Soy Excellence Center

SEC Américas Poultry Track Basic Level

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Statement on Intellectual Property

The materials in this lecture fall under the protection of all intellectual
property, copyright and trademark laws of the U.S. The digital materials
included here come with the legal permissions of the copyright holders.
These course materials should be used for educational purposes only; the
videos should not be distributed electronically or otherwise beyond the
confines of this online course. Any usage of the videos or course materials
outside of USSEC’s SEC Digital Platform, should be previously authorized by
USSEC, Kansas State University, and the lecture’s authors.

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 Poultry Nutrition
Part 1

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Fun Facts
Layers can lay
one egg almost
every day

The Egyptians incubated eggs

more than 3000 years ag
Hens will lay eggs
without a rooster

The presence of a
Supermarkets eggs
rooster will result
are not fertile
in fertilized egg
Egg shells Germinal
can have many
disc colorshas
– If mating including
occurred white, brown, blue,
green and olive,
(spermbut
has quality
fertilizedis not
the influenced
egg), by shell color
embryo will
start developing here

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Fun Facts

Broilers are capable to grow 3 - 4 grams per hour!

Equivalent to gain >58 pounds per year!!

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Genetic Improvement

• Improvements in genetic selection have allowed broilers to:

– Grow at a steady pace

– Reach the market weight in shorter time

– Any slowdowns in the growth curve can negatively affect final weight and feed efficiency

1957 2007 2019

120 days 35 days 33 days
3.1 pounds 4.5 pounds 4.5 pounds
1.55 FCR 1.40 FCR

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Ross 708 Male Performance Objectives
Genetic Improvement

Currently
300 Eggs

Nature
12 Eggs

Early 1,900’s
120 Eggs

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Nutrition Importance

• Feed is the single greatest expense

– Ingredients - Major cost

– Processing – significative cost

• Mash are cheaper than pellets
Feed Cost
60 to 70%

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Nutrition

Growth

Maintenance:
Nutrients in Maintain normal
Feed body functions
Production
Meat
Stay Alive Eggs

Fitzpatrick and Morton, 2010

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Nutrition

• A balanced diet is essential for maximum growth, production,

and health of any poultry flock

• Nutrient:
– A substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life

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Nutrients

Carbohydrates Protein Fat

Used as Energy Sources

Vitamins Minerals Water

Each gram of fat supplies about 9 calories.

More than twice the energy supplied by proteins or carbohydrates (4 calories/gram).
Fat = long term storage of energy
Carbohydrates = short term (glycogen in liver and muscle)

Supported
by: Fitzpatrick and Morton, 2010
Nutrients

• Must be present in the correct proportions

– Nutritional problems occur when the overall dietary amount is inadequate or when the
components of the diet are not balanced

“Yield is proportional to the amount of the

most limiting nutrient, whichever nutrient it
may be”

Examples:
• Low calcium in layer diets
• Low protein in broiler diets

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Summary

• Improvements in genetic have helped increase poultry production

– Myth: "Hormones are used in poultry production"

– Fact: Improvements in genetic selection, nutrition, housing and disease control have
allowed modern broilers to reach market weight faster and with less feed required per
unit of gain

– Feeding chickens hormones would not be effective for several reasons: Hormones are
proteins; therefore, the hormones would be denatured by digestion into single amino
acids, which would destroy their function

– Additionally, the use of hormones in animal production is prohibited by the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA)

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This concludes Part 1 of Poultry Nutrition.
Please continue to Part 2.

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Acknowledgment

The development of this lecture was made possible through the funding from:

• U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC)

The development of this lecture was made possible through support from:

• Wilmer Pacheco, MSc., PhD. Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, Auburn
University

• International Grains Program (IGP) Institute of Kansas State University

Supported
by:
Disclaimer

This is a lecture intended for educational use and professional development. It is not intended nor
does it necessarily represent enforceable standards, industry consensus, mandatory requirements,
nor all possible solutions or ideas to resolve your safety and health needs. This course has been
developed to share information on potential topics associated with animal nutrition and
production. In most cases, there are many solutions or combinations of solutions to problems.
Use only those sections that apply to your operation; but first evaluate each section and
suggestion based on its economic and operational feasibility and application.

Mention of trade names, commercial products or organizations does not imply or express
endorsement by Kansas State University or USSEC, its members, employees, or cooperating
companies and individuals.

Supported
by:
Soy Excellence Center
SEC Américas Poultry Track Basic Level

Supported by:
Statement on Intellectual Property

The materials in this lecture fall under the protection of all intellectual
property, copyright and trademark laws of the U.S. The digital materials
included here come with the legal permissions of the copyright holders.
These course materials should be used for educational purposes only; the
videos should not be distributed electronically or otherwise beyond the
confines of this online course. Any usage of the videos or course materials
outside of USSEC’s SEC Digital Platform, should be previously authorized by
USSEC, Kansas State University, and the lecture’s authors.

