In order to provide chickens and chickens with a complete diet, as well as improve their productivity, in addition to conventional feed, they should be given special additives. The leaders in the content of beneficial elements are supplements such as meat, bone and bone meal, which are made from carcasses of dead animals, unsuitable for human consumption. What is the use of such additives, how to give them to chickens and store, we will find out further.
What kind of flour is this?
Meat and bone meal is a protein supplement that is given to agricultural and poultry and animals. Visually, it looks like a homogeneous powder of loose consistency, which consists of lumps with a diameter of about 12.7 mm. At the same time, three parameters are distinguished that will help determine high-quality flour:
- Colour. The additive should have a brown color of a darker or lighter shade. The powder should in no case be yellow, as this indicates the use of chicken feathers in the production of the product. Such flour is extremely dangerous for birds - after its use they can be sick and carry fewer eggs. In addition, the powder should not be greenish in color, since this indicates the presence of soy in its composition.
- Smell. The mixture has a specific smell, but it should not be musty or putrid. If the flour carries the smell of spoiled meat, then it is unsuitable for feeding chickens.
- Structure. The structure of the powder is friable and consists of individual granules up to 12.7 mm in size. There should not be large particles in a quality mixture. In addition, the particles of the additive should not collapse when pressed.
Bone meal is also a valuable top dressing, which is useful to give to laying hens and broilers. Its characteristics are similar to meat and bone meal, as it is also made from the waste of fallen animals, which are unsuitable for human consumption. The difference lies in the fact that it contains less protein, since it is mainly used in the production of bones, rather than meat waste.
What is the benefit of the supplement?
Breeders add meat and bone and bone meal when feeding laying hens, as well as broilers. To each she brings her own benefit.
For layers
The current breeds of laying hens are quite productive - they can carry an egg almost every day. However, for this they must receive a large number of different trace elements and animal protein.
Of course, feeding the bird with crucian carp or pork is not practical, but introducing meat-bone or bone meal into their diet is quite possible. It has the following properties:
- increases egg production and quality (strength) of the eggshell;
- takes part in the regulation of metabolic processes;
- supports the general tone and health of the bird as a whole;
- reduces various nervous manifestations and increases stress resistance;
- prevents diseases of the respiratory system and gastrointestinal tract.
If you decide to raise chickens for eggs, then in addition to properly feeding the laying hens, first of all, you need to choose the breed of chickens that can produce many eggs. You can read more about the most egg-laying breeds of chickens here.
For broilers
Protein supplements should be given to broilers to strengthen the musculoskeletal system and skeletal system. Otherwise, their paws may not be able to withstand the constantly growing body mass. If the bird falls "to its feet", then its culling may happen. Of course, this should not be allowed, because the bird must grow and develop up to a certain age (usually up to 2 months) in order to slaughter it for meat afterwards.
In addition, the regular use of these additives can prevent a number of pathological conditions that occur with chronic calcium deficiency. These include:
- rickets in young animals;
- osteoporosis;
- osteomalacia.
Flour contributes to the work of the cardiovascular system of the bird, as well as the coordinated action of its blood vessels (venous and arterial).
How is meat and bone meal made?
In the production of flour, bones and meat of cattle that have fallen from old age or from noncommunicable diseases are used. Such meat is unsuitable for human consumption, which is why it is used as an additive in animal feed. Everywhere in the production of flour used waste from meat processing. By-products - glands, stomachs, brains, lungs, etc. can also be used as ingredients. The exact composition is indicated on the packaging of the finished product.
The powder manufacturing process is as follows:
- Boil meat waste and cool to 25 degrees.
- Grind the finished product thoroughly. At industrial facilities, special units are used for this.
- Sieve the resulting powder through a fine sieve to remove remaining large particles.
- Pass sifted flour through magnetic separators to remove any metallic impurities.
- Treat the flour with special antioxidants so that it does not deteriorate in the future. The fact is that the composition of the product includes fat, which will lead to a quick deterioration of the additive, if ignored by treatment with antioxidants.
- Pack the finished powder and pack in a container.
In the process of flour production, the raw materials used are subjected to heat treatment, so the finished product is safe for chickens and is a valuable source of protein, phosphorus and calcium for them.
