Poultry Premix and Mineral Feed

Finished feed is incomplete in the absence of supplemented vitamins and minerals. Most (typically plant-based) feedstuffs are rich in protein and energy, but lack sufficient amounts of trace elements or certain vitamins. Additionally, the availability of different nutrients in feedstuffs (non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs), phytate, etc.) vary considerably.  

A premix must be added to poultry diets in order to achieve the sufficient level of vitamins and minerals and prevent birds from becoming malnourished. 

Minerals are the inorganic elements of a bird’s diet. They are required in small amounts relative to organic elements, but even so, they have a sizeable impact on the bodily functions of avian species. Appropriate amounts of different minerals are needed in poultry diets in order to (Kirchgeßner, 2004): 

• Maintain critical life functions
• Improve performance 
• Deliver additional benefits 

A variety of minerals are involved in the formulation of poultry diets and can be classified as follows. 

The various types of minerals in poultry diets have different effects and functions. Macrominerals are often components of structural tissue (e.g. bone, muscle, organs, soft tissue) or body fluids. They play a key role in the maintenance of the acid-base balance and osmotic pressure. In case of nervous transmission, muscle function and membrane electric potential, they are crucial.  

Microminerals include components of hormones, metallo-enzymes and enzyme factors, a few vitamins and amino acids. They also are related to adequate immune response and play a main role in the control of cell replication and differentiation.  

Se, Mn, Zn, Cu, cobalt and iodine have to be supplemented to poultry diets, because the levels found in different feed raw materials are often too low for reaching expected performance levels (Ewing and Charlton, 2007).  

Table 2. Categories of minerals in poultry nutrition | BIOMIN

When analysis for feed raw materials or finished feed diets are done, results for nutrient levels (like P, vitamins, Ca, Zn, etc.) are provided.  

It is important to highlight that not all minerals are available or digestible for birds simply because they are in the feed material.  

The digestion and utilization of nutrients depend on a host of different factors (Ewing and Charlton, 2007), including: 

• Species
• Age 
• Intake  
• Requirement  
• Synergistic and antagonistic effects 
• Environmental factors  

Poultry mineral supplements can support proper diet formulation and birds’ growth.

Vitamins are active, organic compounds that are essential for body functions and have a crucial impact with only small amounts in the feed to maintain physiological functions.  

A few vitamins play a role as co-enzymes (e.g. B-vitamins), also as precursors of co-enzymes, in metabolic processes. The difference between vitamins and minerals is that vitamins do not provide energy (e.g. P is necessary for building up ATP, which is the energy source in the living organisms), nor act as building substances (e.g. Ca – bones, eggshells, teeth…) (Jeroch et al., 2008 and Ewing and Charlton, 2007). 

Vitamins are found in plant and animal based feed materials in varying amounts. Nowadays, vitamin supplements for chickens are frequently produced synthetically or as a result of fermentation processes. Some vitamins have a direct effect without activation necessary, e.g. vitamin E and vitamin C. Pro-vitamins (preliminary stage, e.g. vitamin D) can be converted into active forms by the animal itself.  

Vitamins can be classified into fat-soluble, water-soluble, fat-soluble vitamin-like substances and water-soluble vitamin-like substances. 

Table 3. Vitamins by category and common name (adapted from Jeroch et al., 2008 and Ewing and Charlton, 2007)

In feedstuffs, fat-soluble vitamins are associated with lipid (fat) components and consist of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. Their duty in the metabolism is more on the side of development and maintenance of tissues. They are stored in the body in considerable amounts and mainly excreted in the feces via the bile. Important to note is that an excessive intake can result in severe problems (“Hypervitaminosis”) in the animals, e.g. Vitamin D excess results in decalcification of bones and storage of Ca in blood vessels.  

The requirement for different minerals and vitamins is the necessary daily dose for maintaining physiological processes. In livestock feeding there are three more categories: the minimum, optimum and additional requirement (Jeroch et al., 2008 and Ewing and Charlton, 2007). 

The requirement (req) can be described in req per animal and day or req per unit mass of feed stuff/diet.  

Requirement varies among animal species and is influenced by other factors (Jeroch et al., 2008 and Ewing and Charlton, 2007): 

• Age  
• Level of performance  
• Quality of feed  
• Health status 
• Genetics  
• Physiological stage (e.g. growth, reproduction, etc.),  
• Stress  
• Management 
• Environment (e.g. housing conditions, hygiene, climate, etc.).

Both the physical and nutritional properties of poultry premixes play a role in their effectiveness in final diet composition, flock health and performance.  

Table 5. Physical and nutritional properties of poultry premixes | Source: BIOMIN

Nutrient availability for birds is affected by a host of factors (Jeroch et al., 2008 and Ewing and Charlton, 2007), including:  

• Diet composition 
• Feed quality e.g. mycotoxins in poultry feed 
• Bioavailability of nutrients  
• Stability of vitamins or nutrients 
• Dietary intake  
• Nutrient inter-relationships

Poultry premixes may deliver more than nutrition through the inclusion of feed additives. Feed additives can be added on top of a finished feed diet or can be provided within the mineral feed or premix.   

In modern poultry husbandry, often challenges occur. Through feeding solutions, mycotoxin risk management and gut performance management, farmers are able to protect, support or rehabilitate their poultry flocks.  

Common challenges in the field often involve:  

• Heat stress 
• Coccidiosis 
• Diarrhea 
• Salmonellosis 
• Egg Quality and Quantity 
• Mycotoxins