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 Poultry Nutrition
Part 2

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 Individual
nutrient

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Carbohydrates

• Include starches, sugars, and cellulose, needed for body

maintenance and energy
– Examples: corn, sorghum and other grains

• Represents 60 to 70% inclusion into poultry diets

• Plays vital role in particle agglomeration and pellet formation

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Typical Starch Content of Common Feedstuffs

Metabolizable energy,
Ingredient % Starch (DM Basis)
kcal/kg

Corn 70-75 3400

Grain Sorghum 71

Wheat, Hard Red 65 3100

Barley 60

Midds 18-40 2100

SBM (44% CP) 0.5 2450

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Wheat vs. Corn

Pigments

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Protein
Feed
Ingredients Feed ingredients Amino acids are transported by the
contain protein blood to be assembled into body
proteins (muscles, feathers, eggs
production, etc)

Proteins are broken

down into amino
acids by digestion

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Amino Acids – 2 Types

• Essential - body is unable to synthesize (either at all or not in

enough quantity)
– These amino acids MUST be supplied in the feed and is a function of species, age, and
production

• Non Essential
– Not necessarily required in the diet

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Essential vs. Non-essential Amino Acids
Essential

Non- essential

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Protein Sources

• Soybean meal

• Animal by product meals

• Distiller dried grains with solubles (DDGS)

• Synthetic amino acids

– Used to reduce the crude protein in the diet
• Methionine

• Lysine

• Threonine

• Tryptophan

• Valine, etc.

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Soybean Meal

Soybeans
100 Kg

Soybean Oil Soybean Meal

~18 Kg ~80 Kg

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Soybean Meal

Trypsin
Trypsin
Inhibitors

Trypsin/Trypsin Inhibitor
Complex
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Soybean Meal

• Take into consideration

13.6
the amino acid digestibility
13.47

13.4
Lys + Met + Cys + Thr, %CP

13.2

12.98
13.0
12.87

12.8 12.76

12.6

Ravindran, 2011
12.4
ARGENTINA BRAZIL INDIA USA

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Importance of AA Digestibility

Animal Welfare

Economic Value

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Complimentary Relationship

• Corn:
– High energy

– 8.5% protein

• Soybean Meal:
– Excellent balance of amino acids

– Lower energy than corn

– 44 to 48% protein

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Consider Amino Acid Balance

• Limiting amino acids in typical poultry diets:

– Methionine + cysteine

– Lysine

– Threonine

• Feed formulation often based on amino acid digestibility, which can differ among
ingredients

• “Ideal Protein” formulation

– Digestible lysine content of the diet is specified

– Other AA requirements are expressed as ratio to Lys

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Ideal Protein Concept

• Essential amino acids in ratio to Lysine

• Amino acids used:

– Meet bird requirements

– Most cost – effective

• Excess must be excreted which can lead to:

– Poor litter quality

– Footpad dermatitis

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Ideal Protein Concept

Ideal Protein/Balanced Protein, Ross 708 Ideal Protein/Balanced Protein, Cobb 500
Starter Grower Finisher Starter Grower Finisher 1 Finisher 2
Digestible Amino Acid Digestible Amino Acid
1-10 11-24 25-end 1-8 9-18 19-28 >29
Lysine, % in feed 1.28 1.15 1.03 Lysine, % in feed 100 100 100 100
Methionine + Cystine 74 76 78 Methionine + Cystine 75 76 78 78
Threonine 67 67 67 Threonine 68 65 65 65
Valine 75 76 77 Valine 73 75 75 75
Isoleucine 67 68 69 Isoleucine 63 64 65 66
Arginine 107 107 108 Arginine 105 105 105 105

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Fats

• High energy source and supply of essential fatty acids

• Improve the physical consistency of diets and reduce dustiness

• Important to increase energy density during the summer

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Lipids and Fats Sources

• Plants
– Soybean oil, corn oil etc. –typically found in the seeds

• Animals
– Poultry fat

– Choice white grease

– Lard

• Metabolizable energy per kilogram = 8,000 kcal/kg

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Minerals

• Inorganic components that are solid, crystalline and cannot be

decomposed or synthesized
– Structural components of the body such as the part of the skeleton responsible for bone
hardness
• Classified based on the concentrations found in an animal’s body or concentrations
added into animal feeds:
– Macro minerals – concentrations in an animal feeds which exceed 100 ppm (mg/kg):
• Ca (calcium), P (phosphorus), Cl (chlorine), Mg (magnesium), K (potassium), Na (sodium) and
S (sulfur)

