust their feed intake based on calcium requirement. In other words, birds will eat more feed for want of calcium-a phenomenon also referred to as calcium hunger. The rapid growth of broilers requires large quantities of feed to be consumed and hence feed manufacturers maintain the calcium level at a marginal level.

In addition to Calcite / Marble powder and DCP, raw materials used in the feed also supply calcium to the birds. It is common to utilise the published values of calcium levels of raw materials during formulating feeds. However, like other nutrients, the calcium content of raw materials varies widely.

Excess calcium will bind to phosphorus (2 molecules of calcium will bind to one molecule of phosphorus) and make phosphorus unavailable to birds, which is a costly input to the feed manufacturers. Further, majority of the feed additives used in the poultry feed are based on a calcium carbonate carrier, which also contributes significant amount of calcium to the diet.

Keeping this in sight, an assessment of calcium in the raw materials and final feed has to be performed:

·Estimation of calcium in the raw materials like Maize, SoyaDOC, Fish/Fish meal, MBM

·Calculation of calcium content in the feed additives

·Estimation of calcium in DCP, Calcite / Marble powder

·Estimation of calcium in the final feeds

Understanding the calcium content of feeds and manipulating it to improve production dynamics is important towards enhancing productivity.

6. Electrolyte balancing

Electrolyte balance is represented by Na+K-Cl balance in the diet. Electrolyte balance is expressed in terms of mEq.

Balancing of electrolytes in the poultry feed is essential in order to spare the bird from utilizing energy in attempting to do the same in metabolizing the feed. Apart from salts such as Sodium Chloride, Sodium Bi-carbonate and Potassium Chloride etc., Electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium and Chloride) are also derived from feed raw materials.

Electrolytes are further derived from feed additives like Chloride from Lysine Hydrochloride, Choline Chloride etc. An assessment and adjustment in the electrolytes balance is important whilst formulating feeds.

Electrolyte balance (Na+K-Cl) of poultry feed should be maintained between 200 to 250 mEq per kg of feed.

7. Immuno-modulation

The current trend of intensive poultry keeping and omnipresent disease threats require specific attention towards improving the immune status of the bird through nutrition.

A number of dietary components can have direct and / or indirect implication on the intensity and efficacy of the immune responses. Some are capable of increasing the immune responses while others are detrimental to it. There is no doubt that broilers on well balanced diet sare immunologically competent and able to cope up better with disease challenges.

It is imperative that most nutrients necessary for optimal growth (energy, amino acids, etc.) are also necessary for optimal immuno-competence. The following factors have to be looked into for improving immunity through nutrition:

·A well-balanced feed with adequate energy and amino acid profile

·Proper dietary arginine concentration

·Proper sodium and chloride levels

·Levels of vitamin A, E and C

·Optimum Methionine level

·Adequate Zinc, Manganese and Copper level

Apart from these, various natural and synthetic additives are available to improve immunity.

8. Summer management

Feed formulation requires significant adjustment during summer season. The reduction in feed intake and thus reduction in specific dynamic heat of metabolism improves the tolerance of birds towards hot weather. Moreover, changes in the macro and micro formulation increase the passage time of nutrients in the intestine. Some points to be considered during summer management are:

·Increase in the energy content of the feed is required to take care of the reduction in the feed intake in spite of the fact that in summer, the maintenance energy requirement for the bird is comparatively less. The increase in energy is best achieved by adding fat (oil) that stimulates feed intake and further improves the palatability of feed. Fat also reduces the rate of passage of ingesta within the digestive system. (At the same time we need to reduce daily intake of energy by the bird)

·Proportional increase in other nutrients, proportionate to the increase in the energy level

·Minimising the excess of amino acids improves feed intake

·A diet with lower protein levels and supplemented with limiting amino acids will help in reducing stress to the kidney and also lowering of ammonia levels in poultry houses

·Ammonium chloride supplementation through feed improves weight gain.

