POULTRY FEEDING

Dr. Md. Ruknuzzaman

Lecturer (Animal Nutrition)
Dept. of Animal Production
Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Gono Bishwabidyalay, Savar, Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
 POULTRY FEEDING
Facts should be considered when
computing ration for poultry:
1-Feed must contain all essential nutrients in
right amounts & proportion required.
2-Different standards per age should be
followed.
3-Palatability of the ingredients which used.
 POULTRY FEEDING
4-Unlike ruminants, poultry completely depend
upon the dietary sources for all nutrients
(essential AAs., vit.B groups & vit.K).
5-Include agro-industrial by-products to
minimize cost of the ration,
6-Optimum level of ingredient inclusion as
many of ingredients have a deleterious effect
at higher levels.
7-Optimum Ca:P ratio for different purposes.
 POULTRY FEEDING
Nutrients requirements of poultry:
1-Energy requirement:
 Ration for poultry calculated on the basis of
ME.
 Poultry eat to satisfy their energy needs when
fed free choice, thus must control the intake
of all nutrients by including them in a definite
proportion to available energy level..
 POULTRY FEEDING
 High energy cereal grains are the principal
energy sources.
 Fat may be added at levels of 3-8% to
increase dietary energy concentrations.
Factors affecting feed intake:
1-Energy levels in the ration:
 energy level   feed intake
 energy level   feed intake
 POULTRY FEEDING
2-Environmental temperature:(SET, 16-24C)
 Temp.   feed intake
 Temp.   feed intake
3-Health of the bird
4-Genetics
5-Form of the feed
6-Nutritive balance of the diet
7-Stress 8-Body size
9-Rate of growth & egg production
 POULTRY FEEDING
2- Protein requirement:
 The amount of protein required is proportional to
the energy level in the ration.
 Poultry required the 14 essential AAs.
  Temp.   feed intake   protein req.
 Temp.   feed intake   protein req.
 Some AAs can met by other AAs:
Cystine  methionine, Tyrosine  phenylalanine
Glysine  Serine
 POULTRY FEEDING
 Overheating or underheating during
processing can affect the availability of some
amino acids.
3- Mineral requirements:
 The major minerals needed in poultry diets
are Ca, P, Na & Cl.
 Trace minerals may be added if feeds grown
on soil deficient in them.
 POULTRY FEEDING
A-Calcium & Phosphorus:
 The recommended ratio P:Ca in diet of
poultry is 1:1.2 (range 1:1 to 1:1.5)
For laying hen 1:4 ( Ca important for bone &
shell formation)
  Ca in diet  utilization of Mg, Mn & Zn.
 Inorganic P have a higher availability than
organic P
 All P from animal origin & 40% from plant
origin (wheat bran & rice bran) is available.
 POULTRY FEEDING
B- Salt (NaCl):
 The amount added depend upon the feed
ingredients.
 The recommended level in the ration 0.5-1%
of the ration.
 Adult poultry can tolerate much higher
inclusion but the water consumption
increased.
 POULTRY FEEDING
C- Manganese:
 Def. Of Mn cause perosis with slipped
tendon.
 A free flowing Mn suppl. Should normally be
included in all poultry feeds.
 Mn needed for egg production & hatchability.
 Mn carbonate, oxide, sulfate & commercial
mineral mixture can be used.
 POULTRY FEEDING
D- Iodine:
 Iodine included at rate of 0.5mg but when fish
meal included at 5-10% no need iodine suppl.
  Ca & P in diet   iodine requirement
E- Magnesium:
 No Mg Suppl. Needed for poultry ration.
  Mg in diet laxation
 POULTRY FEEDING
4-Vitamin requirements:
A- Vitamin A:
 Liberal supply of vit.A or carotene is needed
for normal growth & health.
 Def. Symptoms: retardation of growth,
emaciation, staggering gait & ruffled
feathers, reduced immunity
 Sources: fish liver oils & other animal
sources.
 POULTRY FEEDING
B- Vitamin D:
 Vit.D required for bone formation, egg
production, reproduction & prevention of
rickets.
 Def.symptoms:poor growth, lameness &
rickets.
 Poultry do not exposure to sunlight, ration
must suppl. With vit.D.
 POULTRY FEEDING
C- Vitamin E:
 Vit.E in vegetable is not readily available as in oil
concentrates.
 Vit.E essential to prevent encyphalomalacia or crazy
chick disease.
D- Vitamin K:
 Def. of vit.K  delay clotting time of the blood &
produce serious hemorrhage
 All mixtures should be suppl. With vit.K
 Treatment by sulfonamide   vit.K req.
 POULTRY FEEDING
E- Riboflavin:
 Def. of vit.B2 curled-toe paralysis,
dwarfism & degeneration of nerve trunks.
 Requirement: Broilers & breeder 4.4mg/kg
Layers 2.5 mg/kg ration
F- Thiamin:
 Def. of thiamin  nerve deg., convulsion &
heart abnormalities.
 POULTRY FEEDING
