Poultry feed ingredients play a crucial role in the overall cost of producing eggs or meat from poultry, accounting for about 60 to 70 percent of the total cost. The majority of the feed cost, approximately 95 percent, is allocated to meet energy and protein requirements, while 3 percent is dedicated to major minerals, trace minerals, and vitamin needs. The remaining 2 percent covers various feed additives.

When selecting feed ingredients, it is essential to consider their nutrient content, absence of anti-nutritional or toxic factors, palatability, effect on voluntary feed intake, and cost. Knowledge of which specific feed ingredients are necessary and how they should be used in poultry diets is also important.

Poultry diets are formulated by assembling a mixture of ingredients based on a least-cost approach, taking into account their nutrient content and unit prices.

ENERGY SOURCES

Cereal grains are a significant contributor to meeting the energy requirements of poultry. However, their quality can be affected by seasonal and storage conditions. Poor growing or storage conditions can lead to grains with lower-than-expected energy content or contamination with mycotoxins or toxin-producing organisms. Environmental factors also influence the nutrient content and digestibility of grains.

While the amounts and types of cereal grains used in poultry diets depend on their current costs relative to their nutritive values, caution must be exercised to avoid sudden changes to the cereal component of diets, as this can cause digestive upsets and reduce productivity, making birds more susceptible to diseases.

Maize (corn) is widely used as an energy source for both meat and egg-laying birds. It is high in energy but low in protein. However, the available protein in maize is of poor quality due to deficiencies in tryptophan and lysine, necessitating the provision of supplemental amino acids. Newer hybrid varieties of maize often have a lower protein content than older open-pollinated varieties.

Yellow maize, which contains higher protein content and yellow pigmentation, is beneficial for producing yellow egg yolks and yellow-fleshed broilers.

Low-tannin sorghum is another energy source that meets similar criteria as maize. It can be cultivated in low-rainfall areas and is popular in hot, drought-prone regions. While many older sorghum varieties have high tannin content, which limits their use in poultry diets, newer low-tannin varieties are available and can be used without limitation.

The energy value of low-tannin sorghum is approximately 90 to 95 percent that of maize. Millet, which has a higher protein content than maize, is also an energy source with similar feeding value to barley. It is especially useful for promoting the production of white fat in poultry diets.

However, millet is prone to fungal infection during the dry season, which can produce toxins harmful to both humans and poultry.

Wheat is another energy source with a slightly lower energy content than maize but higher protein content. It is highly glutinous and should be limited to 30 percent of the diet in ground condition. Higher levels can be used if the wheat is fed whole.

Barley, on the other hand, has a protein content of 10 percent and a fiber content of seven percent in grain form, making it unsuitable for highly productive laying birds and broilers, particularly under hot climate conditions.

However, hydroponically produced barley has improved nutritive value, with increased protein content (16 percent) and lower fiber content (1 percent). Barley in grain form can be used in broiler breeders to reduce feed intake.

Rice is a valuable ingredient due to its high starch content and low oil content. However, threshed rice with its thick, fibrous husk, which contains 20 percent silica, can have adverse effects on poultry performance.

Cereal by-products, such as maize bran and maize meal, are typically high in fiber and low in energy. Maize bran contains 15 percent fiber and is not suitable for inclusion in the diet of high-producing broilers and layers. Wheat bran, consisting mostly of the coarse outer coating of the wheat seed, has about 10 percent fiber and better-quality protein than wheat or maize.

It is rich in phosphorus, making it one of the highest among common feed ingredients. Rice bran, a by-product of rice, is high in fiber and oil, but its inclusion in poultry diets should not exceed 20 percent of the total ration due to the risk of spoilage.

Wheat pollard, a mixture of fine wheat bran and wheat meal, is more digestible than wheat bran, with a lower fiber content and a relatively high protein content (14–16 percent). Brewer's dried grains, a by-product of barley or sorghum, are high in fiber (14 percent) and of limited value to poultry due to their high fiber content. Molasses, although considered an energy source, should be used in limited amounts (not exceeding 2 percent of the diet) due to its adverse effects on poultry, such as diarrhea and sticking to feathers.

Roots and tubers are generally not recommended as ingredients in poultry diets due to their low dry matter and the presence of glucosides. If used, the tubers should be thinly sliced and dried in the sun to reduce the moisture content from 65 percent to 14 percent.

This drying process also helps reduce cyanide levels to acceptable levels. However, roots and tubers have a low protein content and an amino acid balance that differ significantly from the requirements of poultry.

PROTEIN SOURCES

Plant protein sources, typically in the form of meal or cake, are by-products of oilseed crops. After the extraction of oil, the remaining residue is used as a feed ingredient. Oilseed meals usually make up 20–25 percent of a poultry diet. Soybean is the most suitable plant protein source for poultry due to its good balance of essential amino acids, which complements most cereal-based diets.

Raw soybeans contain anti-nutritional factors that can impede digestion and bird performance, but these factors are eliminated through heat treatment during oil extraction. Groundnut meal obtained from de-husked groundnuts is suitable for poultry feed due to its low fiber content.

Its protein quality is similar to that of soybean meal, but it is often contaminated with aflatoxins. Cottonseed meal, rich in gossypol, a substance poisonous to birds and causing anemia, diarrhea, and paralysis, is rarely used in poultry diets. Proper processing of cottonseed during oil extraction converts gossypol to a less poisonous form. Sunflower meal, obtained from de-husked seeds, is highly palatable and has a longer shelf life.

Overheating during the extraction process can destroy the essential amino acid lysine in sunflower meal. Linseed meal, while not effectively supplementing the protein in maize or other grains, is rich in phosphorus and calcium.

However, its inclusion in poultry diets should not exceed 3 to 5 percent, as higher levels can hinder growth and cause diarrhea. Alfalfa meal is used in poultry diets due to its high carotenoid content, but its inclusion should be limited to 10 percent.

Animal protein meals are valuable sources of essential amino acids, energy, and minerals like calcium and phosphorus. However, amino acid availability can vary due to differences in inputs and processing conditions. Fishmeal, a high-quality protein feed ingredient, is rich in essential amino acids, vitamin B12, choline, calcium, phosphorus, and riboflavin.

Proper storage is essential to maintaining its quality, especially in hot climates. Inclusion rates above 10 percent may affect the quality of poultry meat and eggs, particularly if low-quality fishmeal is used. Meat and bone meal, made from the carcasses of farm animals not affected by diseases that can be transferred to poultry, is a good source of essential amino acids and minerals.

Antioxidants should be added to prevent deterioration. Feather meal can also be used as a protein source, but it requires proper processing to prevent the risk of infecting birds with diseases, such as salmonella bacteria.