Full chicken nutritional requirements?

[Ebarnes-21]

Ok Purina, I think you're just the people to have the info I'm looking for.

I want to know the full, detailed nutritional requirements for chickens.
Specifically, Laying hens of a heavy breed.

Don't spare me the details ... I love details ... I want to know their requirements of everything from protein and carbohydrate through to selenium and folic acid.

It should be able to be expressed as a simple list of nutrients and either quantities per hen per day, or percentage of total ration.

If available, I'd like minimum and maximum amounts.

As a feed manufacturer, I expect you have this as a chart already?

Thanks in advance

 

[GitaBooks]

I'd like to see that too! That would be cool!

I will add that technically each animal is an individual and depending on genetics, weather, age, laying status, breed, size, feather type and so much more vary in what nutrients they need. Most studies are done on indoor only laying hens from hatching to 1-2 years-old.

 

[Ebarnes-21]

I'd like to see that too! That would be cool!

I will add that technically each animal is an individual and depending on genetics, weather, age, laying status, breed, size, feather type and so much more vary in what nutrients they need. Most studies are done on indoor only laying hens from hatching to 1-2 years-old.

Yes true of course, that is why I specified Laying, heavy breed ... at least those are the two biggest factors, and fairly common, as it is usual to recommend 14-16% protein for light layers and 16-18 for heavy, I'm thinking the differences between those two are pretty well known. The differences between laying vs non-laying are definitely well known.

It would be very interesting to see all the different categories too!

Of course, the only way you can accurately determine the needs of a chicken is to study an indoor chicken whose diet is actually known and every factor can be accounted for ... for instance you could never calculate the vitamin A needs of a free range chicken by studying the levels in the provided feed ... you would conclude a chicken needs no A ... but truly she was just getting plenty from her grass.

Given the figures reached on indoor birds, those of us who keep their birds outdoors will have to account for the greens and bugs as part of the diet, and the sunlight as part of the vitamin D etc.

 

[DrPatrickBiggs]

Ok Purina, I think you're just the people to have the info I'm looking for.

I want to know the full, detailed nutritional requirements for chickens.
Specifically, Laying hens of a heavy breed.

Don't spare me the details ... I love details ... I want to know their requirements of everything from protein and carbohydrate through to selenium and folic acid.

It should be able to be expressed as a simple list of nutrients and either quantities per hen per day, or percentage of total ration.

If available, I'd like minimum and maximum amounts.

As a feed manufacturer, I expect you have this as a chart already?

Thanks in advance

Good question!

Here is a page from the 9th edition of the Nutrient Requirements of Poultry (1994). This is the most current update. This is the chart that all poultry nutritionists work from with regard to the nutrient requirements of laying hens.

You can download a pdf of the entire book at the following address: http://bit.ly/2f26q2F

 

[Ebarnes-21]

Thanks Patrick, that really helps!