Poultry Nutrition Guide: Feed Requirements & Dietary Science

Metabolizable Energy (AMEn) is the primary energy currency in poultry nutrition. It represents the gross energy of feed minus the energy lost in feces, urine, and gaseous combustion — corrected for nitrogen retention (n).

• Broiler Starter requirement: 2,950–3,050 kcal AMEn/kg
• Broiler Grower requirement: 3,050–3,150 kcal AMEn/kg
• Layer requirement: 2,700–2,800 kcal AMEn/kg

When energy is too low, birds consume more feed to satisfy their energy needs, elevating FCR. When energy is too high without corresponding protein balance, fat deposition increases and meat quality declines.

Modern poultry nutrition does not use crude protein as the primary specification. Instead, it focuses on digestible amino acids — specifically Lysine as the first limiting amino acid, around which all others are balanced using the Ideal Protein Profile:

• Digestible Lysine: Set at 100% (the reference amino acid)
• Methionine + Cystine: 74% of Lysine
• Threonine: 65% of Lysine
• Tryptophan: 18% of Lysine
• Valine: 80% of Lysine

Formulate precise amino acid-balanced diets using the Feed Formulation Mixer.

Key micronutrients and their roles in commercial poultry:

• Calcium (Ca): Critical for skeletal formation and eggshell calcification. Deficiency causes rickets in broilers and thin shells in layers.
• Phosphorus (P): Must be supplied as 'available P' (phytate-bound P is unavailable without phytase enzyme). Ca:P ratio of 2:1 is optimal for broilers.
• Vitamin D3: Required for calcium absorption from the gut. Deficiency leads to leg disorders (rickets, angular bone deformity) in broilers.
• Vitamin E + Selenium: Antioxidant duo protecting cellular membranes. Deficiency causes Exudative Diathesis and Encephalomalacia.
• Sodium, Potassium, Chloride (electrolytes): Regulate fluid balance, acid-base status, and feed/water intake. Heat stress rapidly depletes electrolytes.