Wednesday, May 2, 2012

What to Feed Your Chickens

If you want to grow healthy chickens, you have to
be intentional in what you feed them. You need to
give the right food that can provide the
nutritional requirements that will make them
grow healthy and become prolific. Therefore, you
have to put some time for research to get to know
what the specific foods that they need are so
that you can give it to them. As a result, you
can count on a very good harvest when the time
comes.

Although there are many substances that are
contained in their food, there are essential
nutrients that you must seek to include in a
poultry diet, such as the following:

Water - this plays a huge part in the fowl's
diet since 70% of their body is composed of
which; eggs are at around 60% water as well. It
is essential in helping in the absorption of
nutrients as well as in excretion of toxic
materials. It also helps regulate body
temperature, so you must make sure that the
flock has a continuous water supply. Some
possible sources are tap water, rain water and
spring water but you always have to make sure
that they are not contaminated.

Energy - energy intake is usually computed in
calories. This is important because it helps the
chickens function well in a day to day basis,
especially in the production of eggs and meat.
The recommended daily energy levels for poultry
are 3,000 kcal for broilers and 2,800 for
layers. Energy sources include fat from seeds
and starch from tubers or grains.

Protein - basically, it is the amino acids that
make up proteins and these are derived from their
feeds. Some essential amino acids, like
methionine and lysine, cannot be synthesized by
the chicken's body, which make them reliant on
their food. Aside from feeds, other protein
sources are insects, fish and soybeans.

Vitamins - these are very important in helping
the poultry resistant to diseases and are also
crucial in the enzyme system. They are only
needed in small quantity but the shortage of
which can lead to disorders. Green vegetables,
fruit and animal products are some of the good
vitamin sources.

Minerals - these are vital in the formation and
development of bones, especially Phosphorus and
Calcium. The enzyme system is also dependent on
their trace elements. They are often added to
diets in the form of compounds and it is helpful
to identify the proportions of each element
present in them so that you can add just the
necessary amount in their diet. Mineral sources
include shells, bone-as and limestone.

Giving enough time to educate yourself on the
things that are essential to your business will
take you a long way. Knowing what to give the
flock will help you become extremely productive
in this endeavor.


----------------------------------------------------
More than two decades of experience in poultry
raising gives Kenny Oliver the authority to give
pieces of advice on this activity. His website,
http://mychickencoopplans.org/ shares a lot of
valuable knowledge on things such as chicken
coop design, which are highly beneficial for the
success of this endeavor. Visit his website today
to learn more.



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