Commercial poultry growers, for both meat and eggs, are regularly looking for ways to improve on various aspects of health, growth, and meat quality. While the addition of different types of seaweeds to chickens’ feed have been investigated, this article reviews the results of studies on the use of the brown seaweed, kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum). It’s the most common seaweed used as a livestock feed additive and is a rich source of iodine and other minerals, as well as vitamins. It also contains polysaccharides, which can help prevent inflammation, viruses, tumor growth, and more. The plant has also been found to improve the gut environment and enhance growth.
Most studies have been on broiler chickens, but much of the research can also be applied to egg-layers and other types of poultry, such as turkeys and ducks. One advantage to using kelp is that it’s a natural product, as opposed to many of the human-made chemicals (some now banned) and antibiotics that’ve previously been used to make poultry more productive.
Kelp can be added to the poultry feed ration in the form of kelp meal or extract powder. Kelp meal can be purchased in smaller quantities on Amazon, in larger quantities directly form the producer (shipping is expensive due to the weight) or in feed stores. A local feed store where I live used to special order it for me, but I can’t find any willing to do so since they closed, so I’ve had to resort to ordering it online.
Benefits of Kelp
Decreasing Heat Stress. Heat stress in poultry may lead to decreased egg quality and production, health problems, loss of weight, and death. This is more of an issue in birds that are housed indoors in large factory-style operations. However, with increasing heat events resulting from climate change, small farm chickens can also be impacted. Several studies have found that chickens given small amounts of kelp meal were better able to withstand prolonged heat events, without any effect on their growth.
Improving Growth. With the addition of just 2% of their feed, kelp meal was found in one study to improve both the growth and meat quality of bronze turkeys. Another study found both increase in weight, as well as reduction in fat, in broilers fed kelp, noting that previous studies had shown a decrease in fat but no gain in body weight. In addition to these benefits, the mortality rate was noted to be lower.
Improving Egg Production. A 2020 study feeding layer hens kelp trademarked Tasco® at 0.25% and 0.5% of their ration found that it “significantly enhanced egg weight, shell weight, and yolk colour[sic].” Interestingly, the chickens given the smaller amount of the seaweed meal had larger eggs and shell weights. Based on this and other research on poultry, the producer of Tasco® recommends adding it to their feed ration at a rate of 0.25 to 0.5% of feed.
Reducing Odor. In addition to the benefits mentioned above, another interesting study found that fermented kelp fed to chickens decreased ammonia production in their droppings. This is a less of an issue for small flocks, especially if they free-range.
A Step toward Better Birds
For a modest investment, backyard poultry farmers can add kelp meal to the feed ration of their chickens and expect improvement in their overall health and growth.
References: Abdel-Ghany, AM. 2020 “EFFECTS OF KELP SEAWEED (ASCOPHYLLUM NODOSUM) ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE DURING THE GROWING PERIOD OF AN IMPORTED HEAVY-WEIGHT-LINE OF BROAD BREASTED BRONZE TURKEYS.” Egypt Poult Sci 40(I): 47-64.
Ahmed, ST, et al. 2014. “Effects of fermented corni fructus and fermented kelp on growth performance, meat quality, and emission of ammonia and hydrogen sulphide from broiler chicken droppings.” British Poult Sci 55(6). www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00071668.2014.960804
Archer, GS. 2023. “Evaluation of an Extract Derived from the Seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum to Reduce the Negative Effects of Heat Stress on Broiler Growth and Stress Parameters.” Animals 13(2): 259. doi.org/10.3390/ani13020259
Mlambo, V, CM Mnisi, and TB Matshogo. 2022. “Prospects of dietary seaweeds and their bioactive compounds in sustainable poultry production systems: A symphony of good things?” Front Anim Sci 3. doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2022.998042
Kwak, M., et al. 2024. “Feed supplementation with the seaweed (Ascophllum nodosum) extract reduces fat deposition in broiler chickens.” Poultry Sci 103(9). www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579124005571
Kulshreshtha, G., et al. 2020. “A Review of the Varied Uses of Macroalgae as Dietary Supplements in Selected Poultry with Special Reference to Laying Hen and Broiler Chickens.” J. Mar. Sci. Eng 8(7): 536. doi.org/10.3390/jmse8070536
https://tasco.ca/Livestock/Poultry/
Cheryl K. Smith has raised chickens and goats in the coast range of Oregon since 1998. She is an author of several goat books, a freelance writer, and an editor for Ogden Publications.