– Micro minerals – concentration in animal feeds which are less than 100 ppm (mg/kg):
• Cr (chromium), Co (cobalt), Cu (copper), F (fluorine), Fe (iron), I (iodine), Mn (manganese),
Mo (molybdenum), Se (selenium) and Zn (zinc)

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Calcium and Phosphorus

• Important component of bones and bones contain:

– 99% and 80% of the body’s entire supply of calcium and phosphorus

Starter Grower Finisher

(0 – 10 d) (11 – 24) (25 - market)
Calcium 0.95 0.75 0.65
Av. Phosphorus 0.50 0.42 0.36
Ross Nutrition Specifications, 2022

• Laying hens diets - ~4% calcium

– Important for eggshell formation

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Calcium Deficiency in Layers

• More common in layers due to higher calcium requirements for

egg production
– Fragile eggshells of shell less eggs

– Soft beaks

– Leg weakness Solution

– Feather pecking

• Vitamin D deficiency can lead to calcium deficiency

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Vitamin D is Important for Calcium Absorption

Calcium only X
Too Much

Calcium + Vitamin D
Phosphorus

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~70% of phosphorus is not available and bound to phytate

Ca

PO4-3 PO4-3

PO4-3 PO4-3 Ca Protein

PO4-3 PO4-3 Protein

Supported
by: Adapted from Ayoola et al., 2014
Problems with Poor Phosphorus Absorption

• Higher usage of inorganic phosphorus

– Expensive

– Limited

• Higher phosphorus excretion

• Solution: Exogenous phytases

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Phytase Mode of Action

Ca

PO4-3 PO4-3
6H3 P O4 Ca Protein

PO4-3 PO4-3 Protein

PO4-3 PO4-3 Ca Protein

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by: Adapted from Ayoola et al., 2014
Vitamins

• Complex organic molecules that the body needs in small amounts to assist
with the many chemical reactions that occur within body cells
• Feed ingredients contain vitamins, but full requirements are typically met by adding a vitamin
premix
• Fat soluble
– A – vision, reproduction
– D – Ca metabolism
– E – Antioxidant
– K – Blood Clothing

• Water soluble
– B complex – energy metabolism
– Vitamin C – No required for poultry, but used to control heat stress

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Water – the forgotten nutrient

• Your birds should have unlimited access clean drinking water

at all times
– 70% of total body weight

• The amount of water needed depends on several factors:

– Temperature
– Diet composition
– Egg production

• A laying bird drinks ~25% of her daily water intake during the two hours prior to
darkness

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Other Components

• Pro and Pre biotics

– Modulate microbiome

• Fiber Degrading Enzymes

– Reduce gut viscosity

• Secondary Plant Compounds

– Survival and preservation Compounds need to be protected
• Activation of digestion

• Antioxidant activity

• Gut modulation

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Summary

• There are 6 main nutrients: water, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids,

minerals, and vitamins

• Nutrients must be present in the correct order to:

– Avoid deficiencies or toxicities

– Attain optimum animal performance

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This concludes Part 2 of Poultry Nutrition.
Please continue to Part 3.

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Acknowledgment

The development of this lecture was made possible through the funding from:

• U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC)

The development of this lecture was made possible through support from:

• Wilmer Pacheco, MSc., PhD. Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, Auburn
University

• International Grains Program (IGP) Institute of Kansas State University

Supported
by:
Disclaimer

This is a lecture intended for educational use and professional development. It is not intended nor
does it necessarily represent enforceable standards, industry consensus, mandatory requirements,
nor all possible solutions or ideas to resolve your safety and health needs. This course has been
developed to share information on potential topics associated with animal nutrition and
production. In most cases, there are many solutions or combinations of solutions to problems.
Use only those sections that apply to your operation; but first evaluate each section and
suggestion based on its economic and operational feasibility and application.

Mention of trade names, commercial products or organizations does not imply or express
endorsement by Kansas State University or USSEC, its members, employees, or cooperating
companies and individuals.

Supported
by:
Soy Excellence Center
SEC Américas Poultry Track Basic Level

Supported by:
Statement on Intellectual Property

The materials in this lecture fall under the protection of all intellectual
property, copyright and trademark laws of the U.S. The digital materials
included here come with the legal permissions of the copyright holders.
These course materials should be used for educational purposes only; the
videos should not be distributed electronically or otherwise beyond the
confines of this online course. Any usage of the videos or course materials
outside of USSEC’s SEC Digital Platform, should be previously authorized by
USSEC, Kansas State University, and the lecture’s authors.

