Family farm produced Complete Feeds for Poultry, Goats, Lamb, Pigs, Cattle and more. Whole and milled Grains and Blends. Glyphosate free.
02/16/2025
Guldberg Farms Broiler Ration--A Balanced All-in-One Broiler Ration for Small-Scale Producers and why a guaranteed analysis matters:
Feeding broiler chickens efficiently isn’t just about meeting daily nutrient requirements—it’s about balancing growth, health, and practicality. For large-scale commercial farms, it’s common to change the nutritional composition of feed multiple times as birds progress through different growth phases. However, for small-scale producers, switching feeds every few weeks can be impractical, costly, and disruptive.
Guldberg Farms Broiler Ration is designed to take broilers from three weeks to finish without requiring feed changes, ensuring steady growth, strong bones, and a high-quality finished bird with minimal fuss.
Let's break it down in feed analysis terms:
---Optimal Protein for Sustained Growth
At 17.6% crude protein, this feed strikes the right balance between muscle development and feed efficiency. While early-phase broilers (0-3 weeks) typically require higher protein (~22-24%), by three weeks, their protein needs taper down as they shift into steady growth. Instead of relying on multiple protein adjustments, this ration provides a consistent level that supports healthy weight gain without excessive feed conversion costs.
With pea and grain-based proteins, this feed ensures sufficient amino acids for muscle and feather development. While methionine (an essential amino acid) is not abundant in plant-based feeds, the formulation is balanced to prevent deficiencies that could slow growth or weaken birds’ resilience.
---Energy Levels That Keep Up with Growth
Energy is what keeps broilers gaining weight efficiently. This feed achieves a steady energy supply through a blend of wheat and barley, ensuring a balance between digestible starches and fiber.
With 2.2% crude fat, this ration provides enough stored energy to sustain growth without pushing excessive fat accumulation, which can become an issue in modern fast growing broiler varieties.
---Strong Bones and Healthy Muscles
One of the biggest concerns in broilers is bone health, as rapid growth puts strain on skeletal development. This feed contains 0.95% calcium and 0.62% phosphorus, a carefully balanced ratio that:
Supports skeletal strength, preventing leg issues common in fast-growing birds.
Ensures proper muscle attachment, reducing the risk of weak joints and fractures.
Promotes healthy metabolism, as phosphorus plays a key role in energy utilization.
The inclusion of 3,250 IU/kg of Vitamin D3 ensures that calcium is properly absorbed and utilized, preventing issues like rickets and soft bone conditions.
---Immune Support for Healthier Birds
In small-scale settings, maintaining disease resistance and immune strength is crucial, as birds are often raised in mixed systems with less reliance on antibiotics or controlled climate housing. This feed includes selenium (0.3 mg/kg) and vitamin E (25 IU/kg), a powerful antioxidant combination that:
Protects against oxidative stress, reducing muscle degeneration.
Improves immune function, helping birds resist common poultry diseases.
Enhances meat quality, preventing pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat issues.
Selenium is especially important in regions where soils are naturally low in this mineral, ensuring that even birds raised on locally sourced grain diets get the micronutrients they need.
---Electrolyte and Hydration Balance
Proper electrolyte levels ensure birds stay hydrated and metabolically efficient. This ration contains 0.17% sodium, a level that:
Prevents dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.
Supports nerve function and muscle contractions, ensuring birds grow without weakness or sudden mortality issues.
Encourages water intake, which is essential for digestion and thermoregulation in hot weather.
Since small-scale farmers often raise birds outdoors or in less climate-controlled environments, maintaining water balance is essential.
---A Practical, One-Feed Solution for Small Farms
For backyard and small-scale producers, feeding should be straightforward, cost-effective, and nutritionally sound. Constantly adjusting feed formulations can be a burden, requiring separate storage, careful transitions, and increased management. This one-ration approach simplifies feeding by ensuring that birds can thrive on a single, balanced formula from three weeks to finish without performance losses.
By maintaining consistent levels of protein, energy, calcium, phosphorus, essential vitamins, and trace minerals, this ration removes the need for multiple feed phases. The result is steady growth, well-formed broilers, and a streamlined feeding process, making it the ideal choice for farmers who want efficiency without compromise.
Its vital that ylur feed dollars are spent wisely and thats why Proper Feed Labeling and a Guaranteed Analysis Matter.
Feeding broilers is an investment, and just like any business, knowing exactly what you're feeding your birds is key to maximizing returns. A properly formulated and labeled feed, like this Guldberg Farms Broiler Ration, comes with a guaranteed analysis that ensures every batch meets the nutritional requirements necessary for healthy growth, strong bones, and efficient feed conversion.
In contrast, some small-scale producers and feed suppliers rely on randomly mixed grains without added vitamins and minerals, believing that a simple blend of wheat, barley, and peas is sufficient. While these ingredients provide basic essential energy and some protein, they lack essential micronutrients, leading to hidden deficiencies that may not be obvious until it’s too late.
The Risks of Feeding Unbalanced Rations
1. Slower Growth and Poor Feed Efficiency
Without the right protein balance and amino acids, birds grow slower, require more feed per pound of weight gained, and ultimately cost more to raise.
A small protein deficiency can add days or even weeks to finishing time, increasing feed costs significantly.
2. Weak Bones and Leg Problems
If calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D3 are missing, broilers can suffer from weak bones, fractures, and leg deformities.
Birds that can’t stand properly can’t reach feed efficiently, leading to culls and financial loss.
3. Compromised Immune Function and Higher Mortality
Deficiencies in selenium, vitamin A, or vitamin E can weaken the immune system, making birds more susceptible to disease.
Even minor nutritional gaps can lead to higher death rates, increasing financial risk.
4. Inconsistent Meat Quality and Financial Loss at Processing
Poorly formulated diets can lead to pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat, reducing the quality and marketability of finished birds.
If birds finish at a lower weight or have poor carcass composition, profit margins shrink.
The Bottom Line: A Properly Balanced Feed Pays for Itself
While random grain mixes may seem cheaper upfront, the hidden costs of longer finishing times, increased feed consumption, weaker birds, and higher mortality make them a risky gamble. A properly labeled feed with a guaranteed analysis ensures consistency, efficiency, and better financial outcomes, helping small-scale producers maximize growth while keeping costs under control.
When choosing a feed, buying one with a complete nutritional profile isn’t just about convenience—it’s about protecting your investment and ensuring the healthiest, most productive birds possible. You can still buy feed from a family farm and support local. But make sure you buy it from a local family owned feedmill or farm that is doing it right by providing you with the nutritional peace-of-mind that comes with a guaranteed analysis proving the feed is optimal for your growing needs!
Do you know what's in your feed?
Guldberg Farms Feedmill. Quality. Nutrition. Results.
www.guldbergfarms.ca
