Nettle is widely used not only in cooking, but also for feeding livestock and poultry. However, many owners use greens only to reduce the financial cost of feed, not knowing about the full benefits of the grass. Consider the composition and valuable qualities of nettle, as well as how to properly use it for feeding broiler chickens.
Chemical composition
100 g of green contains 33 kcal.
The nutritional value of the same amount of product is:
- proteins - 2.6 g;
- fats - 0.3 g;
- carbohydrates - 5,2 g
Did you know? In the UK, nettle leaves make wine. At the same time for the manufacture of 5 thousand liters is only 67 kg of raw materials.
The plant contains many vitamins: A, C, E, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B9, K, H. Mineral composition: potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chlorine, phosphorus, copper, iron, manganese , zinc, selenium.
Also included in the composition of green are volatile production, tannins, phenolic acids, as well as essential oils.
The balanced composition, the presence of phytoncides, large amounts of vitamins and minerals allow the plant to be used to combat pathogenic flora and radiation.
Learn more about how to properly feed broiler chickens.
Nettle use
Greens can not only diversify the diet of broiler chickens, but also save on expensive mineral and vitamin supplements. 
It contains a whole range of substances that have a positive effect on both the immune system and digestion.
Important! The younger nettle - the more vitamins in it. Therefore, be careful when collecting raw materials.
For broiler chicks, there are problems with bones, since mass gain is several times faster than the formation of bones and tendons. Because of this, every 2-3 chicken suffers from problems with the musculoskeletal system.
It will also be useful for you to find out which diseases in broiler chickens are classified as infectious, and which are non-infectious, why broiler chickens die, and how coccidiosis and diarrhea are treated in broilers.
The plant contains calcium, phosphorus and potassium, which strengthen the backbone, as well as contribute to its full development.
Also in the composition there is a relatively large amount of protein, while fats are practically absent. This allows not only to saturate the body of chickens with vitamins and minerals, but also to increase the overall caloric intake. 
How and in what form should be given
Greens begin to give young with a three-day age. At the same time, the leaves do not feed in pure form, but mix the product evenly with the liquid porridge. Beforehand, the leaves are finely cut by hand just before feeding, since nettle loses beneficial substances with the liquid.
It is not recommended to use a blender or similar equipment when cutting.
Important! After 6-7 hours after cutting the greens lose half of the vitamin composition.
In order for the young's food to be not only nutritious, but also useful, the share of nettle should not exceed 20%. For example, if you give a bird 100 grams of cereal, then only 25 grams of nettle should be added to it. 
In order not to be mistaken with the rules, use the table.
| Age of chicken | Up to two weeks | 3-4 week | 6 weeks | 2 months | 2.5 months | 3 months | 3.5 months | Over 3.5 |
| Green rate | 3-4 g | 6-7 g | 9-10 g | 12-15 g | 17 g | 20 g | 25 g | 30-40 g |
Nettle is given to both young and grown-up birds (always in ground form). This is primarily due to the presence of formic acid in the plant. That it has a burning effect.
When used in combination with other food, crushed leaves quickly pass sensitive areas. If, however, give greens without prior grinding, then the bird may choke, or the mucous membranes of the alimentary tract birds may swell up. 
How to prepare for the winter
If you have a large freezer on the farm, then the best option would be to freeze valuable greens for the winter. In this case, nettle retains most of all nutrients. However, if this option is not suitable, then you can use one of the following procurement methods.
Granulation. In the warm period, large volumes of nettle are collected, after which they chop and feed the raw materials through a cutting knife. The result is a finely divided mass. Next, use a granulator, which can be purchased in specialized stores, or made at home.
After granulation, you get valuable food, which can be stored for a long time, and will be salvation in the winter, when the bird feels a lack of vitamins. Also during the granulation, you can add chalk, fish oil or other feed to the mixture. Thus, you get a complete nutritious mix. 
Herbal flour. Collected greens are washed, dried, and then stored in bags. To save space, as well as correctly calculate the dose, dry grass is ground into flour, which later acts as an excellent additive to any feed.
Did you know? Nettle greens can be used to store food in the absence of a refrigerator. It is enough to wrap the meat or fish in the leaves, and they will not spoil even in the heat.
Nettle is an excellent vitamin supplement, not only for green soup, but also for the daily diet of poultry. It allows in the warm season to abandon antibiotics and vitamin mixtures, significantly reducing the cost of maintaining broilers. And in time the raw materials prepared in the summer, will help to enrich more lean winter diet of a bird.
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