Particle Size Distribution of Organic Complete Diets for Laying Hens during Feed Offering

Complete diets for laying hens are usually offered in meal form. This form initially promotes the hens’ natural feed intake behavior and allows them to satisfy their pecking behavior. At same time, it can also cause difficulties, because consists of different particles is not a homogeneous unit. A mixture essential ensure that each hen flock meet its nutritional needs. If exhibits wide particle size distribution, this promote segregation during transport selective hens. These two processes sometimes lead significant differences between composition produced finally ingested by Multi-stage sampling be used investigate progressing composition. In study, samples complete (n = 76) were collected from ten organic farms Germany examine distributions (dry sieve analysis). Samples taken at four locations (V1 loading, V2 silo, V3 beginning chain, V4 end chain) farm. There was tendency V1 characterized high proportions 1400 3150 µm 61.2%, 43.5%). consisted mainly 500–800 200–400 µm, respectively. The lowest across all variants range above 2.20%, 1.30%, 1.00%, 0.400%) 400 500 2.50%, 4.50%, 5.70%, 6.60%). mean value comparison mesh sizes 200 1000 resulted in: < V4; 2000 > V4. observation explained feeding However, trends discontinuous varied farms. Deviations guideline values found particular µm.