Whole wheat provides your flock with energy-rich nutrients that can aid digestion, as well as increase their resistance against coccidiosis.
Whole grain feed also aids the gizzard’s muscular development, according to studies at the University of Sydney which demonstrated how replacing 30% of ground concentrate pellets with whole wheat in broiler diets increased meat production.
Contents
Protein
Chicken feed must contain a variety of proteins for optimal health and production. High-quality sources like soybean meal (which provides methionine as the first limiting amino acid required for poultry growth and development) or fishmeal (rich in omega-3 fatty acids) offer superior sources of nutrition.
Making homemade whole grain chicken feed can be done easily by mixing unmilled grains such as corn, wheat, barley, rye, sorghum and field peas together with supplements and minerals such as dried fruit, vegetables, oyster shells and grit. Making this type of homemade feed gives you complete control over exactly what your flock is eating while keeping everyone happy and healthy!
These ingredients can be purchased at your local feed store or farm/livestock/poultry supplier. Be sure to store grains in a cool and dark location to keep rodents and weevils away. Adding sprouting into your mix can break down their protective shell, turning seeds and grains into nutritious energy sources for your chickens.
Fiber
Dietary fiber is a complex group of carbohydrate substances (polysaccharides, lignin and other plant substances) resistant to digestion in the small intestine. Dietary fiber has various functions including regulation of intestinal microflora balance, modulating organ growth patterns and providing nutrition in digestible form for bodies.
Note that when whole grain chicken feeds are mixed together, a pecking order may develop among hens as they compete to gain access to their food first and this may result in certain birds not receiving all their required nutrition resulting in nutritional deficiencies for some of them.
Good quality whole grain feed will contain supplements to prevent this from happening, as well as methionine sources which are essential amino acids that a poultry needs for its development. Methionine sources may include legumes like alfalfa meal, menhaden fish meal or crab meal or even synthetic sources (dl-methionine). It is advised that any addition of methionine do not exceed 5%.
Vitamins
Chickens require various vitamins and minerals in their natural diet and from supplements added to commercial feed in order to flourish and produce eggs.
Grain kernels contain health-promoting nutrients in their bran, germ and endosperm layers – these include B vitamins and dietary fiber in the bran section while protein, antioxidants and energy can be found in the germ section and endosperm section respectively. Whole grain food’s various constituents help maintain stable blood sugar levels, lower cardiovascular disease risk and may lower cancer risks significantly.
Whole wheat offers more than protein to chickens; it provides essential vitamins A and E as well. Vitamin A supports eye health while contributing to deeper yellow egg yolk colors. Meanwhile, Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant protecting the body from damage by free radicals.
Minerals
Minerals found in chicken feed are essential to its structural components and physiological processes, namely calcium, phosphorus and sodium as macrominerals requiring large amounts for proper functioning and animal life. If deficiencies exist they can lead to bone problems or even death for poultry; copper, iron zinc selenium are all other important minerals included as macrominerals in poultry food.
Commercial growers combine various grains to enhance the nutritional profile of their chicken feed, for instance barley provides magnesium and phosphorus while wheat boasts high zinc concentrations. Furthermore, adding other ingredients can boost protein content such as field peas, flax seed meal or soybean meal to add bulk and depth.
Whole grain feed for chickens typically consists of ground grains ground into a fine mash to make consumption easy for chicks and chickens, sometimes fermented before feeding to soften large chunks for easier consumption, as well as to add beneficial bacteria that support gut health. After fermentation, this mash is usually formed into pellets for waste minimization – this form of chicken food sold by feed stores is the most prevalent choice available today.
