The best composition and proportions of mixed feed for chickens, cooking at home
A properly composed diet is the key to active growth and development of layers. Factory-made or self-mixed mixed feed for chickens is the best nutritional option. When compiling them, several factors are taken into account: the age of the bird, the season, the availability of purchasing components. It is important to choose a formula that is suitable for feeding a specific group of birds.
Compound feed in the diet of layers
It is quite possible to replace conventional grain mixtures with full-range chicken feeds and make them the only nutritional option.
Chicken feed composition
For laying hens, manufacturers produce several types of feed. When choosing, take into account the age of the bird:
- balanced feed PK-2 made of corn, wheat, soybean and sunflower meal, fish meal, vitamin and mineral supplements are made for young animals;
- for feeding adult layers, a mixture of PC-1 is used, consisting of wheat, meat and bone meal, sunflower oil, feed yeast, vitamins and minerals.
The list of ingredients and percentage is determined according to GOST. It is only necessary to take into account that an excess / lack of protein provokes a deterioration in egg production in chickens.
Feeding rates
The diet is made up based on certain standards. Approximate feed composition for laying hens:
- grain of cereals / legumes - 45/5 g, respectively;
- mealy food - 20 g;
- meal, yeast - 7 g each;
- animal feed - 5 g;
- green food (root crops) - 55 g;
- mineral supplements - 7 g;
- salt - 0.5 g
Advice! When compiling the mixture, take into account the season. The summer diet is varied, and the winter diet is made more dietary.
How to give correctly?
Bird feeding is divided into several stages. Recommended schedule: 8:00 in the morning, 13:00 for lunch and dinner at 18:00. If in summer the bird is released for free lunch grazing, then food is given twice a day (the main portion is poured in the morning). In winter, a three-time feeding schedule is observed.
Consumption rates of compound feed
Poultry nutrition should be strictly dosed, since overfeeding and underfeeding are equally harmful to health. The rates are calculated taking into account the age of the chickens.
| Bird age (in weeks) | Feed rate per day, g | Mixed feed weight for the period, g |
| from 1 to 3 | 15-28 | 400 |
| from 4 to 8 | 35-50 | 1300 |
| from 9 to 16 | 55-70 | 2200 |
| from 17 to 20 | 72-90 | 3500 |
| from 21 to 27 | 95-105 | 5700 |
| from 28 to 45 | 115-120 | 15000 |
| from 46 to 65 | 120 | 17000 |
How to choose chicken feed?
The balanced feed contains all the nutrients needed for laying hens.When choosing a mixture, take into account the age of layers, seasonality. Among the variety of manufacturers of compound feed, several of the most popular can be distinguished. The top lines of the rating are occupied by: "Cherkizovo Group", "Prioskolye", "Miratorg", "Cargill", "Rusagro". Among the import suppliers of compound feed, the top three leaders include the British concern "AB Agri", the group of companies "Addcon", the French company "Adisseo SAS".
DIY compound feed
If you have time, you can make food with your own hands in order to save time searching for a reliable manufacturer and money for delivery. Mixing the ingredients is easy at home. It is important to choose the right composition and observe proportions. And then it is easy to prepare a complete feed.
Percentage
The source of carbohydrates and the basic component is grain, the proportion of which can be up to 80%. The protein part will be provided by legumes, part of which is up to 45%. On cake, meal (sources of amino acids) accounts for up to 25%. The proportions of the components are, depending on the age of the chickens, seasonality.
What components to use
Since the composition of the feed affects the egg production of poultry, a balanced diet must be prepared. The diet is filled with carbohydrates, protein components, fats, vitamin and mineral supplements.
Concentrated (cereal)
These components contain about 70% of easily digestible carbohydrates. It is advisable to use 2-3 types of cereals (corn, oats, wheat, rye, buckwheat, barley). To choose the optimal set, you need to track which cereal the chickens peck up more actively. Before the grain is added to the mixture, it is crushed or ground.
Bulky
The ingredients contain a lot of fiber, vitamins that will reduce the risks of obesity. The food is enriched with juicy fresh herbs, roots, fruits, vegetables, berries, silage. If you want to get an egg with a yolk of a rich orange color, add carrots and pumpkin to the diet of layers. Components of a rough structure (hay, dust) are used in winter.
Animal origin
These are foods that are high in protein. Producers mix meat processing plant waste and fish residues in feed. At home, you can use dairy products, which will also be a source of calcium.
Yeast
In a mixture of various types (grain, juicy, vitamin) yeast is added to increase nutritional value. Yeast contains iron, phosphorus, proteins, proteins, a complex of vitamins. The additive (100 g of yeast per 10 kg of feed) is introduced into a warm mixture and kept for 6-9 hours (yeast lasts).
Important! The feed should be used within a couple of hours, as the mixture then turns sour and becomes unusable.
Cooking process
When creating a feed, the components must be thoroughly mixed. The easiest way is to work with ingredients of the same fraction. If different fractions are used, it is recommended to add a little water / whey to the feed.
Basic recipes
When preparing any mixtures, it is recommended to use all components in the appropriate amount. Popular recipes:
| Composition 1, in grams | Composition 2, in grams |
| Corn, 500 Wheat, 100-130 Barley, 80 Peas, 30 Sunflower meal, 85 Bone meal, fish, 68 each Yeast, 60 Herbal flour, 60 Salt, 2 | Wheat, 400-500 Barley, 100-200 Wheat bran, 50 Vegetable oil, 20 Meat flour, 35-70 Chalk, 26-30 Salt, 3 |
Chick options
For feeding young chickens, mixtures of finely ground cereals are prepared. The approximate composition of the mixture for chickens of egg breeds, taking into account the weekly age:
| Component, grams | Age | |||
| 1-8 | 9-21 | 21-47 | from 48 | |
| Corn | 30 | 30 | 34 | 40 |
| Wheat | 38 | 48 | 30 | 20 |
| Sunflower meal | 17 | 2 | 13 | 11 |
| Yeast | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Herbal flour | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| a piece of chalk | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Salt | – | 0,4 | 1 | 1 |
Diet mistakes
The quality of the compound feed affects the health of the birds, their ability to lay eggs and the quality of the eggs. Therefore, it is necessary to exclude common mistakes when drawing up a diet and preparing a mixture:
- ready-made feed is never supplemented with vitamin supplements (they are already in the mixtures);
- if in the warm season the bird pecks the grass on the pasture, then additional portions of greens are not added to the feed;
- It is not recommended to grind cereals into flour, as large lumps form in the feed when liquid is added.
It is advisable to acquire a granulator in order to independently transform the dry mixture into granules of the desired size (chickens are fed with small granules, and an adult bird with larger ones). Correctly selected components and proportions will improve the nutritional value and digestibility of the feed. Thanks to this, the bird will actively grow. High-quality feed will increase the productivity of chickens.