·Sodium bicarbonate addition in diet is beneficial

·Micro minerals may be over the normal requirement .

·Inclusion of potassium .5 kg / chloride 0.5 kg / MT feed in prestarter and starter diets is also useful

·Feed electrolyte balance should be maintained more than 250 mEq especially in the summer. (The bicarbonate ions coming from sodium bicarbonate should also be considered while balancing)

·Usage of Vitamin C (coated) at a minimum dose of 100g / MT of feed is advisable

·Chelated trace minerals usage is advisable

· Increase in the fibre content of the feed is useful in slowing down the intestinal motility (which is normally higher in the summer). Including at least 2- 3% SFDOC to increase the fibre in all types of feed will deliver better results. (This will contribute at least 0.3 to 0.4% increases in the fibre of the diet)

· Inclusion of enzymes is preferable during summer months

· Addition of Phytase (80 to 200 g/ton) depending on the feed formula is useful in reducing the stress to the birds

Micro nutrient optimisation

Various micro ingredients are employed in poultry feed production in terms of additives / supplements to make up the deficiency (vitamins, trace minerals etc.,) to maximise the performance (Antibiotic growth promoters, Lysophospholipids etc.) or to combat disease challenges (Anticoccidials, Antibiotics etc.). An ideal combination of micro ingredients will depend upon the type of raw materials used in the feed, environmental challenges and the growth pressure.

Optimizing the micro ingredient formulation with right level of additives is important in maximising the genetic potential of the bird.

Modifying the growth response curve

At a given feed formulation, broilers respond to one particular growth curve. Nutritionist optimizes the growth pattern towards a desired growth curve B (as shown in figure1) to maximise the economics of broiler production.

For the given formulation, observations of the growth curve will help in determining the duration of each feed to be given to the bird. Ideally the prestarter or starter feed (Protein rich feed) should be given to develop the body frame rather than developing body mass.

Further, the developing focus of poultry business is towards functional parameters and other specific tasks such as:

High breast meat yield

Reduced abdominal fat

Improved texture and taste of the meat

Raising without antibiotics

Rearing broilers without lameness

Nutritionists at Avitech recom-mend the following nutritional standards for broilers to extract the genetic potential of broilers (Table 6).

Dr. K. R. Gunasekar

Dr. K. R. Gunasekar is a senior Technical Manager at Avitech Animal Health Pvt. Ltd. He is a postgraduate in Veterinary Science from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute. Dr. Gunasekar leads Avitech’s performance team and programme.

Least Cost Feed Formulation for Poultry

Prof. Dr. Talat Naseer Pasha

Dean, Faculty of Animal Production and Technology

University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Lahore-54000

In past, producers balanced rations by hand calculation, often using long tedious trial-and –error methods. But in the past two decades, industries have adapted computers to every conceivable task, and the feed industry is no exception. Today, computers are used to formulate rations utilizing a wide variety of feed. However, one must realize that this new computerized technology is a tool, which must be used wisely based on certain principles.

Feed formulation is a process by which different feed ingredients are combined in a proportion necessary to provide the bird with proper amount of nutrients needed at a particular age/stage of production. It requires the knowledge about nutrients, feedstuffs and nutritional requirement of the birds in the development of nutritionally adequate rations that will be eaten in sufficient amounts to provide the level of production at a reasonable cost. The ration should be palatable and will not cause any serious digestive disturbance or toxic effects to the birds.

Different classes of birds have different requirements for energy (carbohydrates and fats), proteins (amino acids), minerals and vitamins in order to maintain its various functions like growth, reproduction and egg production. Formulation of rations for poultry emphasizes the use of linear programming using a computer to derive the least-cost ration.

