Which Feed Does My Flock Need?

It goes without saying that an essential part of poultry rearing involves providing adequate
amounts of the correct diet. Sometimes backyard poultry producers are confused by exactly which diet is needed. In fact, this is a relatively straight forward matter. Virtually all poultry feeds have about 60% corn and 25-30% soybean meal. It is the adjustments in these two ingredients, plus the addition of smaller amounts of a few others, that differentiate one diet from the next. Corn, or some othe...r grain such as milo or wheat, provides most of the energy the flock needs to maintain its body and to support growth. Soybean meal provides most of the protein, of which meat, feathers and most of the egg are composed. Obviously, more calcium, (in the form of limestone), is needed for a laying hen diet to produce good quality egg shells. Aside from this, the differences in feeds are relatively minor.