Extension Notebook: Nutrition and feeding basics for poultry

Oftentimes, I am asked what should I feed my poultry to keep them producing eggs or growing at an optimum rate? The types of feed and what should be in the feed, will vary depending on if the feed used is fed to laying hens or broilers. What should be in the ration depends on the species or type of poultry being fed, and what type of breed is kept. The age of the bird will also make a difference. Feed for day-old poultry and young poultry will be different than one that is fed to adult birds. A laying hen feed will contain a higher percentage of calcium to support the production of strong egg shells. A feed that is fed to broilers will be higher in energy to promote a faster growth rate. Also, the protein content of the feed will be different for laying hens versus a broiler. So, the bottom line on what type of feed should be fed depends on a lot of factors. It is really important to feed the proper diet to poultry, because the cost of producing a broiler, or producing eggs from a laying hen represents about 75% of the total cost to do so.

One of the most important nutrients for all types of poultry is water. Clean, fresh water is most important for all poultry and a poultry producer should not overlook the importance of water. This needs to be available for birds all the time. For example, water is of utmost importance when taking care of day-old chicks. It must be clean, fresh, and available all the time. If, for example, laying hens are without water for even a day or so, the hens will stop laying eggs within a few days. Also, it is very important to make sure you have the correct type of drinkers available to supply water.

Now for feed. The appropriate protein content for feeding poultry depends on the type of birds being fed. For laying hens, a diet having a 16% to 17% protein content should support maximum egg production. For broilers, a diet containing 23% protein and decreasing that down to around 19% protein as the birds age, should provide for maximum growth. Other important components of a poultry diet are the proper mixtures of minerals and vitamins. For laying hens, a diet containing around 3.75% calcium should be fed. The calcium source can be from ground limestone or maybe oyster shell. So, it is very important to use the right feed in a starter, grower, and finisher diet for the type of poultry being fed.

I sometimes get calls and emails about feeding scratch grains for poultry. Scratch grains are cracked, rolled, or whole grains like corn, barley, oats, or wheat. A rule of thumb in deciding how much if any scratch grains should be fed is that if scratch grains are fed, then feeding only as much scratch as the bird can consume in 20 minutes would be OK. I caution people who feed scratch grains or even ingredients like lettuce or table scraps, because you are diluting the protein and energy that a complete feed supplies, which would negatively impact bird growth and egg production. It is also advisable to not mix a complete feed with scratch grains, because of what I just mentioned.

In summary, the best type of feed to give to poultry of all ages would be a complete feed from a farm supply store. A complete feed has the appropriate amount of protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals to support maximum bird growth and egg production.

Ken Koelkebeck, Ph.D., is professor emeritus, poultry Extension specialist, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois.