Samples of cereals, cereal by-products deoiled cakes were collected from the feed processing unit, (Project Directorate on Poultry (PDP), Hyderabad) and 4–6 different places of production to examine the variation in trace mineral composition. Feed ingredients collected from PDP indicated that the Mn content of maize, jowar, bajra and broken rice (4.8, 18.0, 13.9 and 15.0 ppm, respectively) was comparable with the NRC values. Deoiled cakes/meals and brans exhibited similar variability in the Mn content. The concentration of Zn and Cu in grains, cereal byproducts and deoiled cakes/meals varied moderately from that of NRC values. However, the Fe content was widely divergent.
Mn, Zn, Cu and Fe content of Maize (sourced from 5 locations) exhibited significant (P<0.05) variation (2.6–8.2 ppm), (24.3–31.1 ppm), (7.7–18.2 ppm) and (70.6–94.0 ppm) respectively, reflecting the influence of production place on the mineral content. Similar trend was also noticed in the trace mineral composition of jowar, bajra, soybean meal, groundnut and sunflower cake. The concentration of Mn, Zn and Cu was significantly variable between the samples, but the extent of divergence was moderate compared to the NRC values. However, the concentration of Fe was extremely divergent. Since the trace mineral composition varied significantly for most of the feed ingredients compared to NRC values, it is suggested that the feed ingredients be analyzed for the elemental content prior to formulation so as to optimize the level of trace mineral supplementation.
Trace minerals, Poultry feed ingredients
