Benefits of hydroponic fodder for poultry.

Poultry feed is very expensive in the market, thus opening up doors for innovation to reduce cost without reducing quality of products. The shift to hydroponically grown fodder is an easy choice for poultry producers. The Sprouted fodder is considered a complete ration for poultry as it contains all of the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed for optimal meat and egg production,however the rate of inclusion in the diet must be regulated to boost productivity. The benefits of using the hydroponic fodder are as follows ;1) reduction in cost of production. 2) faster growth rate for birds. 3) high quality and quantity of eggs. 4) low disease incidence.5)limited space for production. 6)low water usage . The green fodder is very high in protein and metabolisable energy, which is very digestible by most animals and this increases with day of harvest. The fodder for poultry should be harvested at day 4,as its succulent with less fiber content and easily digested , feeding fodder over 4days will result in reduced activity,low egg numbers and inappetence in birds. The cost implication of using this fodder is minimal as 2kg of corn will produce 10kg of fodder in 7 days, and one chicken will feed on 200gm of fodder a day. The best method of incorporation is to use 70% of the fodder with 30% of the compounded feed and water should be available always. start