The process of growing a variety of poultry, such as chickens, turkeys, emus, ducks, geese, etc. for eggs or meat is known as poultry farming. This has been a widespread practice in Nigeria for a very long time and has become an essential component of farming and farming systems.Therefore, more and more people start poultry farming. How to feed chickens and the choice of chicken feed are the primary considerations for farmers. There are six types of chicken feed you should know, including the starter chicken feed, grower chicken feed, layer chicken feed, mash chicken feed, crumble chicken feed and pellet chicken feed.
Starter chicken feed
As the name suggests, starter feed is fed just after chicks hatch. Starter feed is protein dense (usually 20-24% protein) and designed to meet the dietary requirements of baby chicks. Generally speaking baby chicks can live comfortably on a diet of starter feed and water for the first 6 weeks of their life before progressing onto grower feed. The high protein content, usually between 20-24%, helps young chicks grow into playful pullets, however it’s imperative that you phase out the starter feed once they are 6 weeks old, otherwise the excess protein can cause liver damage.For starters, feeding chicks must be done with care, and be sure to consult a poultry specialist or an experienced farmer if unsure about the feed.
Grower chicken feed
Grower feed is in many ways like feeding chickens to chickens. The dietary requirements of 6- to 20-week-old chickens are very different from chicks. Basically, grower feeds are between 16-18% protein but lower in calcium than regular laying hen feeds. And don’t feed them with unnecessary vitamins and minerals. Once your girls start laying eggs, this is a good sign that they are ready for laying hen feed.
Layer chicken feed
Laying hens at maturity (around 22 weeks of age) require a 16 to 18 percent protein level and extra calcium and minerals for strong eggshells. Don’t feed layer rations to birds younger than this age as it damages their kidneys due to the high amounts of calcium and phosphorus. However, roosters can eat laying rations.
Mash chicken feed
Mash is a loose, unprocessed form of chicken feed that is commonly fed to baby chicks since it is very easy to digest. However, mash varieties of chicken feed are suitable for chickens of any age. Mash can also be combined with hot water to create feed with a porridge-like texture that many chickens love.
Crumble chicken feed
Crumbles are initially formulated just like the pellets. The ingredients are mixed, warmed, and made into pellets. After pellets have been formed, there is one more step in the process to turn the feed into crumbles. The pellets are put into a tumbler or crusher and are crumbled into smaller particle sizes to make a crumble feed. Each crumble contains the exact same ingredients.
Pellet chicken feed
Pellet chicken feed is made by combining the proper ingredients to formulate a nutritionally complete diet for chickens. The ingredients are then all mixed together, warmed, and compressed into pellets. Each pellet will contain approximately the same exact nutritional value. The pellets provide the finer aspects of the diet, like protein, vitamins and minerals. Most Nigerian farmers will choose pellet feed and buy feed for feeding. However, due to the high price of feed in the local market, farmers will choose to buy a poultry feed machine to make their own feed, which will save a part of the cost, and the feed made by themselves is healthy and hygienic.
Henan Lima is a professional company in the design and research, manufacture, sales, and service of poultry machinery. The chicken feed pellet machine is widely used to produce pellets for animals,such as chicken,pig,horse,cattle and other poultry and livestock animal.It mainly suitable for poultry farms and feed plant. Different production capacity from 60kg/h to 18ton/h ,which meets your needs.
