What is the Nutritional Feeding of Chickens?

Chickens are given a nutritionally balanced diet for their entire lives, which means it changes depending on their stage of growth. The same way puppies and senior dogs have different nutritional needs and therefore different food, the dietary needs of baby chicks and market weight chickens are different. Farmers work with nutritionists and independent experts to develop healthy diets for the birds, tailored to each stage of the chicken’s life.

Chickens in India eat a feed consisting of grain, grain by-products and protein-producing seeds (such as meal made from canola and soybeans). A small amount of other protein is added, such as bone meal and vegetable fats, as well as a small amount of vitamins and minerals. The chicken feed changes as the chickens grow, but it never contains added hormones or steroids. In fact, federal regulations prohibit the use of added hormones and steroids in all poultry.

Advances in nutrition, along with good breeding programs and improvements in housing conditions have created the broiler chickens of today, and by many accounts they have better health and welfare than ever before.