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

Positive or neutral impact

Adults 18 and over: Positive high
The poor: Positive medium
Under 18: Positive high
Women: Positive medium

Positive or neutral impact

Climate adaptability: It adapts really well
Adaptability for farmers: It helps a lot
Biodiversity: It doesn't hurt them
Carbon footprint: It doesn't reduce emissions at all
Environment: It doesn't make a difference
Water usage: It uses the same amount of water

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.

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ORG specific text

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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 where the technology has been tested and adopted
Country	Tested	Adopted
Benin	Tested	Adopted
Botswana	Tested	Adopted
Burundi	Tested	Adopted
Central African Republic	Tested	Adopted
Côte d’Ivoire	Tested	Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	Tested	Adopted
Gabon	Tested	Adopted
Ghana	Tested	Adopted
Guinea	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	Tested	Adopted
Madagascar	Tested	Adopted
Malawi	Tested	Adopted
Mozambique	Tested	Adopted
Niger	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	Tested	Adopted
Rwanda	Tested	Adopted
Senegal	Tested	Adopted
Sierra Leone	Tested	Adopted
Somalia	Tested	Adopted
South Sudan	Tested	Adopted
Tanzania	Tested	Adopted
Uganda	Tested	Adopted
Zambia	Tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	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.