Kelp Meal For Chickens – Why And How?

If you are learning how to take care of chickens, you are probably looking at various chicken feed options. If you’ve come across the idea of kelp meal for chickens, you might be wondering why and how?

Kelp, or seaweed, is a fantastic ocean product.

It’s one of the healthiest things for people and animals alike.

The dried meal is excellent for dogs, cats, birds, cows and sheep. But what about kelp meal for chickens?

Keap reading to learn the whys and hows of feeding kelp meal to chickens.

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Nutritional Value of Kelp Meal

What is the nutritional value of kelp meal? Kelp holds a lot of nutritional value!

• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Sulfur
• Copper
• Manganese
• Iron
• Zinc
• Iodine
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin K1
• Folate
• Pantothenic Acid

 

Kelp is also high in antioxidants which can increase immunity and decrease free radicals.

What Are the Benefits of Kelp Meal for Chickens?

Kelp meal for chickens is an ideal supplement. It has a laundry list of benefits for chickens that includes increased egg production, improved health, boosted immunity and better eggshells, among so many others.

It’s so safe that it’s recommended for chickens throughout their lives, beginning at birth.

Of course, this will depend on what you have your chickens for and what purpose they serve. Therefore, kelp meal is best for chickens that are either layers or broilers.

Kelp is full of very important nutrients, vitamins, trace elements and minerals that’s essential for chickens. It’s a solid and chemical-free source of prebiotic fiber, chlorophyll, vitamin C and iron.

These constituents boost immunity, prevent diseases and promote improved overall health.

Digestive Health

Kelp provides beneficial microbes that make it difficult for Salmonella and other similar bacteria to fester. This is because it modifies and balances out chickens’ intestinal flora.

 

This is ideal for laying chickens, since it improves hatchability, reduces blood spots, and lowers the chances of coccidiosis (an intestinal parasitic disease).

Stress Management; Prolonged Laying

This nutritional content also means kelp can help chickens cope with stress or help prolong the laying ability of older hens.

Plus, it improves and increases the quality of eggs and contributes to the production of golden yellow yolks.

Temperature Regulation; Feather Maintenance

Kelp promotes healthy, shiny feathers and regulates heat cycles. What’s more, it can aid in weight gain and enhance the bird’s general alertness.

 

Such activity is advantageous to chickens in wintertime, helping them fight off cold and hunger.

Benefits to Humans

Feeding kelp to chickens provides a host of benefits for people when they consume the meat or the eggs.

For instance, there is evidence that feeding kelp to chickens reduces the levels of cholesterol in the egg. Additionally, kelp meal in chicken feed increases an egg’s iodine content.

If that wasn’t enough, kelp can make the eggshells more uniform in texture and stronger and harder too. And we all want stronger, harder, more beautiful eggs!

How Old Should Chickens Be When Feeding Them Kelp Meal?

Kelp is such a safe and valuable food, you can feed it to baby chicks and continue offering it throughout the chicken’s life. You should start feeding kelp meal to chickens the moment they come under your care.

Kelp is one of the best ways to help chicks boost their delicate immune systems. Additionally, kelp meal helps them fight off any diseases or infections they brought with them from the hatchery. It acts as a precautionary measure to protect the rest of your coop.

What Is the Best Amount to Feed Kelp Meal to Chickens?

Adding 1% to 2% kelp meal to your chicken feed as a regular supplement will give your flock all the nutrition it needs. This is an ideal amount for chicks and younger chickens.

 

You may want to increase the ratio to 5% when they become adults.

However, if you want to sell your eggs for public consumption, consider adding 10% to 15% to ensure that golden yellow yolk. 

If your chickens experience stress from things like heat, reproduction, travel or disease, you can increase their kelp intake.

You can add as much as 25% to the total feed. 

Can Ducks Eat Kelp Meal?

The short answer is yes! Ducks can eat kelp meal.

If you raise both chickens and ducks, feel free to add kelp meal to the feed of the entire flock. The nutritional benefits of kelp meal will positively affect both species of backyard birds.

Where To Buy Kelp Meal?

There are many places to buy kelp meal. Amazon is my personal favorite but your local health food stores will also be great places to check.

 

Some Walmarts even have kelp meal available, depending on local demand.

Can You Make Your Own Kelp Meal for Chickens?

It is possible to make kelp meal for chickens. You can either collect some fresh seaweed from the ocean or buy some at the store. If you do not trust the seaweed’s purity from the ocean, buy it from the store (or other trusted supplier) to stay on the safe side of things.

Ensure it’s organic and pesticide-free.

Upon bringing it home, rinse off the kelp by soaking it for an hour in water. Next, strain, dry off with paper towels, and put it on a drying rack in a well-ventilated area.

Once dried, you can crumble it up into small enough pieces for your chickens to consume.

There are some arguments from people that say you shouldn’t rinse the seaweed because it depletes all the nutritional content. I don’t understand how this could be the case, but I’m no nutritionist.

Use your best judgment in this case but I personally don’t think rinsing seaweed or kelp will wash off the nutrients.

Ensuring your chickens lead a healthy life begins with their diet. Adding kelp meal to their feed will be one of the best ways to guarantee they stay disease and bacteria-free.

This healthiness extends the eggs and meat, which means people will benefit as well.