In this recommended article, the author makes the case for farmers to formulate their own feed based on the fact that many feed makers fail to produce livestock feed that conform to the required standards.
This is an argument I have used (along with the cost-saving benefits of making your own feed) for years to encourage many of my Farm CEO clients in and out of Africa to stop buying commercial feeds and start formulating/compounding what they can be sure will deliver the right nutrient profile to their animals.
My popular Feed Formulation Handbook and Excel-VB Driven Ration Formulation Software were developed to help interested Farm CEOs safely explore this option.
Practical Livestock Feed Formulation Handbook
Sadly, developments in the recent past in the Nigerian market have seen prices and availability of key feed ingredients like Maize and Soyabean go so crazy and unpredictable that small producers have found it impractical to continue making their own feed.
As a result many have gone back to buying from commercial feed manufacturers. And some have been forced to shut down their operations – especially those in the poultry sector.
Several of my clients have confided in me that things got so bad that they could not go on – especially when it became apparent that little or no support could be had from the government.
What upset me even more was the fact that all this was allowed to happen at a time when the government was supposedly trying to attract young people to farming by showing that it can be profitable to invest in!
Imagine what the average youth would think if/when s/he sees or hears about farms closing down due to such unfavorable environmental circumstances as those that have plagued the farm businesses described above?!
Sometimes I feel that Nigeria and her leadership simply do not want the best for the country – inspite of what they say. Otherwise, why on earth should this happen to farm CEOs at this time?
Notwithstanding the above, however, the wisdom offered in the article I recommend via a linked preview below, remains VALID and VALUABLE for adoption by any livestock farm owner. I urge you to read and put it to use.
The A-Z of making your own quality chicken feed at home to cut costs
Except for a few feed manufacturers who keep to the standards in poultry feed formulations, many feed companies in the country make very poor quality feeds, a situation which has led huge losses.
Poor quality feeds lead to a slow growth in chickens, low egg production, diseases or even death. Making poultry feeds on the farm is one of the best ways to maintain quality and cut the cost of production.
The common ingredients are whole maize, maize germ, cotton seed cake, soya beans, sunflower or fish meal (omena).
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