Azolla Feeding in Poultry: A Sustainable And Cost-Effective Green Feed Alternative
Over the past two to three decades, India's poultry sector has experienced remarkable growth. Within the livestock industry, poultry farming stands out as one of the most profitable and entrepreneurial ventures. It significantly contributes to nutritional security by providing high-quality animal proteins in the form of meat and eggs for human consumption.
However, the rapid expansion of the poultry sector has led to major challenges, particularly the scarcity and high cost of feed ingredients. This has created competition between poultry feed and food ingredients meant for human consumption, as well as with feed for pigs and other livestock. As a result, the cost of conventional feed ingredients has surged. Feed alone accounts for 70–75% of the total cost of poultry production, making it the most critical input.
One promising solution is the use of unconventional feed ingredients, such as Azolla—a fast-growing aquatic fern often called “green gold” for livestock and poultry. It is a nutritious and affordable alternative that can help reduce feed costs and support the continued growth of commercial poultry farming.
It is a floating water fern that grows rapidly in shallow water. It lives in symbiosis with Anabaena azollae, a blue-green algae that fixes atmospheric nitrogen, making Azolla naturally rich in protein and minerals. Under ideal conditions, Azolla biomass can double within 3–5 days. It is eco-friendly as it never leads to contamination of the environment. It also does not compete with rice plants for photosynthesis or nutrition.
Nutritional Value of Azolla
Azolla is highly valued in poultry feeding due to its rich nutritive profile, which offers several essential nutrients for poultry growth, health, and production.
Azolla is recognized as a promising bio-fertilizer, especially for rice cultivation. On a dry weight basis, Azolla contains 20–30% protein; higher than most green forage crops and is rich in essential amino acids (particularly lysine), minerals, vitamins, and carotenoids, making it highly beneficial for animal nutrition.
As a sustainable feed alternative, Azolla serves as a valuable protein supplement for various livestock, including dairy cattle, fish, poultry, and pigs. Its high nutritional value and rapid biomass production make it an effective and economical feed substitute, particularly for poultry.
Azolla can be fed to animals either fresh or as dried meal, offering flexibility in its use.
- Dry Matter – 89.73%
- Organic Matter – 75.73%
- Crude Protein – 23.49%
- Ether Extract – 3.7%
- Crude Fibre – 14.7%
- Nitrogen Free Extract – 33.84%
- Total Ash – 24.26%
- Acid Insoluble Ash – 7.94%
- Calcium – 2.58%
- Phosphorus – 0.26%
Benefits of Feeding Azolla to Poultry
Azolla meal up to 5% in the broiler ration found to improve performance and had no deleterious effect on the palatability of broiler diets. It has been reported that inclusion of azolla meal up to 10% improved performance of egg type chicks.
It can be used directly to feed the birds as fresh form or dried form. Ad lib feeding of Azolla for poultry may be practiced. Fresh azolla can partially replace whole soybeans up to a level of about 20% of the total crude protein in diets of fattening ducks.
The birds that received normal feed with 5% extra supplementation of azolla showed a 10 to 12% increase in the total body weight (Yadav et al., 2022). Dietary inclusion of sun-dried azolla up to about 5% levels had no adverse effect on the productive performance of broiler chicken and additionally the feed cost per kg gain was reduced making the net profit per kg bird being higher.
Presence of antioxidants and micronutrients in Azolla supplemented feed supports bird health. It is ideal for backyard farming as it is easy to cultivate with minimal inputs.
Azolla Cultivation
Azolla can be grown in pits, tanks, or ponds using cow dung slurry and superphosphate. Regular harvesting ensures continuous supply, making it highly suitable for rural and backyard poultry systems.
Conclusion
With the rising costs and dwindling availability of traditional poultry feed ingredients, Azolla stands out as a sustainable, cost-effective, and nutritionally rich option for feeding poultry. Packed with high protein, essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, it’s perfect for boosting growth, increasing egg production, and enhancing overall bird health—all without compromising on taste or productivity.
Additionally, Azolla is easy to grow, produces biomass quickly, and is environmentally friendly, making it a fantastic choice for backyard and small-scale poultry farmers. By adding Azolla to poultry diets, farmers can significantly cut down on feed expenses, improve their profits, and promote sustainable poultry farming practices in India.
Complied by Poultry India Media
