Feeding strategies for organic broiler chickens

Organic broiler chickens require outdoor access for at least one-third of their lives and are slaughtered at 81 days or older, resulting in slower growth. Feed must meet amino acid and energy needs using high-quality protein sources like legumes, aquatic feed, and food-processing by-products, with synthetic amino acids prohibited. A phase feeding approach based on digestible amino acids supports optimal growth. Range access enables consumption of forages, roughages, and invertebrates, enhancing nutrition. Choice feeding improves feed conversion efficiency. Reducing protein to 15% in the finishing phase lowers costs despite reduced efficiency. Effective range management and supplementary forages such as haylages, lucerne, and clover are vital, especially in winter or drought. These practices support sustainable organic poultry feeding within the OK-Net EcoFeed initiative.