Using Equal parts of each, generic values for each of the ingredients, and the best bulk pricing I could find with a quick internet search, that recipe is terrible. I've not corrrected for "as fed", which would lower all the numbers a little bit to account for moisture content of the feed ingredients (about 10%, on average).
Target numbers, according to USDA/NRCS, various extension offices, lots of studies, range from 16-20% protein, about 3.5% fiber +/-, and 3.5% fat +/-. I've seen fiber recommends for some birds up to 5% in some conditions, and fat recommends at 4.5% for waterfowl, as much as 6% in the finishing stage for CX birds being fattened for table.
That recipe comes out at $1.36/lb, or around $83 for a 50# bag (due mostly to the mealworms), correcting for "as fed" (mental math) is below 16% protein (just), at about 6.25% fiber (that's high), about 13.5% fat (that's 4x higher than target, and real risk for a host of illnesses, including fatty liver disease). Methionine levels don't meet minimum recommends (particularly bad for developing birds, but bad for body condition, regardless of age or gender) as they are key components of connective tissue building, Lysine is w/i target (2nd most critical amino acid in poultry), Threonine is at the bottom of target (just misses), and somehow Tryptophan is low - something that you almost never see in a (grain based) poultry diet. So the birds are not only getting too little protein, but the protein they are getting isn't AA balanmced for their needs, meaning they can't use it at optimum efficiency.
The calculator doesn't look for needed trace elements critical to a bird's health (Selenium, various vitamins, etc) that's beyond its current scope. Chances are, there are deficiencies.
Finally, look at that last number - MJ (energy)/Kg - there isn't a "right" number here, there are various feed methodologies involving high energy diets and low energy diets with particular outcomes in mind, but 16.43 MJ/kg is, relatively speaking, a HUGE number. There's a school of thought that a bird will eat only uintil it meets its energy needs, then stop feeding. The typical daily energy needs of a chicken are well below 1.64 MJ (assuming you feed 100g per day), meaning the chicken (if that school of thought holds true in this instance) won't eat all the food provided, rendering the offered feed mix even more deficient!
Now, I'm no expert. I thru the calculator together in a day. I used Feedipedia as my source for most of its data, for good or ill. I've only been studying poultry feed theory, casually, about 6 mo - trying to help out other posters who may not be as good searching the web as I am. But based on what little I do know, I'm quite confident in recommending AGAINST that feed mix, for reasons above.
and I hope this post illustrates why I continue to say that the more I know about feeding poultry, the less inclined I am to try and homebrew a recipe.
Target numbers, according to USDA/NRCS, various extension offices, lots of studies, range from 16-20% protein, about 3.5% fiber +/-, and 3.5% fat +/-. I've seen fiber recommends for some birds up to 5% in some conditions, and fat recommends at 4.5% for waterfowl, as much as 6% in the finishing stage for CX birds being fattened for table.
That recipe comes out at $1.36/lb, or around $83 for a 50# bag (due mostly to the mealworms), correcting for "as fed" (mental math) is below 16% protein (just), at about 6.25% fiber (that's high), about 13.5% fat (that's 4x higher than target, and real risk for a host of illnesses, including fatty liver disease). Methionine levels don't meet minimum recommends (particularly bad for developing birds, but bad for body condition, regardless of age or gender) as they are key components of connective tissue building, Lysine is w/i target (2nd most critical amino acid in poultry), Threonine is at the bottom of target (just misses), and somehow Tryptophan is low - something that you almost never see in a (grain based) poultry diet. So the birds are not only getting too little protein, but the protein they are getting isn't AA balanmced for their needs, meaning they can't use it at optimum efficiency.
The calculator doesn't look for needed trace elements critical to a bird's health (Selenium, various vitamins, etc) that's beyond its current scope. Chances are, there are deficiencies.
Finally, look at that last number - MJ (energy)/Kg - there isn't a "right" number here, there are various feed methodologies involving high energy diets and low energy diets with particular outcomes in mind, but 16.43 MJ/kg is, relatively speaking, a HUGE number. There's a school of thought that a bird will eat only uintil it meets its energy needs, then stop feeding. The typical daily energy needs of a chicken are well below 1.64 MJ (assuming you feed 100g per day), meaning the chicken (if that school of thought holds true in this instance) won't eat all the food provided, rendering the offered feed mix even more deficient!
Now, I'm no expert. I thru the calculator together in a day. I used Feedipedia as my source for most of its data, for good or ill. I've only been studying poultry feed theory, casually, about 6 mo - trying to help out other posters who may not be as good searching the web as I am. But based on what little I do know, I'm quite confident in recommending AGAINST that feed mix, for reasons above.
and I hope this post illustrates why I continue to say that the more I know about feeding poultry, the less inclined I am to try and homebrew a recipe.
+1. Nothing more to say from me.
