Using Data Analytics to Assess Commercial Poultry Feed Quality and Performance

The feed mill industry often struggles to produce high nutrient density (HND) feeds that promote rapid growth rates and high egg production (EP) in laying chickens. This study leverages data analytics to evaluate the impact of commercialfeed quality on the performance ofpoint-of-lay (POL) Isa Brown (ISA) pullets. A total of 200 ISA hens at 12 weeks of age were procured from a commercial farm and housed in individual battery cages. Four different commercial feed products were tested: Vital feed (VIF), Hybridfeed (HYF), Chikun feed (CHF), and Top feed (TOF), with water supplied ad libitum. Data analytics techniques were applied to collected data, which included age at first egg (AFE), body weight atfirst egg (B WFE), weight of first egg (WFE), egg weight (EWT), egg number (EN), and egg mass (EM). The findings indicated that CHF produced the highest BWFE (1.95 kg), followed by VIF and TOF (1.46 kg), with HYF having the lowest (1.39 kg). While all diets similarly affected laying body mass (LBM), differences were observed in body length (BDL) and wing length (WL). Hen day egg production (HDEP) and Hen house egg production (HHEP) were comparable at 71.74% and 71.20%, respectively. The rate of lay (ROL) varied between 47.08% and 62.67%. Birds on CHF showed late maturity (AFE of 204 days) but maintained a higher number of laying days (167) with an average ROL of 56.11%. Findings highlight TOF grower and layer mash as having HND, enhancing ISA performance in growth and EP. Consequently, TOF feed products are recommended for poultry farmers aiming for improved layer production.