[Md.Rejuan Hossain]

To reduce chicken feed costs, provide supplemental nutrients through free-ranging and farm/kitchen scraps, grow your own feed like fodder or insects, use waste-reducing feeders, ferment feed, buy in bulk through co-ops, choose efficient breeds, and improve feed storage to buy when prices are low.

[Md.Rejuan Hossain]

Feeds being analyzed include a wide range of animal feeds, such as livestock and poultry feed, pet food, and aquaculture feed, as well as individual ingredients like forages, grains, and supplements. The analysis focuses on determining their nutritional and safety qualities, including dry matter, protein, fat, fiber, minerals, and the presence of contaminants like mycotoxins.

[Md.Rejuan Hossain]

Yes, moisture loss (shrinkage) during feed ingredient storage can lead to changes in nutritional profiles by concentrating other nutrients and impacting the digestibility of components like starch and protein, while also increasing the risk of spoilage if high moisture in the air allows for mold and bacterial growth, depleting nutrients and producing toxins. Effective moisture management is crucial to maintain feed quality, prevent nutrient degradation, and ensure the product’s nutritional specifications are met.

[Md.Rejuan Hossain]

Challenges in maintaining pellet quality during milling include inconsistent raw material properties (particle size, moisture, composition), ineffective conditioning leading to poor gelatinization and high fines, worn or misaligned die and roller equipment, and improper process control such as incorrect feed rates or temperature and pressure settings. Overfeeding can also cause clogged dies and higher fines, while excessive moisture leads to spoilage and mold growth.

[Md.Rejuan Hossain]

How many tons of feed are produced in your country in a month?

[Md.Rejuan Hossain]

Main raw materials in feed milling include grains (like corn, wheat, and barley), oilseeds (such as soybeans, sunflower, and canola), animal products (like fish meal and meat and bone meal), and vitamins and minerals to supplement nutritional needs. Other materials such as forage, fruits, vegetables, and by-products from industrial processes, like brewer’s yeast, are also incorporated into feed formulations.

[Elijah Amole]

Good question

[Elijah Amole]

Transboundary animal diseases (TADs) are infectious diseases that can spread rapidly across borders, causing major economic, trade, and food security problems.
In poultry, several of these transboundary diseases are of high concern globally because of their potential for rapid transmission, high mortality, and international trade restrictions.

Here are the major transboundary diseases in poultry 👇

<hr>
<h3>🦠 1. Avian Influenza (AI)</h3>

• Causative agent: Influenza A virus (various subtypes, e.g. H5N1, H7N9).
• Transmission: Direct contact with infected birds, feces, secretions, contaminated equipment or feed.
• Impact: High mortality, trade bans, zoonotic potential (can infect humans).
• Common names: Bird flu, fowl plague.

<hr>
<h3>🧬 2. Newcastle Disease (ND)</h3>

• Causative agent: Newcastle disease virus (avian paramyxovirus type 1).
• Transmission: Airborne droplets, feces, contaminated feed, water, or equipment.
• Impact: High mortality and morbidity, trade restrictions.
• Remarks: Endemic in many countries; vaccination is essential.

<hr>
<h3>🐓 3. Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD)</h3>

• Causative agent: Birnavirus.
• Transmission: Fecal-oral route, contaminated litter or equipment.
• Impact: Immunosuppression in young birds, predisposing them to other infections.
• Also called: Gumboro disease.

<hr>
<h3>🐥 4. Fowl Pox</h3>

• Causative agent: Avipoxvirus.
• Transmission: Through skin abrasions, mosquitoes, or contaminated equipment.
• Impact: Reduced productivity, slow growth, and mortality in severe cases.

<hr>
<h3>🧫 5. Avian Infectious Bronchitis (IB)</h3>

• Causative agent: Coronavirus.
• Transmission: Airborne droplets, contaminated feed/water.
• Impact: Respiratory distress, drop in egg production, poor shell quality.
• Highly contagious.

<hr>
<h3>🦠 6. Avian Mycoplasmosis</h3>

• Causative agent: Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae.
• Transmission: Vertical (from parent to chick) and horizontal.
• Impact: Chronic respiratory disease, reduced egg and meat production.

<hr>
<h3>🧬 7. Salmonellosis (Pullorum disease / Fowl typhoid)</h3>

• Causative agents: Salmonella pullorum and Salmonella gallinarum.
• Transmission: Through eggs, feed, feces, and contaminated equipment.
• Impact: High chick mortality and trade restrictions.

<hr>
<h3>⚠️ 8. Avian Paramyxovirus (other than ND)</h3>

• Causative agent: Avian paramyxoviruses (types 2–9).
• Transmission: Direct or indirect contact.
• Impact: Respiratory and neurological signs, egg production loss.

<hr>
<h3>🧫 9. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)</h3>

• Technically a subtype of avian influenza but deserves special mention due to:
  • Severe mortality (up to 100%)
  • Human health risk
  • Mass culling and trade bans

<hr>
<h3>🌍 Why these diseases are called “transboundary”</h3>

• They cross national borders easily, often via:
  • Movement of birds (wild or domestic)
  • Trade in poultry or poultry products
  • Contaminated feed, vehicles, or equipment
• They require international cooperation for control and eradication (FAO, OIE, WHO, etc.).

[Elijah Amole]

I have attempted the quiz

[Md.Rejuan Hossain]

Which feed technology is best for floating fish?

[Md.Rejuan Hossain]

Five key qualities for evaluating food texture are firmness, cohesiveness, viscosity, elasticity, and adhesiveness. These properties describe how a food feels to the touch and how it behaves when chewed, with firmness referring to resistance to compression, cohesiveness to how it holds together, viscosity to its thickness, elasticity to its ability to return to shape, and adhesiveness to its stickiness.

[Md.Rejuan Hossain]

What are the key risks (e.g., mycotoxins, pathogens, heavy metals) that can affect feed quality?

[Md.Rejuan Hossain]

There are two standard types of pellet mills: flat die mills and ring die mills. In flat die mills, the die rotates a roller that presses the powder through the holes in the die. A cutter then cuts the exposed pellet free from the die. In a ring die mill, there are radial slots throughout the die.

[Muhammad Ikram]

Great 👍

[Md.Rejuan Hossain]

What are the essential maintenance steps for all equipment to ensure proper functioning and reduce problems?