Feed optimisation with local maize and sorghum for natu kodi in coastal AP

Coastal Andhra grows maize and sorghum, and both are sound energy sources for poultry. The reason most households still buy finished concentrate is not that mixing is hard — it is that a badly mixed ration is worse than a bought one, and nobody teaches the proportions.

What a ration has to contain

Components of a home-mixed natu kodi ration

Component	Local source	Role
Energy	Maize, broken rice, sorghum	Growth and body weight
Protein	Oilseed cake, azolla, insects, limited fish waste	Muscle and feather
Fibre and bulk	Rice bran, chopped greens	Fills the gut cheaply
Minerals	Shell grit, bone meal, wood ash	Bones and eggshells
Vitamins	Fresh greens, sunlight, ranging	General health
Water	Clean, twice daily in summer	Everything

Proportions, practically

A workable household ration for growing birds sits roughly at two parts energy grain to one part bran, with a protein source making up a modest share and grit available free choice. Exact percentages matter less than consistency and protein adequacy: a ration that is all maize and bran produces a bird that grows slowly and never fills out.

For laying hens, the calcium share rises — shell grit must be permanently available, not sprinkled occasionally.

Why home mixing goes wrong

• Too much bran. Cheap, filling, and low in usable energy. Birds look fed and stay thin.
• No protein source at all. The single most common failure; greens and azolla help but a concentrate or cake top-up is usually needed.
• Grinding too fine. Dusty feed is wasted and causes respiratory irritation. A coarse grind is better.
• Storing damp. Mould in stored grain is a slow poison. Dry, off the floor, in sacks, in small batches.
• Changing the mix weekly. Birds adapt to a ration; constant change shows up as uneven growth.

What the saving is worth

Country chicken sells at ₹300–₹600 per kg live weight. On a two-kilo bird, every rupee per kg of feed saved compounds across four to six months. But the saving only counts if growth is not slowed: a ration that saves ₹10 a week and delays sale by a month has cost money.

How to test a mix properly

• Run two pens of ten birds on the old and new ration for one cycle.
• Weigh the feed you put in and the birds you take out.
• Compare sale weight, not appearance. A glossy bird that weighs less is not a better outcome.
• Keep the mix that wins for a full year before changing anything else.

Buying grain well

Maize and sorghum bought at harvest, when the district is full of it, cost substantially less than the same grain bought in the lean months. Storage capacity, not formulation skill, is often what separates a low feed bill from a high one. Buy dry, store dry, and use within the season.

Questions farmers ask about this

Can I feed natu kodi only maize and rice bran?

No. That mixture is energy-heavy and short on protein, so birds grow slowly and never fill out. A protein source such as oilseed cake, azolla or a concentrate top-up is needed alongside grit and greens.

Is home-mixed feed cheaper than bought concentrate?

Usually yes per kg, and clearly yes when grain is bought at harvest. It is only cheaper overall if growth is not slowed — a saved rupee that delays sale by a month is a loss.

How much shell grit do laying hens need?

Keep it available free choice at all times rather than adding measured amounts. Hens regulate their own calcium intake when grit is permanently accessible.