Important Considerations in Feed Formulation

Ration (or feed) formulation does not merely involve mathematical calculations to meet the requirement of the birds, since the result of the calculation may turn out to be impractical and not ideal for feeding of poultry. An experienced animal nutritionist, therefore, needs to evaluate the feed formulation before it can be given to the birds. Factors to be considered in making good feed formulations are:

Acceptability to the birds

The ration being formulated has to be palatable enough to stimulate intake by the birds. Feed refused by the birds is worthless, since feed has to be consumed and utilized by birds to serve its purpose.

Digestibility

The nutrients in the feed have to be digested and released into the gastrointestinal tract to be utilized by the birds. Rations with high fiber content cannot be tolerated by poultry.

Cost

The requirement of the birds can be met through several combinations of feed ingredients. However, when the cost of these ingredients are considered, there can only be one least-cost formulation. The least-cost ration should ensure that requirements of the birds are met and the desired objectives are achieved.

Presence of anti-nutritional factors and toxins

The presence of anti-nutritional factors in the feed, such as anti-trypsin factor in soybean meal, affects the digestion of some nutrients by making them unavailable to the animal. Some feed ingredients may also contain toxic substances, which may be detrimental to the animal when given in excessive amounts. The inclusion of these feed ingredients should therefore be limited or eliminated from the formulation.

Other factors that should be considered in feed formulation are texture, moisture and the processing the feed has to undergo.

Merhods of Formulating Rations

There are several methods in formulating rations. All of them have the same objectives of providing the required balanced nutrients at the least possible cost.

Trial-and-error Method

This is the most popular method of formulating rations for poultry. As the name implies, the formulation is manipulated until the nutrient requirements of the birds are met. This method makes possible the formulation of a ration that meets all the nutrient requirements of the birds.

Linear Programming (LP)

This is a method of determining the least-cost combination of ingredients using a series of mathematical equations. There are many possible solutions to each series of equations, but when the factor of cost is applied, there can only be one least cost combination.

An electronic computer is capable of making thousands of calculations in a very short time. However, the machine is incapable of correcting errors resulting from incorrect data and errors in setting up of the program. Therefore, the resultant rations obtained from linear programming will be no better than the information and values which are entered into the programming.

Procedure

Before using the LP approach to ration formulation, the user should be familiar with the LP program or software package to be used. Numerous companies market computer software for feed formulation. The software varies from very simple and straight-forward to very complex packages intended for large feed manufacturers. The latter package include applications for formula costing, inventory control, control of usage of ingredients in limited availability, production of feed tags, etc. Ration formulation software may be generalized so that it can be made applicable to all species of animals or it may be designed with the unique requirements of specific species such as poultry, dairy cattle, etc. When the software has been designed for a certain species, it may incorporate tables of nutrient requirements and tables of typical feedstuffs and their nutrient values. This can save user time, but it does not mean that the software will run itself without judgment of user. No one had yet developed software that will anticipate all the conditions under which livestock & poultry will fed. Computers are not able to assess all aspects of ingredient quality, environment and management. The judgment of the producer and formulator must be imposed on the computer software. Look for the freedom to make changes as needed. There is certain information and data entered into the computer and are generally created in steps as follows:

Available feed ingredients

It is necessary that all the available ingredients are listed along with the unit cost, as long as the number does not exceed some practical figure which the machine is capable of handling.

Nutrient composition of feed ingredients

Tables of feed composition using average or typical values may be used but chemical analysis of a representative sample should be used if available.

Ration specifications

This generally represents the nutrient requirements and ingredient limits. In each case, the formulator specifies either a lower limit and/or an upper limit for each item.

Formulation

After providing all the necessary information, the computer produces formulas that will meet the desired specifications at the lowest possible cost. However, the formula should be feasible, both from a mathematical standpoint and from a nutritional standpoint. The feedstuff mixture should be acceptable to the birds for which it is intended.

Suggested nutrient specifications of rations for different classes of poultry

Nutrient Specifications of Broiler Rations

This article has previously been published in THE VETERINARY NEWS & VIEWS [WEEKLY] and on World Veterinary Association web site (dated Sep 25, 2003 - 04:03 PM).