Substitutes for Poultry Feed

The quality and taste of a chicken and its eggs depends on the quality of its food. Chicken scratch is an old favorite chicken feed that farmers have relied on for years.  Chicken scratch consists of a mixture of whole grains and cracked corn. As corn prices rise, substitutions for poultry feed have emerged on the market.

While corn is the main ingredient in poultry feed, providing calories, protein, calcium and vitamins, it can be replaced. Poultry feed replacements should include energy concentrates such as oats, wheat, barley, sorghum and milling by-products. Protein concentrates, including soybean meal, or peanut, sesame, safflower or sunflower oilseed meals, are another important component. Cottonseed meal, grain legumes such as dry beans and field peas and alfalfa can also be substitutions for poultry feed, 

Cassava flour is used in many rural areas world wide for feeding poultry. Cassava flour is abundant and cheap. Studies have shown the flour should be substituted at a ratio of 50% for milled corn and concentrate in native chicken feed during the laying period. This results in more eggs and more profit for the rural farmers. 

Any substitutions used in place of poultry feed must provide the minerals and vitamins that are necessary for proper poultry growth and development. Meat and bone meal is an excellent source of minerals, particularly calcium and phosphorus, as well as being a good protein source. Chickens also like and benefit from fresh greens and vegetable tops, even grass clipping. Be careful not to feed the chickens anything with a strong favour, as it couls affect the taste of the eggs and poultry meat.