Local Production of Quality Affordable Poultry Feed

Cutting Costs, Boosting Nutrition

This practice involves blending various ingredients to create a balanced feed ration for chickens, optimizing their growth and production. The basic formulation includes maize or wheat, soybeans, bran, oil press cake, fish and bone meal, poultry supplement, limestone, and salt. The feeds are further processed into mash for chicks or pelleted for larger birds.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

9•9

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 9/9; level of use 9/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive medium

Under 18: Positive high

Women: Positive medium

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: No impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Same amount of carbon released

Environmental health: Does not improve environmental health

Water use: Same amount of water used

Problem

Conventional poultry feeds constitute a significant portion of production costs, hindering profitability and growth.
Small-scale farmers face challenges in accessing affordable and adequate feed, restricting their ability to expand operations.
Reliance on expensive purchased feeds limits profitability and scalability for poultry farmers.
Ensuring a balanced ration is crucial for poultry health and productivity, yet many farmers lack access to affordable options.
Formulating feeds with the right combination of energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins is essential for optimal chicken growth and egg production.
Leveraging locally available and seasonal materials for feed production can reduce costs and enhance profitability.
While traditional poultry producers have knowledge of locally available feed materials, scaling up this knowledge poses a challenge.
Exploring alternative feed sources such as maggots, kitchen wastes, and sprouted grains can contribute to cost-effective feeding solutions.
Adoption of proven technologies for feed production, such as sprouting grains and producing maggots, is essential for improving feed availability and reducing costs.

Solution

Utilizing locally available and seasonal materials to produce lower-cost feeds.
Blending local energy and protein ingredients with purchased additives to create formulated feeds for different bird development stages.
Reducing feed costs by implementing free-ranging practices and utilizing local by-products and edible leaves.
Implementing proven technologies to combine diverse feed sources and improve local meat and egg supplies.
Selecting the right combination of feeds for a balanced ration to reduce dependence on expensive purchased feeds.
Supplementing basic blended feeds with other locally available or seasonal ingredients.
Exploring inexpensive feeding options such as kitchen wastes, free-range fodder, green leaves, and insects.
Incorporating maggots as a protein-rich feed source for chickens.
Feeding chickens with whole or crushed grains, broken cereals, and off-grade grains, ensuring they are free from contaminants.
Utilizing dried, milled cassava peels as an alternative energy ingredient for poultry feed.
Scaling up traditional knowledge of locally available feed materials for poultry production systems.
Implementing technologies for producing sprouted grains and maggots at scale, such as hydroponic culture and confined Black Soldier Flies production.

Key points to design your project

The technology offers a solution to reducing poultry feed costs, thereby assisting small-scale farmers in overcoming poverty and enhancing food security by providing affordable protein sources. It also promotes economic growth by creating local job opportunities and encourages sustainable practices through the utilization of readily available materials, leading to a decrease in environmental impact.

To incorporate this technology into your project, consider the following steps and prerequisites:

Assess the specific nutrient requirements of your flock type, including egg layers, meat chickens, and breeders.
Analyze the composition of feed ingredients and identify any constraints related to nutrition and processing.
Evaluate the cost and availability of ingredients in your area.

Calculate the required equipment for your project, taking into account that machinery capable of grinding, mixing, and pelleting 1 ton of poultry feed per hour costs approximately USD 36,000. Alternatively, mixers, mills, and pelletizing machines that can process and bag 100 to 200 kg feed per hour are available separately at around USD 3,000. As this technology is available in multiple countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, and more, account for delivery expenses, import clearance, and any applicable duties.

Furthermore, consider engaging a team of trainers to provide comprehensive support during project installation, including budgeting for training and post-training assistance. Develop communication materials such as flyers, videos, and radio broadcasts to emphasize the benefits of Local Production of Quality Affordable Feed.

For further optimization, explore opportunities to integrate the technology with Cassava Peels for Animal Feed Production. Collaborate with companies specializing in feed production lines, maintaining close connections with local stakeholders and government agencies to tailor services to meet market conditions.

Cost: $$$ 3,000—36,000 USD

per machine

ROI: $$$ 60 %

reduction of feed cost

100—200 kg

feed production per hour

5 years

life span

IP

Open source / open access

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Benin	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Botswana	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Burundi	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Central African Republic	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Côte d’Ivoire	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Gabon	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Ghana	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Guinea	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Madagascar	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Malawi	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Mozambique	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Niger	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Rwanda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Senegal	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Sierra Leone	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Somalia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
South Sudan	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Uganda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zambia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 1: no poverty

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Gather Necessary Materials and Ingredients: Collect locally available and seasonal materials like maize or wheat, soybeans, bran, oil press cake, fish and bone meal, poultry supplement, limestone, and salt.
Determine Proportions for Formulation: Calculate the appropriate proportions of each ingredient based on the recommended formulation. For example, a basic blend may consist of 50% maize or wheat, 21% soybeans, 14% bran, and so on.
Blend the Ingredients: Mix the collected ingredients thoroughly to ensure a balanced ration. This can be done using appropriate equipment like mixers.
Process the Feed: Depending on the type of birds being fed, process the blended feed into mash for chicks or pelleted form for larger birds. This can be achieved using suitable processing equipment.
Monitor Growth and Production: Regularly observe and track the growth and production of the birds. Adjust the feed composition if needed to optimize results.
Consider Supplementary Feeding Methods: In addition to the formulated feed, consider supplementary feeding methods like kitchen wastes, free-range practices, and provision of green leaves and insects to further enhance nutrition.
Ensure Proper Storage: Store both the ingredients and the formulated feed in a dry, cool place to prevent contamination and spoilage.
Monitor Costs and Benefits: Keep track of the costs associated with feed production and compare it with the benefits in terms of improved productivity and profitability.