G- Niacin:
 Def. of niacin inflammation of tongue &
mouth cavity (black tongue).
 Young chick required niacin more than adult
due to less bacterial action synthesis.
H- Vit.B12:
 Animal proteins are good sources of vit.B12.
 Def. of vit.B12 irritability, poor feathering &
poor hatchability.
 POULTRY FEEDING
Feeding space:
1 inch feeder space /chick for 2 weeks age & 2 inches
after that.
Water:
 Bird drink about twice as much water by weight of
feed consumed.
 Water consumption increase or decrease according
to the environmental temperature.
 Some medications are administered in the drinking
water.
FEEDING OF BROILERS
 FEEDING OF BROILERS
Age / Protein (%) ME (Kcal/kg)
Nutrients
Starter ration 22-24 2800
(0-3weeks)
Grower ration 20-22 3000
(3-5 weeks)
Finisher ration 18-20 3200
(5-7 weeks)
 FEEDING OF BROILERS
Feed intake (g or kg)
Feed conversion (FC)= -----------------------------------
Weight gain (g or kg)
Feed conversion of broilers = 2.2
Factors affecting feed conversion:
1-Type of feed fed
2-Strain of the birds
3-Environmental temperature
 FEEDING OF BROILERS
4-Age and weight of the birds
5-Diseases and condemnations
6-Rodent & flying bird control in feeding area
7-Antibiotics and medications improve FC
8-Debeaking & size of baby chicks
9-Feed wastage
10-Form of the feed
 FEEDING OF BROILERS
Broiler breeding pullets:
 Chickens bred for meat production grow
rapidly & reach sexual maturity at early age
too many small egg & not good for
hatching.
 Bird kept for breeding purposes, it is
necessary to slow down their rate of growth
& development of sexual maturity.
 FEEDING OF BROILERS
Methods used:
1-Restricting feed intake to approximately 70%
(when pullets at 7-9 weeks till 23 weeks),or
2-A skip –a-day program involves full feeding
every other day, or
3-Feeding a diet containing 10% protein.
 FEEDING OF BROILERS
Energy feeds:
 Grain, grain by-products and animal &
vegetable fats and oils supply the most of
energy in the poultry diets.
 Corn is the most common grain used in
formulating poultry diets
 Other grains such as grain sorghum & wheat
substituted part of corn
 Animal & vegetable fats added in limited
amounts (5-10% of the diet)
 FEEDING OF BROILERS
Protein supplements:
 Protein suppl. Added to provide the essential
AAs.
 Several protein sources used to achieve a
better balance of the needed AAs.
 Animal protein sources are more variabl in
their amino acids than plant protein
 AAs req. for poultry differ tha other animals in
that glycine & serine are dietary req. &
required glycine for uric acid formation.
 FEEDING OF BROILERS
A-Plant protein:
 Soybean meal is most commonly plant
protein source & has a better balance of AAs
than other plant protein (cottonseed meal,
corn gluten meal, linseed meal).
 Cottonseed meal used in grower poultry
ration to replace up to 50% of the soybean
meal, while linseed meal not more than 3-5%
of diet.
 FEEDING OF BROILERS
B-Animal protein:
 The most commonly used are fish meal, meat
by-products, milk by-products, blood meal,
feather meal & poultry by-product meal.
 Fish meal have a good balance of AAs, but
must not used in large amount (used at 2-5%)
to avoid fishy flavor in eggs & poultry meat.
 FEEDING OF BROILERS
Mineral supplements:
 Sources of Ca in poultry diets are ground
oystershell, limestone, bone meal, dicalcium
phosphate.
 Inorganic P supplied by bone meal, dicalcium
phosphate, rock phosphate.
 Na & Cl adding as common salt (0.5-1% of
diet)
 Mn (Mn sulfate), zn (Zn sulfate)
 FEEDING OF BROILERS
Vitamin supplements:
 Natural feedstuffs provide some vitamins for
poultry.
 Vitamin premixes are commonly used to
provide the required vitamins in poultry.
 FEEDING OF BROILERS
Feed preparation:
 Commercial feeds for poultry as mash, pellets
or crumbles.
 Less wastage when using pellets or crumble
and poultry grow faster and more commonly
used for broilers and turkey than for laying
hens (laying hen tend to become too fat
unless they are on the restricted feeding
program.
FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
Nutrient requirements of laying hens:
1-Energy requirement:
 For maintenance (2kg wt.) = 220 Kcal
For 70% production = 130 Kcal
For 1 g gain/day = 3 Kcal
 The usual energy conc. Is 2.8 Mcal ME/kg diet
 Energy conc. Than 2.3 Mcal energy
intake & egg production
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
Nutrient Starter Grower Developer Pre-lay
(0 to 6 (6 to 10 (10 to 16 (16 to 18
wks) wks) wks) wks)
CP (%) 20.0 18.5 16.0 16.0
ME 2900 2900 2850 2850
(kcal/kg)

