The feed factor in poor feathering

A good plumage is important for chickens and a sign of a healthy and good performing bird. However, stress and poor nutrition can result in feathering issues. Some nutritional aspects to consider are discussed here. A chicken’s body protein content is around 21% while a feather’s protein level is around 94 to 96% (Block and Boiling, 1951). Therefore, a chicken’s dietary protein and amino acids (AA) requirements are very high during feather synthesis, especially for sulphur-based AA and ar