Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
• Prevents crowding and fighting during feeding.
• May result in sorting if feed is not pelleted.
• May result in feed waste and contamination if feeders are not properly designed.
• May attract more wild birds and rodents to feeders.
• May cause layers to become fat and broilers to grow too quickly.
• May require moistening feed with water, flax oil, or soy oil to increase palatability
and uptake of fine particles if sorting is occurring.
Controlled feeding
• By timing and ration control, limits birds to amount that they can consume before
the next feeding.
• Allows farmer to moderate and control the bird's feed intake.
• Reduces sorting.
• Encourages birds to forage between meals.
• Requires ample feeder space to prevent crowding and fighting during feeding.
• Allows farmer to use feeding as a tool to move birds to another location.
• May prevent smaller, less aggressive birds from getting enough to eat.
• May cause picking in younger birds looking for something to do.
Self-selection or cafeteria-style feeding
• Allows a choice of whole grains or other feeds along with a full ration.
• Allows birds to self-regulate their nutritional needs.
• May result in considerable feed cost savings.
• Requires a constant supply of grit available to process grains.
• Is not appropriate for young, fast-growing birds.
• May result in birds ignoring full ration and missing out on needed supplements.
Feeds offered for self-selection or cafeteria-style feeding alongside complete rations could in-
clude the following:
• Chickens—wheat, sprouted oats, corn (winter), alfalfa.
• Turkeys—whole wheat, oats (to slow growth).
• Ducks/geese—cracked or whole corn.
• All types—vegetable scraps and weeds, but only as much as they will clean up in
ten minutes.
