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| Programme 3: Feed Formulation Service
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| Every year the
marketing age of broilers improves by an average of 0.75 days. This trend is
likely to continue in the coming years. Tremendous improvement is being
observed in the genetic capacity of broilers, layers and breeders. The
following pictures reveal the improvement in the genetic capacity of poultry
over the years. |
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BROILER |
BROILER BREEDERS |
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Performance: Know-edge Nutrition |
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In maximizing performance nutrition plays a vital role. As the feed cost
represents an expensive input, poultry producers need to be aware of the
dynamics of feed and its influence on final product quality and quantity.
Formulating feeds ideally requires in-depth knowledge on several critical
parameters from deciding how much energy needs to be fixed in the diet,
balancing the amino acids in the diet and balancing the feed for electrolytes
etc., which otherwise, if not properly adhered, will negatively influence the
performance and profitability of the business.
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Further in
light of environmental challenges and disease outbreaks, it is even more
challenging to extract the fullest genetic capacity of the birds.
Avitech, with almost four decades of experience in the poultry industry,
understands poultry nutrition well and through its experience is able to
provide nutrition solutions for different classes of poultry. Nutritionists at
Avitech look at several critical parameters whilst formulating feed |
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| Table I: An idea of varying
digestibility |
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| Methionine |
Total
AA |
Digestible
AA |
Digestible
% |
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| Lysine |
Total
AA |
Digestible
AA |
Digestible
% |
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| Threonine |
Total
AA |
Digestible
AA |
Digestible
% |
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| Corn |
| Wheat |
Rice polish
Defatted |
| Soy meal 44 |
| Rapeseed |
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| 0.19 |
0.18 |
94.7 |
| 0.18 |
0.16 |
88.9 |
| 0.34 |
0.27 |
79.4 |
| 0.6 |
0.53 |
88.3 |
| 0.75 |
0.65 |
86.7 |
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| 0.26 |
0.21 |
80.8 |
| 0.33 |
0.27 |
81.8 |
| 0.64 |
0.49 |
76.6 |
| 2.74 |
2.38 |
86.9 |
| 2.03 |
1.46 |
71.9 |
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| 0.32 |
0.27 |
84.4 |
| 0.33 |
0.28 |
84.8 |
| 0.5 |
0.44 |
88.0 |
| 1.72 |
1.42 |
82.6 |
| 1.53 |
1.11 |
72.5 |
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Important Parameters- Formulating Feed |
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| 1. Judging the Nutritive value of
raw materials |
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Raw materials are purchased based on price, availability and
nutritive value. However raw materials vary on their nutritive value from
time-to-time, source-to-source and batch-to-batch. It is a very important task
to assess nutritive value exactly each time to ensure the feed being
manufactured is of the desired quality.
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| 2. Digestibility of
amino acids
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In general, an average of 90% digestibility is considered
whilst formulating feed or feed formulations are based on only total amino
acids. Since raw materials vary in their digestibility, it is necessary to
consider digestible amino acids whilst formulating the feed to ensure optimum
performance. Table 1 provides an idea of the varying digestibility of amino
acids in different raw materials.
From this, it is clear that formulations based on digestible amino acids will
deliver improved results.
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| 3. ME to digestible amino acid ratio |
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Environmental temperature and energy content of the feed are key factors that
determine the feed intake of the bird. Other nutrients are normally adjusted
based on the feed intake of the bird. There exists a relationship between the
energy and digestible amino acids, which, if maintained,will enable adjustment
of crude protein levels in the diet, thereby reducing the feed cost without
compromising the performance. Avitech, through its experience, has arrived at
ideal ME to digestible amino acids ratios and inter amino acid relationships
etc. and these parameters are routinely implemented in Avitech’s formulation
services.
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| 4. Electrolyte balancing |
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| Balancing
electrolytes in poultry feed is essential in order to spare the bird energy in
attempting to do the same. Apart from salts such as Sodium Chloride, Sodium
Bi-carbonate and Potassium Chloride etc., electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium and
Chloride) are also derived from feed raw materials. Electrolytes are further
derived from feed additives like Chloride from Lysine Hydrochloride, Choline
Chloride etc. An assessment and adjustment in the electrolyte balance is
important whilst formulating feeds. |
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| 5. Summer management |
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| Adjustment will be
made during summer in the feed formulations to take care of the reduction in
feed intake, improving the tolerance of the bird towards hot weather, reduction
of specific dynamic heat of metabolism, increasing the passage time of
nutrients in the intestine through macro and micro formulation changes. |
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| 6. Improving the immunity of birds
through feed |
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| The current trend of
intensive poultry keeping and omnipresent disease threats require specifi c
attention towards improving the immune status of the bird through nutrition.
Various natural and synthetic preparations may be used to accomplish this task.
Avitech provides solutions through its vast research based experience to
improve the immunity of the birds to combat disease challenges. |
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| 7. Modifying the growth
response curve |
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At a given feed formulation, broilers respond to one particular growth curve. A
nutritionist should optimise the growth pattern toward a desired growth curve
(B - as shown in figure) to maximise the economics of broiler production. Avitech
Nutritionists ensure that formulations follow the desired curve leading
ultimately to improved economics of broiler production.
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| 8. Animal Fat / Vegetable Fat ratios |
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Fat from animal sources as well as from vegetable sources are used in feeds. An
ideal fatty acid profile should be maintained to improve the keeping quality
and meat quality. Ideal ratio of animal fat and vegetable fat ratios ensures
the desired fatty acid profile and ultimately better results.
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| 9. Calcium hunger |
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Next to energy, birds adjust their feed intake based on calcium requirement. In
other words, birds will eat more feed for want of calcium – a phenomenon also
referred to as “calcium hunger”. Rapid growth potential of broilers require
large quantities of feed to be consumed and hence feed manufacturers keep the
calcium level at a marginal level. Understanding the calcium content of feeds
and manipulating it to improve production dynamics is an important tool towards
enhancing productivity.
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| 10. Micro nutrient optimisation |
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Various micro
ingredients are being employed in poultry feed production in terms of additives
/ supplements to make up the defi ciency (vitamins, trace minerals etc.), to
maximise the performance (Antibiotic growth promoters, Lysophospholipids etc.)
or to combat the disease challenges (Anticoccidials, Antibiotics etc.). The
advise on the levels of usage based on the raw materials used and the right
combination of additives to maximise economics is an important feature of the
programme.
Further, the developing focus of poultry business towards functional parameters
and other specific tasks such as: |
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| Layers |
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