With
the rising cost of poultry feeds, farmers rearing chickens are
increasingly finding it difficult to make profit from poultry keeping.
While it is difficult for farmers to formulate feeds for hybrid chickens
such as broilers and layers, they can do so for their indigenous
chickens or dual-purpose breeds such as Kenbro under intensive
management system. This can be done using the PearsonSquare method.
However,
this is only possible if farmers have the right quality of ingredients
or raw material for formulating feeds. The Pearson Square method relies
on the Digestible Crude Protein (DCP) as the basic nutritional
requirement for feed. The most common ingredients used are whole maize,
maize germ, cotton seed cake, soya beans, sunflower or omena (fishmeal).
Example 1: Feed for Layers
Assuming
that the farmer wants to make feed for their chickens using the Pearson
Square method, they have to know the crude protein content of each of
the ingredients used in feed making. The farmer may use whole maize
(8.23 % DCP) Soya (45 % DCP) Omena (55 % DCP) and maize bran (7 % DCP)
Sunflower (35 % DCP). To make a 70 kg bag of feed for layers, a farmer
would require the following ingredients:
34 kg of whole maize
12 kg of Soya
8 kg of omena
10 kg of maize bran
6 kg of Lime (as a calcium source)
Each
category of chickens has its own requirements in terms of nutrition.
For example, feed for layers should have at least 18 per cent crude
protein. If one were to formulate feed for layers, then they would have
to calculate the percentage of digestible crude protein in each of the
ingredients to ensure that the total crude protein content is at least
18 per cent to meet this nutritional requirement. To find out if the
feed meets this standard, a farmer can do a simple calculation as
follows:
Whole maize = 34 kg x 8.23 ÷100 = 2.80 kg
Soya bean = 12 kg x 45 ÷ 100 = 5.40 kg
Omena = 8 kg x 55 ÷ 100 = 4.40 kg
Maize bran = 10 kg x 7 ÷ 100 = 0.70 kg
Lime = 6 kg x 0 ÷ 100 = 0.00 kg
(Total crude protein 13.30 kg)
To
get the total crude protein content of all these ingredients in a 70 kg
bag, you take the total crude protein content of the combined
ingredients, divide by 70 and multiply by 100 thus, (13.30÷70) x 100 =
19.0 %. This shows that the crude protein percentage in the above feed
formulation is 19.0 % which is suitable for layers. Before mixing the
feed, whole maize including the other ingredients has to be broken into
the right sizes through crushing or milling to make it palatable for the
chickens. Add 250 g of table salt on every 70 kg bag of feed.
Feed for chickens meant for meat
Chickens
meant for meat production require feed with a higher content of DCP.
From the first to the fourth week, the chicks require feed with a DCP
content of between 22 to 24 per cent. From the fourth to the eighth
week, the chicks require feed with a protein content of 21 to 22 per
cent crude protein. To attain this requirement, farmers can formulate
feed using the same method given above. To make a 70 kg bags of feed,
they will need to have all the right the ingredients in the proportions
given below:
Whole maize = 40 kg x 8.23 ÷ 100 = 3.20 kg
Omena = 12 kg x 55 ÷ 100 = 6.60 kg
Soya beans = 14 kg x 45 ÷ 100 = 6.30 kg
Lime = 4 kg x 0 ÷ 100 = 0.00 kg
(Total crude protein 16.10 kg)
To
determine if a 70 kg bag of feed has adequate crude protein content for
birds meant for meat production, the same methods is used: (16. 10 ÷
70) x 100 = 23 %. The feed given in this example has a total crude
protein content of 23 % which is adequate to feed chicken in this
category. In every 70 kg bag of feed, add 250g of table salt.
Ration for kienyeji chickens
Indigenous
chickens are less productive in terms of egg and meat increase. They
may not require intensive feeding and management. For this category of
chickens, farmers can constitute feeds with a DCP of between 15 – 16 %.
They can use the following formulation to make feeds for the indigenous
chickens:
Whole maize = 33 kg x 8.23 ÷100 = 2.70 kg
Maize or wheat bran = 14 kg x 7 ÷ 100 = 0.98 kg
Omena = 7 kg x 55 ÷ 100 = 3.85 kg
Soya = 7 kg x 45 ÷ 100 = 3.15 kg
Lime = 5 kg x 0 ÷ 100 = 0.00 kg
(Total crude protein 10.68 kg)
Percentage of total crude Protein in the ingredients = (10.68 ÷70) x 100 = 15.25 %
For
farmers rearing hybrid layers and broilers, it is advisable to buy
already constituted feeds from reputable companies that sell quality
feed. The main reason is that it is very difficult for farmers to
constitute micronutrients such as amino-acids, trace minerals, fat and
water soluble vitamins that these breeds of chicken require for proper
growth.
To be sure that their feed is of the right
quality, farmers can send a sample of the constituted feeds for testing
and advice to KARI Naivasha, which has modern equipment for testing feed
quality. A sample costs Ksh 1,000 to test. Send samples by courier to
the following address: KARI Naivasha P.O. Box 25, 20117 Naivasha, Tel.
0726 264 032. Results are ready within a day.
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