Feed & nutrition
Feed is 60–75% of what a broiler costs to raise — some analyses of Pakistani production put it as high as 70–75%. Nothing else on the cost sheet is close. Which makes what is in the bag the single most consequential thing a farmer buys — and the least often checked.
Worth knowing
Pakistani rations frequently test below breeder specification
Analysis of commercial broiler rations sold in Pakistan has found crude protein between roughly 15.9% and 18.6% — against a breeder target of 19.5% for finisher and 23% for pre-starter. Crude fibre ran 4.8–5.7%. A bird fed below specification cannot hit its FCR standard no matter how well the shed is managed, and the farmer usually blames the shed.
Ask your mill for the analysis, not the label. If FCR is drifting and management looks sound, feed specification is the first thing to test.
Broiler phases
| Phase | Days | Protein | Energy | Calcium | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broiler pre-starter~7% of cycle feed | Day 0–10 | 22–23% | ~2,975 kcal/kg ME | ~0.95% | Crumble |
| Broiler starter~23% of cycle feed | Day 11–21 | 21–22% | ~3,050 kcal/kg ME | ~0.75% | Crumble or mini-pellet |
| Broiler finisher~70% of cycle feed | Day 22 to sale | 19–20% | ~3,100 kcal/kg ME | ~0.65% | Pellet |
Broiler pre-starter
پری اسٹارٹر
- The most expensive feed per tonne and the smallest quantity — this is not the place to economise.
- A chick’s gut and immune system are being built in this window. Day-7 weight should be four to four and a half times hatch weight.
- Crumble, not mash — a day-old chick cannot eat a coarse ration efficiently.
Broiler starter
اسٹارٹر
- Frame and muscle are laid down here; feed conversion is at its best in this phase and worsens with age.
- Coccidiostat is usually included — check what is already in the ration before adding anything in water.
Broiler finisher
فنشر
- Seventy per cent of the feed bill sits here. A one-rupee change in finisher price moves the cycle more than anything else on the sheet.
- Highest energy, lowest protein — the bird is finishing weight rather than building frame.
- Observe the medication withdrawal period. Anything given in this phase is closest to slaughter.
BREEDER TARGET SPECIFICATIONS · NOT WHAT A PAKISTANI RATION NECESSARILY DELIVERS
Layer phases
| Phase | Days | Protein | Energy | Calcium | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Layer starter | Week 0–6 | 20–21% | ~2,900 kcal/kg ME | ~1.0% | Crumble or mash |
| Layer grower / developer | Week 7–17 | 16–18% | ~2,800 kcal/kg ME | ~1.0% | Mash |
| Layer feed | Week 18+, in lay | 16–18% | ~2,750 kcal/kg ME | 3.5–4.2% | Mash |
Layer starter
- Growing a pullet, not producing eggs. Frame size set here caps what the hen can do later.
- Calcium stays low — high calcium before lay damages the kidneys.
Layer grower / developer
- The cheapest phase, and the one most often rushed. Underfeeding here produces a small pullet that never catches up.
- Body weight uniformity at point of lay predicts peak production better than almost anything else.
Layer feed
لیئر فیڈ
- Calcium jumps four-fold at point of lay — an eggshell is almost entirely calcium carbonate.
- Coarse limestone or oyster shell alongside fine calcium helps shell quality, because coarse particles dissolve overnight when the shell is being formed.
- Protein requirement falls as production declines later in the cycle.
BREEDER TARGET SPECIFICATIONS · NOT WHAT A PAKISTANI RATION NECESSARILY DELIVERS
What goes in the bag
| Ingredient | Role | Typical | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maize (corn)مکئی | Energy | 50–60% of the ration | The energy backbone of almost every Pakistani ration. Poultry consumes around 65% of national corn. Harvested twice a year, so price swings with both harvests and with storage losses in a wet monsoon. |
| Soybean mealIMPORTEDسویا بین میل | Protein | 20–30% of the ration | The main protein source and the single biggest exposure in the sector. Pakistan imports the great majority of it, so the ration is priced in dollars whether the mill says so or not. Policy risk is real — GMO import rulings have disrupted supply before. |
| Rice polishچاول کی پالش | Energy | 5–10% | A local by-product, useful and cheap. High in oil, which means it can go rancid in storage — buy fresh and use it quickly, particularly in summer. |
| De-oiled rice bran (DORB) | Energy | 5–10% | Rice bran with the oil extracted. Keeps far better than full-fat rice polish for exactly that reason, but carries less energy. Often confused with DDGS, which is a different product entirely. |
| Canola / rapeseed meal | Protein | 5–10% | A cheaper protein than soybean meal, used to dilute soya exposure. Inclusion is capped by anti-nutritional factors, and one study associated canola-heavy rations with higher disease incidence. |
| Cottonseed meal | Protein | Up to ~5% | Locally abundant. Gossypol limits how much can be included, especially for layers, where it discolours yolks. |
| Corn gluten meal (60) | Protein | 2–5% | High protein and a natural pigment source that deepens yolk and skin colour — which matters commercially in a market that buys on appearance. |
| Fish meal | Protein | 0–5% | Excellent amino acid profile but expensive and variable in quality. Adulteration is a known problem — buy on analysis, not on price. |
| Limestone / DCP | Mineral | 1–9% depending on phase | Calcium and phosphorus. Layers need four times the calcium of broilers because they are building a shell every day. |
| Lysine & methionine | Additive | 0.1–0.4% | Synthetic amino acids let a mill hit the amino acid target without buying more soybean meal. Cheaper protein, precisely delivered — this is how modern low-protein rations work. |
| Enzymes & additives | Additive | Inclusion by product | Phytase releases bound phosphorus; NSP enzymes make fibrous local ingredients more digestible. Toxin binders and probiotics also sit in this group. |
Mash, crumble or pellet
Mash
مَش
Ground and mixed, not shaped. Cheapest to make, but birds can pick out particles they like and leave the rest, which unbalances what they actually eat.
Crumble
Pellet that has been broken up. Easy for small birds to eat, and selective feeding is impossible because every particle has the same composition.
Pellet
پیلٹ
Steam-conditioned and pressed. Better intake, less wastage, and the heat kills some pathogens. Costs more to produce and quality depends on pellet durability.
Feed is today at PKR 6,790 a bag.
Work out how many bags your flock will eat, phase by phase, and what that costs.
Sources
6 PHASES · 11 INGREDIENTS