What is the importance of these minerals in laying hens?

Question

-protein?

-Amino acids

-Vitamin D3

-fats

any other important ones you can think of

Thanks

Answer 1

They are important in chickens like they are in humans. They need them to be healthy and maintain life. Calcium is also important in aiding in egg production. If they do not have enough calcium then they may start laying eggs with no shells.

Answer 2

it makes the eggs stronger...therefore giving you heathier chicks/eggs.

Hope my advice helps.

Answer 3

Laura gave you the answer.  Living creatures are complex animals and need exact nutrition to thrive.  Commercial foods are good and I add extra calcium and fresh greens.

Answer 4

They're all important, and the correct balance is important as well.

I wish you had mentioned why you want this information, so I am not sure how to tailor this information for your needs, but here goes. :)

Protein is important for feather growth and egg production. Laying hens need a feed of 15-16% protein. More, and you are wasting it and stressing their kidneys. Less, and they might begin to eat the feathers from other birds (feathers are very high in protein)

Amino acids are part of a protein. Animal-based proteins include all the needed amino acids. If you feed your birds an all vegetable diet (and they are not vegetarians, by the way), you would need to research which vegetable sources contain which amino acids to be sure they are getting what they need.

Calcium! Without it, they will use the calcium from their bones to form their shells. If their feed is their only source of calcium, some people believe they will eat too much and get fat. I have not noticed that, however.

Vitamin D3: increases the phytate P retension in bone by improving the absorption of calcium, certain combinations of hydroxylated derivatives of Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) improve shell quality, and new research suggests that the D3 content of eggs can be increased by raising the amount of D3 fed to hens.

Trace minerals (not listed above) play various roles in chicken health and their absorption is effected by other ingredients in the feed. The scientific discussion on this particular topic continues.

You don't say why you want this information, but if it is to make your own feed, you are looking at one whopper of a task. Commercial feed is produced with the correct balance of these and other ingredients. Meat products are no longer used, hormones (despite the propaganda) are not added, and the only medication permitted in commercial feed is amprolium in baby chick feed to help build their immunity to coccidiosis.

If you want a completely organic feed, those are available as well.

http://www.plamondon.com/faq_feed.html

This is an excellent page regarding chicken nutrition and feed. Read the entire thing! I could have just cut and pasted it here, but I don't believe in plagiarizing the work of others:

If you want this information for a report of some kind, below you will find sources for more technical information.

More info:

Some of the minerals needed in general chicken feed are zinc, copper, iodine, magnesium, calcium, sodium (0.15%, also equal to 0.37% sodium chloride), phosphorus, potassium, manganese, and iron. Some of the vitamins needed by chickens that must be in their feed are Vitamin E (requirements vary as bird grows and diet changes), Vitamin D, Vitamin A (may be Vitamin A or pro-vitamin A), Vitamin K, Thiamine, Niacin, Pyridoxine, Riboflavin, Pantothenic acid, biotin, Vitamin B12, choline and folacin.

http://poultryone.com/articles/formratio...

(you can also find here the method for making your own feed, but simply balancing protein and corn is only part of it)

Here you can find specific requirements of everything for every kind of chicken:

http://www.afn.org/~poultry/flkman9.htm

Best wishes!

Answer 5

For The  hobbyist  who rears hens it is important to know that their diet should be a balanced one ,both for health as well as egg laying performance .The contribution of individual  dietary items will  require a study of both physiology & bio chemistry of poultry which is beyond the hobbyist requirments.

Carbohydrates ,calcium ,Vit B complex & minerals are all needed for a well balanced feed.

The beauty of these pets is they thrive on so many kitchen & table scraps,with time you find you can put a lot of these to good use &  these also help  as good diet supplemets,in time you get to know choices & preferances too .