Supported
by: 53
 Poultry Nutrition
Part 3

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by:
 Nutrient Requirements

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Feed Formulation
• Follow nutrient specifications
– Good starting point

• Adapt specifications depending on your individual

situation
– The best FCR does not always represents the lowest cost
per kg of meat produced

• Know the nutrient content and the digestibility of your

ingredients
– Collect representative samples during ingredients’ receiving
– Take advantage of NIR

• Update nutrient matrices regularly

• Know: ingredient availability and cost

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Nutrient Specifications, ME
• Nutrient specifications for As-Hatched broilers
• Target weight: 1.70 – 2.40 kg (3.75 – 5.30 pounds)

Starter Grower Finisher

Ross
708 Age Fed days 0-10 11-24 25 - market
Energy kcal 3,000 3,100 3,200

Starter Grower Finisher 1 Finisher 2

Cobb
500 Age Fed days 0-8 9-18 19-28 29 - market
Energy kcal 2,975 3,025 3,100 3,150

• Reference values, but adjust depending on:

• Environmental conditions
• Ingredient prices
• Inclusion of exogenous enzymes
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Ideal Protein Concept

Ideal Protein/Balanced Protein, Ross 708 Ideal Protein/Balanced Protein, Cobb 500
Starter Grower Finisher Starter Grower Finisher 1 Finisher 2
Digestible Amino Acid Digestible Amino Acid
1-10 11-24 25-end 1-8 9-18 19-28 >29
Lysine, % in feed 1.28 1.15 1.03 Lysine, % in feed 100 100 100 100
Methionine + Cystine 74 76 78 Methionine + Cystine 75 76 78 78
Threonine 67 67 67 Threonine 68 65 65 65
Valine 75 76 77 Valine 73 75 75 75
Isoleucine 67 68 69 Isoleucine 63 64 65 66
Arginine 107 107 108 Arginine 105 105 105 105
• Limiting AA in corn-SBM diets fed to broilers:
Methionine + Cystine in feed = 1.28 x 0.74 = 0.9472
• Methionine
• Adjustment can be made depending on market objectives • Lysine
• Threonine – Gut health challenge • Threonine
• Arginine – Heat stress • Valine
• Isoleucine – Breast meat yield • Isoleucine – 4th in diets with animal by
• Consider antagonism between AAs product meals
• Arginine – 4th in sorghum based diets

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Nutrition and Market Purpose

Arbor Acres, Broiler Nutrition Supplement, 2009

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Nutritional Requirements

• Change with age, sex and productive purpose

– A day-old chick requires 1% calcium and ~23% protein

– A layer requires 3.6% calcium and 16% protein for egg production

– Feeding a layer diet to immature chicks can lead to improper bone formation, kidney
failure and possibly death

– Feeding a starter diet to layers = poor eggshell quality

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Nutritional Needs – Calcium and Phosphorus

Starter Grower Finisher

(0 – 10 d) (11 – 24 d) (25 - market)
Calcium 0.95 0.75 0.65
Av. Phosphorus 0.50 0.42 0.36
Sodium 0.18 to 0.23 0.18 to 0.23 0.18 to 0.23
Ross Nutrition Specifications, 2022

Starter Grower Finisher Finisher 2

(0 – 8 d) (9 – 18 d) (19 – 28 d) (>29 d)
Calcium 0.90 0.84 0.76 0.76
Av. Phosphorus 0.45 0.42 0.38 0.38
Sodium 0.16 to 0.23 0.16 to 0.23 0.16 to 0.23 0.16 to 0.23
Cobb Nutrition Specifications

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Layers

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Conclusions

• The correct amount of nutrients will depend on marketing strategies

and environmental factors

• Read the management and nutrition recommendations of the primary breeding

company

• If you make any changes on management or nutrition, monitor birds' behavior

• Keep records

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Take Home Message
“The goal of a good nutrition program is to provide all the
required nutrients in every single bite”

Protein Carbohydrates

+ =

Vitamins Minerals Fats

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 ¿Questions?

Wilmer Javier Pacheco, MSc., PhD.

Extension Specialist and Associate Professor
Auburn University
wjp0010@auburn.edu

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This concludes the Poultry Nutrition lecture.
You can now take the Poultry Nutrition quiz
or continue to the next lecture.

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Acknowledgment

The development of this lecture was made possible through the funding from:

• U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC)

The development of this lecture was made possible through support from:

• Wilmer Pacheco, MSc., PhD. Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, Auburn
University

• International Grains Program (IGP) Institute of Kansas State University

Supported
by:
Disclaimer

This is a lecture intended for educational use and professional development. It is not intended nor
does it necessarily represent enforceable standards, industry consensus, mandatory requirements,
nor all possible solutions or ideas to resolve your safety and health needs. This course has been
developed to share information on potential topics associated with animal nutrition and
production. In most cases, there are many solutions or combinations of solutions to problems.
Use only those sections that apply to your operation; but first evaluate each section and
suggestion based on its economic and operational feasibility and application.

Mention of trade names, commercial products or organizations does not imply or express
endorsement by Kansas State University or USSEC, its members, employees, or cooperating
companies and individuals.

Supported
by: