A Complete Guide to the Nutritional Needs of Chickens

Do you know the nutritional needs of chickens?

Introduction:
Chicken diets compose a combination of different food sources, including cereal grains, minerals, and vitamins. If mixed with fresh water, these factors will offer the right level of nutrients and energy for your bird’s overall health, reproduction, and growth. That’s why in this article, we are going to look at all the requirements for a well-balanced diet essentials in raising your chicken.

Nutritional Needs of Your Chicken
Here are some of the basic needs of your poultry:
#1: Water:    Water is a vital part of life for all livestock and poultry. However, the amount required for well-being and productivity may vary based on the temperature of the area where you keep your birds. The chicken’s egg production and growth will also depend on the intake of water. So, it is crucial to make water always available for your chickens. In fact, for chicks, they need more water because they have only 79 percent water in their bodies. It is just right to offer your chickens clean and cold water. Also, make sure that it is accessible at all times.
#2: Carbohydrates:  Carbohydrates serve an important role for energy sources of your birds. Wheat and other grains are the main elements of your carb diet in chickens. Your poultry cannot digest specific types of carbohydrates. Therefore, you need to put enough enzyme preparations. For instance, you can give them barley or rye to enhance the absorption of nutrients in non-starch based meals.
#3: Amino Acids and Proteins:   The nutritional requirements for proteins are the same as those of the amino acids. Chickens use amino acids to improve certain functions, including making their structure bulky. Also, they can strengthen their protective tissues, including bones, skin, ligaments, and feathers. Your birds need them to form soft tissues such as muscles and organs. Moreover, they play vital roles in metabolizing the poultry feed into energy. Amino acids and protein percentages are challenging to get right in raising and feeding chickens. So, it is best to do your research and ask experts regarding this
requirement.
#4: Fats:   You can add fat to the feed for poultry intended for meat production to boost their overall energy. Also,  it can enhance their feed efficiency and productivity. Fats in the poultry feeds may come from various sources, including animal carcasses and refuse from
vegetable oil. But, oil is the best fat source for your birds because the fatty acids found in them are unsaturated. So, they make up a huge part of the convenient poultry feeds.
#5: Minerals:  Minerals are the chemical properties of the poultry feeds. Chickens need them to function properly. For example, we have phosphorous and calcium. These two minerals are essential to form your bird’s skeleton. Potassium, sodium, chloride, and magnesium work to maintain the pH levels all throughout their bodies.
#6: Vitamins:  Vitamins may classify under two various categories. These are water-soluble, including vitamin C and B-complex, and fat-soluble like vitamins A, E, K, and D.
The dietary supplements for chickens tend to have increasing amounts of vitamins for the minimum requirements. So, as long as you provide them with enough supplement, then they will continue to grow and develop.

In the Nutshell:
The nutritional needs of chickens will depend on their growth and development rate. They are the same with all in spite of the management system you use in raising these birds. You may take a look at the nutritional requirements provided above for enough guidelines. But, whatever feeding system you use, it is crucial to meet all of the organic requirement and regulations of your poultry. Good luck with raising and feeding them!
Sources:
http://articles.extension.org/pages/71049/nutrient-requirements- of-organic- meat-chickens
http://www.bhwt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/VETN_2016_7_5_273_277.pdf
Guest Blogger Bio:
Hi there! I’m Katie, a homesteader and gardener. I started a homestead on family-owned land with a few chickens, goats, and bees. Follow along for homesteading, DIY projects via my blog – Via www.HomesteadChores.com

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