POULTRY FARMING AND FEED FORMULATIONS

CLASSIFICATION OF CHICKEN ON THE BASIS OF COMMERCIAL PURPOSE

Layers

They are poultry birds raised for the purpose of laying. They require adequate management (Good

feeding, bio-security, vaccination). Poor management can result into drop in eggs production and can

even pave way for disease outbreak which can wipe off the whole flock. Vaccination program should be

strictly followed. Vaccination program is done on the basis of disease prevalent in the area where they

are being raised. Lasota, gumboro, Fowl pox, ND + E coli etc must be given appropriately. If not done

properly, vaccine failure can occur. It's important that sick birds shouldn't be vaccinated. Vaccination

should be done on the cooler part of the day, during transportation, vaccine should be maintained at

cold chain, lack of adherence to all these can cause vaccine failure.

Production of layers require patience and good management. Unlike broilers, you have to weigh their

feed because they have standard quantity of feed requirement per age and weight. There's something

we call grading, this has to be done every week to determine feed conversion and feed efficiency. Your

result is what will determine the quantity of feed each bird will eat per day throughout the week. With

that, you will have a uniform flock and performances. And the fact that you have the knowledge of feed

formulation and production will be an added advantage. This is because, when you notice that you are

not comfortable with the performance/ production you are getting from your birds, you will know which

nutrient should be increased or decreased

Broilers

They are raised for the purpose of meat production. They mature for table as early as 8 weeks. Under

good management, feeding and bio-security, they can reach up to 6kg body weight. They also require

vaccination, more calcium in their feed to be able to carry their body weight. Lack of adequate quantity

of calcium can result into paralysis because they wouldn't be able to carry their body weight and move

around.

Cockerel

They are raised for breeding purposes. It's therefore essential that their feeding should be adequately

controlled.

They must not overweight because once this happens, when it's time for mating, their weight will be

suppressing that of layers and the layers will in turn avoid mating resulting in production of infertile eggs

Kuroiler

Its produced by crossing male broiler with exotic pullet. Kuroiler is a foreign breed whereas noilers is

produced by Amo hatchery. Kuroiler and Noiler chickens are easier to raise and manage than others.

They look like local chicken but they have high survivability than them and also produce more meat.

They can be raised for eggs production and meat production. They have high growth rate. Just like local

breeds, they can adapt well to extreme conditions. They can be raised in cages, deep litter or allow to

scavenge for food. They are cheaper than broilers and layers. They are cheaper to raise and maintain.

They have high resistance to diseases compare to layers,broilers etc. But this doesn't implies that they

shouldn't be managed properly. They should be housed. It's advisable to raise them either under
intensive or semi intensive system. This will help to prevent loss to predators ( snakes, dogs). They

should be adequately managed, vaccinated and fed well for optimum performance.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN SOURCING AND PROCUREMENT OF FEED INGREDIENTS

 Availability of feed ingredients

 Cost of ingredients

 Nutrients composition and availability

 Palatability and suitability

 Quality of protein

1. Availability of feed ingredients:

This is a very important factor to consider in feed formulation. Ingredients to be used in feed production

should be locally available. So, preference should be paid to ingredients that are locally available than

those that would be sourced from a far location. This is because locally available ingredients are cheaper

and easier to transport.

2. Cost of ingredients:

This is a major factor that must be considered in feed manufacturing, the cost of feed ingredients will

ultimately determine the cost of the manufactured feed. The major focus of farmers is efficient

production. Efficient production can only be possible when appropriate ingredients are used in feed

production. Least cost ingredients should be used in feed manufacturing. This is because, using

ingredients of high cost will result into high cost of production.

3. Quality of protein:
There is a recommended standard on the quantity of protein require/ age of bird. Attention should be

paid to the quality and quantity of protein fed to the birds in order to supply all the needed essential

amino acid.

4. Palatability and suitability

The kind of feed that's produced for birds should not injure their health or affect their production. The

kind of feed suitable for chicks aren't suitable for layers. Palatability of feed is also very important in

feed manufacturing because it will enhance adequate consumption and performance of the birds.

Palatable feed can only be produced from good feed ingredients.

5. Nutrients composition and availability:

This is a very important factor that must be given good consideration. Formulation should be based on

the knowledge of each feed ingredients because, some feed ingredients are meant to be used in smaller

quantities than others. Using feed ingredient that's meant to be used in lower quantity at higher

quantity due to ignorance will have a negative Impact on the birds.