42 42 Crumbs – Starter Feeding coarse-medium mash diets with an adequate feed particle distribution is recommended. The feed should be homogeneous and have a good structure so it guarantees an even balance of coarse and fine feed particles thus improving nutrient intake capacity. A diet with an extremely fine consistency will reduce the feed intake of the birds and can result in a reduced supply of essential nutrients. Adding a minimum of 1.5–2 % of some oil/fat reduces the dustiness of the feed and helps to improve feed structure and palatability. Even more so in alternative systems, a high proportion of very fine components or a structure that is too coarse can lead to selective feed intake and an unbalanced nutrient supply leading to a decrease of flock uniformity and may trigger undesirable behaviour (feather pecking, cannibalism, etc.). If an adequate mash feed cannot be supplied (hygienic reasons, inappropriate equipment, etc.) diets can be supplied as quality crumbs or pellets. Pelleting and crumbs while sometimes improving daily gain and reducing wastage can increase nutrient intake but can also reduce the time spent feeding. Which in alternative systems can lead to increased pecking behaviour. In addition, poor quality pellets or crumbs can lead to lower consumption due to the accumulation of fine particles and increased unpalatability. Coarse calcium particles and coarse fibre particles may not be feasibly included in pellet and crumbs and due to pellet structure, a lower gizzard activity is noted when birds are fed pelleted rather than mash diets. All these aspects alongside flock condition should be considered when making decisions about feed presentation. Time spending feeding for layers Pellets (%) Mash (%) Eating time 11.20 21.06 Savory et al, 1974 LOHMANN › MANAGEMENT GUIDE › FEEDING & NUTRITION The target should be to get 60–70 % of particles between 1.0–2.5 mm. Feed particle distribution > 3.0 mm 3.0–2.0 mm 2.0–1.5 mm 1.5–1.0 mm < 1.0 mm < 0.5 mm *Starter, % – _< 20 20–30 30–40 _< 15 _< 5 Pullets, % – _< 20 15–25 25–35 _< 15 _< 10 Layers, % _< 10 25–30 25–30 15–25 _< 25 _< 10 10% 10% 35% 45% 45% 35% 10% 10% Crumbs – Rearing Mash Roller Mill – Lay Mash Hammer Mill – Lay
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