Feeding Trials Using Eggshell and Bone Meals in Poultry Nutrition

The challenge of food insecurity and hunger worldwide and in developing countries particularly in Africa have continued to be an issue of concern to experts and government of such countries. The direct competition between man and his domestic animals for conventional food items has been on the increase thereby leading to general increase in cost of food items. Various non-conventional feed ingredients obtained from farm by-products have been fed to animals particularly the ruminants all in the effort to reduce the competition for food items and in the long run the cost. Feeding trials using eggshell and bone meal in poultry nutrition is an effort to replace more expensive sources of Calcium and other minerals with readily available ones without jeopardizing the performance of the birds. Calcium and Phosphorous are critical mineral nutrients required by both layers and and broiler birds thus the eggshell and bone meals which are readily available have been included in the birds ration to reduce feed cost and maximize the farmers profit. It is therefore recommended for poultry farmers who have these by-products readily available in their locality to enable them maximize profit.