Do you own chickens and have you ever grumbled about how expensive feed is? As the cost of animal feeds is not anticipated to decrease anytime soon, you should just accept the status quo. You should now start looking for new feed substitutes to feed your birds and enhance their performance. Fortunately, the well-known Moringa (Moringa oleifera) is a great choice.
In the majority of the world today, feeding hens moringa is standard practice. This is a result of the plant's outstanding nutritional advantages for the functionality of poultry birds, in addition to its affordability and accessibility.
Can Chickens Eat Moringa Seeds?
Yes, chickens can eat moringa seeds. Moringa aids in boosting metabolism and enhancing food absorption. It enhances the feathers' colour and quality.
Since moringa strengthens their immune system, chickens fed with it are more tolerant to illnesses.
Benefits of Moringa to Chickens
Due to moringa's great nutritional value, it has become a fantastic substitute for conventional chicken feed. It is not unexpected that many seasoned farmers refer to it as the "superfood for birds" for this reason.
The leaves of the moringa plant have a high crude protein content (25–30% CP) and all the necessary amino acids needed for one meal. These are the advantages of moringa for chickens.
- It combats free radicals.
The chemicals known as free radicals, which cause inflammation, cell damage, and oxidative stress, are combated by the antioxidants flavonoids, polyphenols, and ascorbic acid.
- Diabetes symptoms could be minimized
Moringa is useful in lowering cholesterol and glucose levels, controlling oxidative stress, and lowering blood sugar when taken as a powder.
- It is a heart-healthy food.
Moringa can lower cholesterol levels and decrease the buildup of plaque in the arteries since it aids in lipid regulation. Cardiovascular disease risk is decreased as a result.
- Moringa can combat common illnesses
Moringa's antibacterial and antifungal characteristics aid in the treatment of illnesses. It combats bacteria that cause blood and urinary tract infections as well as some fungi that cause skin infections.
- Moringa promotes faster wound healing
Blood clotting abilities are present in moringa leaves. Regular use shortens the time it takes for blood to coagulate, guarantees bleeding stops quickly, and improves healing.
- Moringa improves mental health
Antioxidant properties prevent neuronal aging and enhance cognitive function. According to studies, moringa leaves may potentially help to prevent the start of Alzheimer's disease or at least lessen its symptoms.
- Protects the health of the liver
The liver is protected from toxicity, oxidation, and damage because of the high amounts of polyphenols.
Does Moringa Have Any Side Effects?
Moringa has diuretic qualities. It might result in heartburn, diarrhoea, gaseous distension, and stomach distress when consumed in high amounts.
If you don't enjoy the flavour, your gag reflex can get triggered. Limit your intake because doing so can make your flocks fall sick. Chickens that are layers may experience uterine contractions due to certain compounds contained in the roots, flowers, and bark of some plants. These might lead to reduced egg formulation.
Seed extracts ought to be avoided since they can poison immunological cells.
Can Chickens Eat Moringa Leaf
Yes, chickens can eat moringa leaves. With no negative impacts on performance, moringa leaf meal can make up to 6% of the diets of growing layer chicks, 10% of the diets of laying hens, 5% of the diets of broilers, and up to 20% of the diets of weaner rabbits.
How To Prepare Moringa For Chickens
It's simple to use moringa to make poultry feed.
The leaves should be removed from the tree, placed in a shaded area to air dry (not in the sun), and then ground into a fine powder.
Combine the moringa powder with the water or the chicken feed. 10% is the suggested amount of moringa to include in poultry feed. Avoiding going over 10% is crucial because doing so would harm the chickens' health and general performance rather than a favorable one. Researchers have discovered that feeding laying chickens a diet that contains more than 10% moringa leaf meal decreases egg output and improves the feed conversion ratio.
Other Seeds Chickens Can Eat
- Watermelon Seeds
Chickens love watermelon seeds because they contain 14–17% protein. Save the seeds after eating your watermelon so your hens can eat them. Furthermore, if you have hens, no portion of a watermelon goes to waste because they can eat the rind.
- Pumpkin Seeds
If you have extra pumpkin seeds, you should feed them to your chickens because they contain about 19% protein. For your chickens, pumpkin seeds are tasty, palatable, and healthful. Feed your hens as many pumpkin seeds as you can.
- Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds contain 21% crude protein.
Sunflower seeds are a favourite among chickens and have been shown to promote their growth and development. The preferred seeds for chickens are sunflower seeds.
- Beans and Peas
If not legumes, what other seeds are the best for chickens? Beans and other legume seeds, like peas, are renowned for having a high protein content. For instance, boiling kidney beans have 24% protein while pigeon peas have roughly 22% protein.
Even though peas and beans are pricey, you should feed your chickens whatever extras you have.
- Papaya Seeds
Papaya is one popular fruit that we eat. While papayas are delicious and nutritious, we might be ignoring their protein-rich seeds. Papaya seeds are particularly tasty to hens and have a protein content of about 27–28%.
- Wheat
The use of wheat in baking and other applications makes it the most widely consumed grain by far. Although wheat has many applications, you can also use it to feed hens (if you have enough).
Wheat is useful for fattening hens since it includes a lot of carbs and about 16% protein.
- Maize
Another popular grain for hens is maize. Despite its popularity, maize is not the best grain for young, developing hens because it provides 11% protein (which is the lowest so far).
For older chickens that you wish to fatten, maize is advised because it is high in carbs.
- Millet
Since millet plants are simple to grow and yield seeds quickly, they are frequently used as a grain while rearing livestock. For your birds, millet contains 7–12% protein.
You may give millet grains whole to your birds because they are so little. However, since the powdered form of millet delivers nutrients to hens more quickly than whole millet, it is advised to feed it to your flock.
Conclusion
Chickens can eat Moringa seeds as it parked with nutrients. It naturally aids in preventing infection.
It enhances the quality of the egg yolk and eggshell while accelerating the growth of the bird (natural growth booster). During the finisher period but not the starter period, broilers can also consume up to 1.5% of their diet from moringa un-decorticated seed powder.