Flour composition
The content of the additive is established by the state standard, therefore, the GOST number must be indicated on the packaging of a quality product. The composition of meat, bone and bone meal is regulated and determined by GOST 17536-82. What each additive contains, we will find out below.
Meat and bone
The composition of flour should include:
- Protein (protein). The quality of the protein will determine the class of the finished product, of which there are three. The highest protein is the first class product. Flour of the second and third classes contains more bones, so there is less protein in them.
Protein is necessary for living organisms to build the skeleton, muscles and internal organs. For this reason, a moderate amount of protein supplement must be present in the daily ration of laying hens, roosters and broilers.
- Fats. Their lowest concentration is found in meat-bone powder of the first class.
- Cellulose. Regardless of the product class, the cellulose content remains the same.
- Ash. Its lowest concentration is contained in first-class powder.
Of the useful biological substances, flour also contains:
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- sodium
- choline;
- glutamic, adenosine triphosphoric (ATP), nicotinic and bile acids;
- B vitamins;
- thyroxine;
- carnitine;
- riboflavin.
When buying flour, you need to carefully read the composition on the package. If soy is indicated in it, then this is a poor quality product. Such an additive will not only not improve the diet of chickens, but also cause a protein deficiency, because of which the bird can get sick, resort to cannibalism and crack eggs.
It should be borne in mind that the nutritional value of flour is variable and depends on the concentration of proteins. If there were a lot of bones in the raw materials from which it was made, then the amount of protein in the finished product is reduced. Given the fact that such an additive is appreciated mainly for its high protein content, it is worth choosing a first-class product.
You can clearly see the difference between meat and bone meal of the first, second and third classes in the table:
Component Name | Meat and bone meal | ||
Class I | Class II | Class III | |
The content of the component,% | |||
Protein | 50 | 42 | 30 |
Fat | 13 | 18 | 20 |
Ash | 26 | 28 | 38 |
Moisture | 9 | 10 | 10 |
Cellulose | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Thus, flour contains 30-50% protein, 13-20% fat, 26-38% ash and 9-10% water, as well as up to 20% of bone and muscle fragments.
To accurately distinguish between different classes of flour, the following should also be considered:
- first class flour has more protein and less fat and ash;
- in the flour of the second class, slightly less protein, but slightly more fat and ash;
- in the flour of the third class, a small amount of protein, but more fat and ash.
It is best to choose a first-class supplement, as it has less fat. If you give chickens a powder of a lower class, they may decrease egg production. In addition, cannibalism may develop in such birds.
More details on the composition of meat and bone meal 40-50% can be found below:
Name of component | Content per 1 kg of powder |
Energy nutrition | |
Feed units | 1,04 |
Dry matter | 900 g |
Crude fat | 112 g |
Nitrogen-free extractive substances (BEV) | 46 g |
Protein Nutrition | |
Crude protein | 401 g |
Lysine | 21.7 g |
Methionine and cystine | 8.8 g |
Minerals | |
Calcium | 143 g |
Phosphorus | 74 g |
Magnesium | 1.8 g |
Potassium | 14 g |
Sulfur | 2.5 g |
Iron | 50 mg |
Copper | 1.5 mg |
Zinc | 85 mg |
Manganese | 12.3 mg |
Cobalt | 0.18 mg |
Iodine | 1.31 mg |
Vitamins | |
E | 1 mg |
B1 | 1.1 mg |
B2 | 4.2 mg |
B3 | 3.6 mg |
B4 | 2000 mg |
B5 | 46.4 mg |
B12 | 12.3 mg |
Bone
This product contains less protein than a meat and bone supplement, because it is made only from animal bones, but it also allows you to balance the diet of chickens, as it is rich in calcium and phosphorus. In addition, such a product contains other micronutrients, including iron, magnesium, zinc, iodine, copper and cobalt.
The main properties of the bone supplement are presented in the table:
Component Name | The content of the component,% |
Protein | 20 |
Fat | 10 |
Ash | 61 |
Moisture | 9 |
Cellulose | — |
Cellulose is absent altogether in the bone supplement, but the ash content is higher in comparison with meat and bone meal of any class.
Rules for the use of flour and dosage
To diversify the diet of chickens, flour needs to be added to the finished compound feed or a self-made mix.
