14 September 2023
Farmers can optimise chicken nutrition with a new mobile app that helps them save money and improve profits.
Designed by nutrition experts at the poultry science department at the University of Georgia in the US, the FeedMixer app helps poultry farmers to achieve the right nutrient balance in chicken feed.
Rising commercial feed costs and limited supply of certain grains mean farmers often self-mix their chicken feed, making it difficult to achieve the correct balance.
FeedMixer solves the problem by allowing users to choose the type of chickens they are feeding, then select the available ingredients in the proportions they intend to blend.
The app indicates whether the chosen mix delivers adequate energy, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals to nourish the birds without waste.
It also allows users to calculate whether their feed mix is cost-effective by putting in the cost of the ingredients they use.
Maureen Stickel, director of international programme development at the World Poultry Foundation, says FeedMixer has a large library of feed ingredients with their nutritional content. This allows it to guide farmers on feed mixes for layers, broilers and dual-purpose birds at various ages.
Sean Chen, assistant professor/extension specialist at the University of Georgia poultry science department, says FeedMixer is designed for ease of use by people with a basic poultry background – including backyard and emerging chicken farmers.
“With the app, we are trying to make it simple for farmers to use local ingredients to formulate a diet that meets basic poultry nutrition requirements and achieve their basic production goals,” he says.
To download the app for Android and IOS, visit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.worldpoultryfoundation.feedmixer