Nutrient 18-32 wks 32-45 wks 45-60 wks 60-70 wks

(Phase -1) (Phase-2) (Phase-3) (Phase-4)
CP(%) 19 18 16.5 15.0
ME 2900 2900 2850 2850
(kcal/kg)
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
2-Protein requirement:
 Laying hen receiving diet containing 3.1 Mcal
ME/kg DM require 16.5% protein.
 To get maximum economic return from laying
hen flock, a feed efficiency of 1.6-1.8 kg of
feed per dozen of eggs produced is need.
 A laying ration should contain about 15%
protein based on 2900 Kcal ME/kg of diet.
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
Effect of environmental temperature:
 Small light body weight hens consumes:
In Summer 90g feed (19% protein 
17g protein/ hen/ day).
In Winter  110g feed (15.5% protein  17g
protein / hen / day)
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
Essential AAs for laying hens:
 Leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine,
tryptophan and arginine.
 Methionine is first limiting Aas for egg
production.
 Mash for laying hens should contain not less
than 3-4% animal protein supplement.
 Feather are high in sulfur amino acids
(required methionine).
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
Fat supplement:
 Fat addition   egg yield in winter
 Fat addition   amount of feed required /
dozen eggs.
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
Fat supplement:
 Fat addition   egg yield in winter
 Fat addition   amount of feed required /
dozen eggs.
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
3-Mineral requirements:
A-Calcium:
 Laying birds need large amounts of Ca
because egg shells composed entirely of
CaCo3
 Ca in laying ration   egg production &
egg shell weak.
 Bird stored Ca for about 10-14 days before
the first egg was laid in the marrow of long
bone.
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
B-Phosphorus:
 Protein supplement used in poultry rations
(meat meal, fish meal & dairy by-products)
usually be sufficient in phosphorus.
 Plant protein supplement (SBOM) should
supplement with P & Ca.
 Inorganic P is more available than phytate P.
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
C-Manganese:
 Ca in laying ration   egg production &
egg shell weak &  hatchability.
 ¼ lb Mn sulphate added to ton of mash fed
without grain & ½ lb to mash fed with grain
D- Iodine:
 Iodine in laying ration  goiter
 Iodized salt must be used instead of common
salt in the ration of poultry.
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
E- Selenium:
 Se in laying ration Exudative diathesis
F- Zinc:
 Zn in laying ration skeletal abnormalities,
ataxia, necrotic dermatitis & thin shell &
hyperkeratinization of epidermis.
G- Salt:
 0.5-1% of the total ration salt
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
4-Vitamin requirements:
A-Vitamin A :
 Laying hens require higher content of vit.A in
their feed in very hot weather than cold
because they consume less feed.
  vit.A in laying ration Nutritional roup
(sticky materials from eye & nostrils)
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
B-Vitamin D :
 vit.D in laying ration thin shell eggs,  egg
production & hatchability, breast bone
become soft & bones of legs & wings
become fragile.
C-Riboflavin & vit.E :
 Riboflavin & vit.E in laying ration low
hatchability
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
Phase-feeding of laying hens:
To adjust nutrient intake in accordance with the rate
of egg production
A-Phase I (most critical period):
During 20 W period (22-42 W of age) pullet :
1- egg production from zero to peak (85-90%
production).
2-  body weight from 1300 to 1900g.
3-  egg size from 40g/egg at 22W to over 56g/egg at
42W of age
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
B-Phase II :
 Period after 42W of age when the hens
attained mature body weight
 The period ranged from 42-72W of age.
Effect of temp. on egg shell:
 Hot weather   respiration rate   Co2
loss   blood bicarbonate level   egg
shell formation
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
Stage of egg production:
 Egg production hen usually cover a period of
15 months
 Commences at 22W of age  peak at 28-30W
of age gradually decline to 65% after 15
months of lay.
  lighted period   feed intake & 
stimulation of pituitary gland   egg laid
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
Feeding systems:
1-Whole grain method
2-Grain & mash
3-All mash: fed at first 8W
4-Wet mash feeding (more palatable)
5-Pellets
 With grain fed must used insoluble grit
 Also fresh green feed is fed to poultry.
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
Nutrition and egg quality:
A-Egg size (egg weight):
Factors affecting egg size:
1-Level of protein in diet:
 14-20% CP rations balanced AAs heavier eggs
 The choice of protein level in layer diet depend on accurate
evaluation of extra-cost for the additional protein compare
with the income from larger eggs obtained.
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
2-Energy intake
3-Mineral & vitamin levels:
  Ca &  vit.D   egg weight
4-Level of linoleic acid:
 Linoleic acid  formation lipoprotein in liver
 ovary uptake by ova  higher egg weight
5-Strain
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
B-Shell quality:
 The quality of egg shells depend on the
presence of adequate levels of vit.D3 &
certain minerals including Ca, P & Zn.
 Def. or imbalance of vit,D3 , Ca & P   shell
thickness & misshapen eggs   egg
production
  Mn  thin & brittle-shelled eggs
 The blood carbonate is the source of
carbonate in the shell formation
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
 Very hot weather  poor quality egg shells
 End of laying period falls egg shell quality due
to failure in Ca metabolism &  Ca of ration
 Sulphonamide drugs thin shelled eggs
 Insecticides & fungicides in grains malformed
eggs
 Rancid cod liver oil in diet rough shells
 Diseases poor shell quality
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
C-Internal egg quality:
 The nutritive content of the egg depends
upon the level of these nutrients in the diet of
laying hen
 Suitable iodine in diet   I content of eggs
 Def. of vit.B2 slight yellowish-green tinge
in albumin
 FEEDING OF LAYING HENS
D-Yolk colour:
 The colour of egg yolk depend upon the presence of
carotenoid pigment (xanthophylls) in the ration
(fresh & good dried green feeds & feed additives)
 When 30% yellow maize or 5% good quality alfalfa or up to
22mg xanthophyll/kg  deep-yellow yolks
 Highly pigmented plants undesirable coloured yolks
 Large amount of untreated CSM brown mottled yolk &
pinkish tint of albumin
 Pimento pepper in diet  orange-red yolks
FEEDING OF TURKEYS
 FEEDING OF TURKEYS
 The general principles of feeding turkeys are similar to
those for feeding broilers. Major differences are in the
protein levels required and the importance of the vitamins
biotin & pyridoxine in turkey diets
 Poults must be fed & watered as soon as possible after
hatching & if feeding delayed beyond 36h after hatching
difficulty learning to eat & drink.
 Vits. & minerals suppl. of the diet essential for good
hatchability of turkey eggs.
 At 10-12W of age separate hens from toms
 Period Protein (%) ME (Kcal/kg)
First 3 weeks 30-33 2930-3000
0-4 W 28 2930-3000
4-8W 26 2900
8-12W 20-22 3100
13-16W 19 3200
17-20 W 16 3275
21 W-market 13-14 3350

