Background Information:
Layer chicks require copious amounts of energy, minerals and protein to ensure a productive and efficient laying-life. An efficient starter feed should contain energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Energy is one of the most vital nutrients within feed as it supports body, bone and organ development. It also gives chicks energy to walk around and live a happy life which is important for the welfare of the chicks. Protein is also vital to chick development as it is the source of all essential amino acids, e.g. methionine, which help to develop muscle, feather and skeletal development. Probiotics are sometimes also added to feeds to help to boost chick’s digestive and immune system.
Aim:
To find which starter feed makes the layer chicks grow and gain weight fastest.
Hypothesis:
Chicks fed Chick Starter will grow and gain weight faster that Poultry Supreme, this could be due to increased Crude protein which is the source of amino acids. It is also higher in energy which could help the chicks to grow, compared to Poultry Crumble.
Equipment:
The equipment used in this experiment are as following:
1. Standing coup/housing
2. Feed bucket (Where the feed is located)
3. Heat Lamps (To heat chicks)
4. Water bucket (To supply water to chicks, ideally it should be small as to avoid chicks drowning) …show more content…
This is a problem as it affects the reliability of the feed trial. E.g. Chicks that were fed Chick Starter were consuming Poultry supreme and vice versa. Also, the chicks did not often return to their original group which meant we had to move the chicks back. Also, another problem was catching the chicks as they generally stood under the heat lamps which was under an enclosed area, thus one student/teacher would have to stand in the area to get the chicks, the enclosure may be damaged in the