Feed is one of the success factors for keeping chickens. But please also note, that of all expenditures for chicken farming, feed costs take the most allocation of 70%. Therefore, you should pay attention to the form of feed that is suitable for your chickens so that the costs incurred are not in vain. The form of feed that suits the needs of chickens can accelerate their growth and development.
So, how many forms of chicken feed are there?
Relax, the answer to the above question you can find in this article. This time, we invite you to find out the forms of chicken feed. Without lingering any longer, let’s just see the full description below.
Mash (flour)
Mash is a fine form feed that contains balanced food substances and is produced from grinding balanced ingredients and then mixed together. This form is a commonly seen form of feed, usually given to laying hens grower and layer phase. The mash form of feed has both advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
The composition of the feed is even or homogeneous.
It is easily absorbed by chicken intestines, so its efficiency is better.
Disadvantages
- Feed is often attached to the beak.
- Easily splattered and not palatable.
- The feed in the feed bin must be stirred frequently.
- This form of feed tends to stick to the feed bin, making it difficult for livestock to eat it.
- The mash feed form has larger pores, thereby increasing the moisture content if stored for too long.
Judging from the advantages and disadvantages can be concluded that this form of feed causes chickens can not choose the preferred feed. This is because the nature and way of eating chickens prefer to eat granular and colored feed. Therefore, the form of mas / flour is less preferred by chickens.
Pellets
This form is a development of the mash/ flour form usually given to layer phase laying hens and finisher phase broilers. Pellets are a form of feed derived from various feed ingredients with a calculated and determined composition ratio. The material is processed using a pellet machine (pelletizer) to reduce the loss of nutrients in a more intact form. This form of feed also has advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
- The pellet shape is not easily attached to the feeder and beak, so that no food is scattered.
- Stimulates appetite, as chickens prefer granular feed.
- Pelletized feed tends to reduce the amount of feed lost in the litter compared to mash.
- Has good feed conversion.
- Chickens are not picky eaters.
Disadvantages
- Chickens will drink more.
- The possibility of damage to certain food substances during the manufacturing process.
Crumble
This form is a further development of the pellet form. Crumble is a form of feed produced from a mixture of feed ingredients on a pellet machine which is then crushed pellets with a coarser size than the mash form. Crumble form of feed is usually given to broiler chickens (starter phase) and layer chickens (starter, grower, and layer phases).
Feeding in the form of crumble is expected to better ensure a mixture of feed ingredients, including bioactive in the feed more homogeneous. Thus, the bioactive given in the feed can be consumed by the chicken livestock entirely. Crumble form feed gives better results, because bioactive can mix homogeneously in the feed consumed. This form has advantages and disadvantages, namely :
Advantages
- Reduces the amount of feed lost in the litter.
- Has high palatability.
- Crumble form feed has dustless properties and is easy to consume.
- Can increase feeding efficiency.
- Increase feed consumption and improve chicken performance.
- Produces good feed conversion.
- The distribution of feed ingredients is more even.
- Not scattered when eaten by chickens.
Disadvantages
Easily damaged during transportation and storage, because the structure is less strong and compact, so it is easily destroyed.
Kibble
Kibble form feed is a mixture of pellets, mash, and broken grain. This form is rarely used, only certain feed factories use it. This form of feed is usually given to layer phase laying hens.
These are the types of chicken you need to know. Hopefully with this, it can help you in planning feed management to increase the profits of your chicken farm. Don’t miss other interesting and informative information from the blog Ganeeta.com next! May be useful and successful greetings to you.