Doses for laying hens
Optimum dosages are determined depending on the type of flour:
- Meat and bone. Up to 6-7% of the total amount of food should come to such an additive. Thus, an adult laying hen should receive from 7 to 11 g of powder per day. The optimal amount of such flour for 5 kg of feed is 250 g, and for 10 kg of feed is 500 g. This is the norm that will allow to provide chickens with all the necessary useful elements.
- Bone. Compared with meat and bone meal, such an additive is introduced in smaller volumes - it should account for up to 0.6-0.7% of the total amount of food. So, the optimal amount of bone meal for 5 kg of feed is 35 g, and for 10 kg of feed is 70 g. The dosage of bone meal should be adjusted depending on the remaining components of the feed. For example, if chalk or shellfish is added to the feed mixture, its proportions need to be reduced and, accordingly, vice versa.
Here is an example of a compound feed recipe with meat and bone meal:
- chopped corn - 500 g;
- wheat groats - 150 g;
- barley groats - 50 g;
- meal of sunflower or sugar beet cake - 100 g;
- meat and bone meal - 50 g;
- yeast - 50 g;
- crushed hay or grass powder - 50 g;
- chopped peas - 30 g;
- salt - 0.5 tsp;
- vitamin premix with vitamins A, E and D.
Experienced breeders recommend giving chickens steamed semi-moist food, as it is easily digested. And to layers, add purchased vitamins to increase egg production.
In summer, chickens walk, peck worms and insects, receiving a certain amount of protein from live food. In this regard, some breeders reduce the dosage of flour, but this is not necessary, since in the summer season, laying hens need more protein and calcium.
Doses for broiler chickens
As mentioned above, meat-bone or bone meal is also added to the broiler diet, however, in this case, special instructions for its use should be taken into account. The fact is that the dosage of the supplement on the youngster’s menu needs to be increased gradually to promote their healthy growth and weight gain.
The feeding scheme for broiler chickens is as follows:
- From 1 to 5 days - supplements are not yet introduced into the diet of chickens.
- From 6 to 10 days - each chicken is given 0.5-1 g of flour per day.
- From 11 to 20 days - the rate of flour per head rises to 1.5-2 g per day.
- From 21 to 30 days - each broiler receives no more than 2.5-3 g of powder.
- From 31 to 63 days - the rate of flour is maximized and is 4-5 g per head.
Regardless of whether the additive is given to a laying hen or broiler, it is necessary to strictly observe its optimal dosages, otherwise the bird may get gout or amyloidosis (a violation of protein metabolism).
Product storage
Flour is rich in protein components and fats, so it can quickly deteriorate and lose its beneficial properties, if you neglect the following storage rules:
- keep in a cool but dry room that is well ventilated or regularly ventilated;
- to prevent an increase in the level of humidity in the room and getting into the additive in direct sunlight;
- maintain the room temperature up to 28 ° C (this is the maximum allowable temperature, because if the room is warmer, the fats in the flour will begin to decay with the release of dangerous toxic substances).
Store the additive in acceptable conditions for no longer than 12 months from the date of production. The date of manufacture must be indicated on the package.
How to make flour with your own hands?
You can prepare a quality substitute for a purchased supplement at home, but remember that this process is accompanied by a strong specific odor, so it is best to do this away from the living quarters. You can prepare flour in the following sequence:
- Thoroughly clean and wash the bones and meat of cattle.
- Crush the feedstock into small parts, throw into a thick-walled container, close the lid and put on medium heat.
- Boil the raw material until it becomes soft and dark. Generally, but it takes about 3 hours.
- Remove boiled raw materials from the heat and cool, and then grind in any way possible - using a hammer, in a mortar or mill. So, you need to get a loose powder of brown color.
Homemade flour should be stored in a cool place, after pouring it into a linen or paper bag. You need to add it to the wet mash in small doses.
How to quickly make a meat-bone supplement for chickens with your own hands, says an experienced breeder:
Meat-bone and bone meal is an excellent addition to the diet of young and adult chickens, because it gives birds all the necessary trace elements and vitamins for uniform development. It is important to observe their dosages and adhere to a number of recommendations for their storage.