In addition, farmers need to add
several feed additives (micronutrients, minerals and vitamins) to ensure their
birds have a balanced feed that meets their daily nutrient requirements.
Ingredients are cheaply available,
especially after the harvesting season. Depending on the cost of ingredients,
farmers who make their own feeds at home save between 30 to 50% for every 70kg
bag of chicken feed, depending on the source of their raw materials.
Due to government regulation, major
feed companies have reduced the standard quantity of feed from 70kg to 50kg per
bag, but the price of feed still remains almost the same.
This means that farmers who are able to
make their own feeds make great savings on feeds which take up to 80% of the
production costs.
To formulate feed, farmers have to use
the Pearson Square Method. In this
method, the Digestible Crude Protein (DCP) is the basic nutritional requirement
for any feed preparation for all animals and birds.
Now, assuming that a farmer wants to
make feed for their birds using this method, they have to know the crude
protein content of each of the ingredients they want to use to make their feed.
The following are the DCP values for
each of the common ingredients used in feed making:
- Whole maize
— 8.23%
- Soya — 45%
- Fishmeal (omena)
— 55%
- Maize bran
— 7%
- Sunflower
— 35%
Each category of chicken has its own nutritional
requirements. For example, if we want to make feed for layers, the feed should
have at least 18% crude protein.
If one was to formulate feed for
layers, then they would have to calculate the percentage of DCP in each of the
ingredients they want to use to ensure that the total crude protein content is
at least 18%.
Therefore, to make a 70kg bag of feed
for layers, a farmer would require the following ingredients:
- 34kg of whole
maize
- 12kg of
soya
- 8kg of
fishmeal (omena)
- 10kg of maize
bran
- 6kg of lime
(as calcium source)
To find out if all the above
ingredients meet this standard of 18% crude protein, a farmer can do a simple
calculation as follows:
- Whole maize
— 34kg x 8.23 ÷ 100 = 2.80%
- Soya — 12kg
x 45kg ÷ 100 = 5.40%
- Fishmeal (omena)
— 8kg x 55kg ÷ 100 = 4.40%
- Lime — 6kg
x 0kg ÷ 100 = 0.00%
Total % of crude
protein = 13.30%
To get the total crude protein
percentage of all these ingredients in a 70kg bag of feed, the farmer should
take the crude protein content of the combined ingredients, divide by 70kg and
multiply by 100, thus — 13.30 ÷ 70 × 100 = 19%
- This shows
that the crude protein content of the above feed formulation is 19%, which
is quite adequate for layers.
To ensure that the birds get all they
need in terms of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids, you need
these additives in their standard quantities.
In order to make it even simpler for
farmers who would wish to make their own feeds, below are feed formulations for
each category of chickens and stage of growth already worked out such that all
the farmer needs is to buy the ingredients and mix them:
A)
Making a 70kg bag of layers chick mash (1 - 4 weeks)
Growing chicks require feed with
Digestible Crude Protein (DCP) of between 18 – 20%. 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
- 16.8kg of
sunflower (or 16.8kg 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
- 70g of threonine
- 50g of
enzymes
- 60g of
coccidiostat
- 50g of
toxin binder
Growers (pullets or young layers)
should be provided with feed having a protein content of between 16 to 18%.
Such feed makes the young layers to
grow fast in preparation for egg laying:
Ingredients
- 10kg of whole maize
- 17kg of maize Bran
- 13kg of wheat pollard
- 10kg of wheat bran
- 6kg of cotton seed cake
- 5kg of sunflower cake
- 3.4kg of soya meal
- 2.07kg of lime
- 700g of bone meal
- 3kg of fishmeal
Additives
- 14g of
salt
- 1g of
coccidiostat
- 18g of premix
- 1g of zinc
bacitracitrach
- 7g of
mycotoxin binder
C)
Making a 70kg bag of layers mash (18 weeks and above)
Ingredients
- 34kg of
whole maize
- 12kg of soya
- 8kg of
fishmeal (omena)
- 10kg of
maize bran, rice bran or wheat bran
- 6kg of
lime
Amino
Acids
- 175g
premix
- 70g lysine
- 35g
methionine
- 70kg threonine
- 35g
tryptophan
- 50g toxin
binder
Layer feed should contain a Digestible
Crude Protein (DCP) content of between 16 to 18%.
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.
D)
Formulating a 70kg 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.
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 feed that has
between 22 to 24% DCP. The following guidelines can help the farmer to make the
right feed at each stage of growth:
a.
Broiler starter feed (1 - 4 weeks)
Ingredients
- 40kg of
whole maize
- 12kg of
fishmeal (omena)
- 14kg of
soya bean meal
- 4kg of
lime
- 70g of
premix
Amino
Acids
- 35g of
lysine
- 35g of threonine
b.
Broiler finisher feed (70kg bag)
Ingredients
- 10kg of
whole maize
- 16.7kg of
maize bran
- 13.3kg of
wheat pollard
- 10kg wheat
bran
- 6kg of
cotton seed cake
- 4.7kg of
sunflower cake
- 3kg of
fishmeal 2kg of lime
- 3.4kg of
soya meal
- 40g of
bone meal
- 10g of grower
premix
- 5g of salt
- 5g of
coccidiostat
- 5g of zincbacitrach
Note: For farmers
who have more than 500 birds, it is advisable to make 1 ton of feed at once (there
are 14 bags of feed in one ton).
Therefore, to make 1 tonne of feed, all
a farmer needs is to multiply each of the ingredients by 14. Ensure that all
the feed you make will last for one month and not longer — this ensures the
feed remains fresh and safe for the birds. Any feed that lasts more than one
month may deteriorate in quality and can affect your birds.
Daily
feed requirements for each growth stage
Farmers should maintain the right feed
quantities for the birds at each stage of growth as shown below:
- An egg laying
chicken requires 130 to 140g of feed per day.
- A chick
requires a minimum 60g per day. If they finish their daily rations, give
them fruit and vegetable cuttings to ensure they feed continuously.
- Young birds
(or pullets) which are about to start laying eggs should be fed 60g for 2
and ½ months and then put on layer diet (140g per day). Supplement the
feed with vegetables, edible plant leaves and fruit peelings in addition
to their feed rations.
- Broiler
chicks require 67g per day. Broiler finishers require 67g of feed per day
to the day of slaughter.
- Chickens
are very sensitive to aflatoxin - never use rotten maize (maozo) while
making feeds.
Important
tips on feed preparation
When making homemade feed rations, it
is important to do experimental trials, by isolating a number of birds, feeding
them and observing their performance. If the feed rations are right, the
broilers will grow fast and layers will increase egg production (at least 1 egg
after every 27 hours).
Buy quality fishmeal from reputable
companies. If fishmeal (omena) is used, the farmers must be sure of its quality;
most of the fishmeal (omena) in the open-air markets may be contaminated.
Farmers are advised to go for soya meal if they cannot get good quality
fishmeal (omena).
Always mix the micronutrients (amino
acids) first before mixing them with the rest of the feed.
For mixing, farmers are advised to use
a drum mixer (many jua kali artisans can make one). Never use a shovel to mix
feed because the ingredients will be unevenly distributed.
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