4 Suggestions for Solving Layer Premix Problems

Premix is a feed intermediate made by uniformly mixing a variety of trace components (including various trace mineral elements, various vitamins, synthetic amino acids, certain drugs and other additives) with diluents or carriers as required. The product is the core part of full-price compound feed.

Due to the small addition ratio of premix, high uniformity requirements are required when mixing with protein and energy feed. At the same time, farmers lack professional knowledge and testing equipment when purchasing protein, energy feed and stone powder. As a result, the finished feed products fed to laying hens have poor stability, unbalanced nutrition, or excessive toxins. Eventually, problems such as diarrhea, feather loss, reduced production performance, and poor eggshell color and quality will occur in laying hens.

① Frequently Asked Questions about Feeding Premixes for Laying Hens

1. The color of the eggshell becomes lighter

The quality stability and nutritional balance of feeds processed from premixed materials in farms cannot be guaranteed. The intestinal health and stress resistance of laying hens will be affected, thereby reducing the efficiency of pigment synthesis and deposition. Therefore, the eggshell color of the eggs produced is lighter than that of eggs fed full-price compound feed.

2. The quality of eggshells decreases

In the late laying period, the calcium absorption and deposition efficiency of laying hens decreases, and the eggshell quality decreases with age, which is more obvious when using premix. Because farmers do not pay much attention to the quality of stone powder, the calcium content in stone powder is low, and the calcium in the diet cannot meet the needs of laying hens for egg production. This leads to an increase in the rate of soft-preserved eggs and broken eggs.

3. Diarrhea occurs in laying hens

When using premixes, more soybean meal and stone powder are usually added. The higher concentration of potassium ions in soybean meal can easily cause an imbalance in intestinal osmotic pressure and cause watery stools. Excessive magnesium ion content in stone powder can also cause diarrhea in laying hens.

4. Feather loss phenomenon

When the intestinal tract is unhealthy, the efficiency of digestion and absorption of nutrients will decrease, and the amino acids absorbed by the body may not be able to meet the needs of feather growth. Insufficient methionine added to the premix, environmental or disease stress that makes it difficult to maintain the normal physiological functions of laying hens, will all cause feather loss.

② Solutions to the problem of layer premix

1. Ensure the quality of vertical mixer

It is required that the mixed feed has high uniformity, purchase equipment with a small coefficient of variation as much as possible, and determine the appropriate mixing time. Farms should not arbitrarily change the mixing time every time they use premix to process finished feed, to avoid equipment and human factors causing an imbalance of feed nutrients for laying hens.

2. Purchase qualified corn, soybean meal and stone meal

Don’t buy corn with excessive moisture or mold, adulterated soybean meal, or stone powder with low calcium content because of low prices. These will directly affect the production performance of laying hens and the quality of eggs.

3. Ensure the accuracy of material weighing

The weighing equipment should be calibrated regularly and produced in accordance with the manufacturer's recommended formula. Avoid nutritional imbalances in finished feed products caused by inaccurate weighing and formulation errors.

4. Carry out good feeding and management work

Details of biosecurity, ventilation, temperature, humidity, etc. are also very important. Ensure that laying hens are produced in a safe and comfortable environment.

③ POLIFAR's services: Customized formula feed premix to meet animal nutritional needs

Feed formulations vary for different animals. Since they require different nutrients for growth, reproduction and development, the formula of the premix needs to be determined according to the needs of the animals.