Laying hen 15-18 2925

Peak production 19 2755
 FEEDING OF TURKEYS
Nutritional disorders of turkey:
1-Leg weakness disorders:
Cause: def. of Ca, P, vit.D, choline, biotine, folic acid,
Mn & zinc.
2-Enlargment of hock joint:
Cause: def. Of niacin, biotin, vit.E & zinc.
3-Footpad dermatitis:
Cause: biotin deficiency
Symptoms: sticky droppings adhere to the feet &
cause dermatitis
 FEEDING OF TURKEYS
4-Pendulous crop:
Cause:yeast proliferation in crop
Symptoms:gas production from fermentation of
carbohydrate interfere with passage of ingesta
from crops to proventriculus pendulous crop
Treatment: fungal inhibiting antibiotics
5-Ascitis:
Cause: high salt intake fluid accumulation in body
cavities
 FEEDING OF TURKEYS
6-Exudative diathesis:
Cause: Selenium deficiency
7-Aflatoxicosis:
 Aflatoxin affect the immune system increase
susceptibility to disease
 Mycotoxin hemorrhage may bluish the carcass
FEEDING OF DUCKS & GEESE
FEEDING OF DUCKS & GEESE
 Commercial feeds in mash, pelleted or
crumbles form available for ducks & geese
 If a commercial feed for ducks & geese is not
available, chicken feed may be used (not
contain coccidiostat)
 Geese will start to eat pasture when they are
only few days old & feed additional grain if
pasture is not of good quality.
 FEEDING OF GEESE
Period Protein (%) ME (Kcal/Kg
diet)
0-4 W (starter) 20 2900

After 4 W 15 3000
(grower)
Breeding 15 2900
 FEEDING OF DUCKS
Period Protein (%) ME (Kcal/Kg
diet)
0-2 W (starter) 22 2900

2-7 W (grower) 16 3000

Breeding 15-18 2900

Thank
You