Poultry Breeder Nutrition

Why Breeding Stock Require more than a Standard Layer Diet

When you’re working with hens (and roosters) destined for breeding rather than simply egg production, certain nutritional and management demands rise — here’s some key differences and why they matter:

1. Greater demands on fertility, hatchability, chick vigor

Breeder birds are not just laying eggs to eat — they must produce eggs with optimal shell integrity, viable embryos, and strong hatchlings. That means the nutrition must support reproduction, embryonic development, and offspring robustness.

According to Jeff Mattocks of Fertrell, when you see poor fertility, low hatch‐rates, or weak chicks, it’s often a sign the feed is at “bare minimum” levels for a layer diet instead of being tailored for breeding stock.

Thus, breeders need a feed that goes beyond everyday maintenance and egg production: more amino acids (for tissue and embryo growth), more minerals (for skeletal, shell and reproductive development), and more micronutrients (vitamins, trace elements) to support all that.

2. Different life‐stage and physiological stresses

Breeding birds may be older, may undergo pauses in laying, may be managed for multiple cycles, or may be used for developing progeny lines. Their nutrient reserves (for bone, muscle, reproductive organs) must be maintained.

In contrast, a backyard layer flock is typically optimized for consistent egg output and may not be expected to produce high‐value progeny or maintain generational lines.

3. More emphasis on structure, reserves and longevity

Breeders must maintain skeletal integrity (especially in larger dual‐purpose or heritage breeds), reproductive tract health, and often longer lifespans/laying periods. A typical layer feed may assume the bird is going to be replaced sooner, or it may not account for the cumulative nutritional demand of multiple production cycles.

Jeff emphasizes good ingredient control (whole grains, quality protein sources for amino acid balance) because pasture systems or breeder flocks need that higher level of support.

4. The “dual purpose” dimension

Dual purpose birds put demands on both reproductive and growth/metabolic systems. They may require a different nutrient balance (for muscle development in the roosters, and for egg & progeny production in the hens) not well met by a single formulation of standard layer feed.

How Our Dual Purpose Feeds are Well Suited to Support Breeding Stock:

Premium ingredients + higher Fertrell mineral formulation compared to our standards layer feeds

Life-stage specific options & formulations for targeted nutrition and peak performance

Non-GMO, clean ingredients & quality control – nutritional deficiencies and toxins have a greater downstream impact on birds that you plan to keep around for long term breeding stock. Clean, quality ingredients from day one is crucial.

Meets nutritional requirements recommended by Jeff Mattocks for breeders – higher amino acids, higher ratios of mineral/micronutrients, high quality whole grains.

Our dual purpose line of feeds — non‐GMO, formulated with Fertrell® minerals, available in breeder‐specific phases (Starter, Grower, Layer) — offers precisely the kind of support breeding birds need. By selecting a feed built for this role, producers can improve fertility, hatchability and chick vigor, while maintaining strong flock health.