Poultry feed type or a particular feed brand change in poultry production is one of the ways farmers indirectly cause destruction to their production. Changing the poultry feed for your poultry during your production is an important issue to consider.
Challenges faced in changing poultry feed
A colleague shared the experience of how changing his feed brand affected his flock’s egg-laying performance. In typical conditions, switching feed types, such as from grower to layer mash, is critical at a certain stage in production, but there was a scarcity of feed in his situation, forcing him to purchase formulated feed from a feed supply.
How to change the feed was nothing complicated to do. However, the effect was not minor enough to replicate in the future, so in this article, I’ll show you how to change feed for your birds to prevent such negative occurrences. When it comes to feeding, layers are extremely sensitive compared to broilers.
The goal now is to transition them to a new type of feed or brand from feed supplies, and we must be strategic in our approach to guarantee that the birds’ production runs smoothly.
How to change poultry feed for birds
1. Increase the appetite of the birds
How can you get birds to eat more? Before switching feeds, supplement their water with vitamins for at least 2 days. You can’t trust every product on the market, and it’s uncommon for a poultry farmer to investigate the nutritional value of the feed he or she buys from a company.
Except for vitamin C, all known vitamins are required for poultry. Some vitamins are fat-soluble, whereas others are water-soluble.
Providing these vitamins to your birds can also keep them stress-free and disease-free. You may want to look for a package of vitamins with the proper dosages at your local veterinary shop. They come in a variety of brands.
2. Rule 70/30 Feed Changing.
Remember that switching chicken feed should be done gradually so as not to disrupt production such as egg-laying. It’s important to remember that you should never run out of the current feed before bringing in the new one.
The 70/30 rule means that 70% of the current feed is mixed with 30% of the new feed. For example, 70% of your current brand is mixed with 30% of the new brand. The same applies to the type and this lasts for a day.
3. Rule 50/50 Feed Changing.
The second day on how to change feed in poultry follows the 50/50 principle, which requires 50 percent of your current feed and 50 percent of the new feed to be mixed together.
The birds will gradually adjust to the new feed, causing no interruption in the production or performance of the birds.
4. Rule 30/70 Feed Changing.
We’re gradually working our way up to the entire range of switching options. With this 30/70 we’ll need 30 percent of the present feed blended with 70% of the new feed for that. It’s really that simple.
5. Rule 100% Poultry Feed Changing
We’ve reached the end of the poultry feed changing exercise; now you may totally put the birds to the new feed, which isn’t unfamiliar to their system because they’ve adjusted gradually.
The purpose of going through this four-day gradual feed change is to help you monitor performance. In addition, If the birds show any signs of low productivity, they are easy to address.
Summary: How to Change Poultry Feed in Poultry Production
- Ensure birds are supplemented with vitamins for two days.
- Apply first rule 70/30.
- Next is to observe a 50/50 rule on how to change feed.
- This is followed by 30 percent of the current feed mixed with 70 percent of the new feed.
- Finally, supply your birds with 100 percent new feed.
- Note, do not run out of feed completely. Reserve a calculated amount for the gradual switch.
- Failure to change feed using a gradual procedure can lead to a drop in egg production, poor performance, and possible infections.
