How to Dose Zeolite in Poultry and Pig Feed
Updated: 3 days ago
Zeolite only helps when the dose is right. Too little does very little, and too much just takes up space in the ration that should go to nutrients. This guide covers the inclusion rates recommended for Israway's activated zeolite feed additive ZEOL, how to turn a percentage into kilograms per tonne, and what to watch for when feeding poultry and pigs.
What you are dosing
ZEOL is an activated feed additive made from natural zeolite-bearing rock from the Tatar-Shatrashan deposit. It is a mixture of minerals, not a single one:
Clinoptilolite: 20–30%
Montmorillonite: 20–30%
Opal-cristobalite: 28.0–36.7%
Calcite: 10.6–21%
Quartz: 4.6–11.3%
The product is made to Technical Specification TU 10.91.10-002-27860096-2017, and it is thermally and mechanically activated during production. Because it is a complex mineral product, use the rates recommended for this product rather than figures published for other zeolites.
The basic rule: 4–6% of dry feed mass
The manufacturer's recommendation for ZEOL is 4–6% of the dry feed mass for all farm animals and poultry. Add it to the feed immediately before feeding.
Here is the same range in practical units:
4%: 4 kg per 100 kg of feed, 40 kg per tonne
5%: 5 kg per 100 kg of feed, 50 kg per tonne
6%: 6 kg per 100 kg of feed, 60 kg per tonne
The percentage is based on dry feed mass. For wet or liquid feeding, work out the dose from the dry-matter content of the ration, not its total weight.
Poultry: what the trials showed
The effect of zeolite-containing additives in poultry farming has been tested in scientific and production trials at large poultry farms in Russia and Belarus since the 1980s. These include the AK BARS and Niva Tatarstana poultry complexes (Republic of Tatarstan), Ulyanovsk (Ulyanovsk region) and Sotnikovskaya (Republic of Buryatia).
These trials used 2–4% zeolite additive in the feed ration and reported:
broiler live weight gain up 5–10%
flock survival up by as much as 2%
egg production up 7–12%
broken eggs down 3–5%
cost of 1 kg of feed down 2–3%
feed consumption down 3–7%
The trials also found less gas in poultry houses, down 15%, because zeolite binds odours in droppings.
Practical takeaway for poultry: the current recommendation for ZEOL is 4–6% of dry feed mass (40–60 kg per tonne) for broilers and layers. The trial results above were obtained at 2–4%.
Pigs: 4–6%, with a gradual start for piglets
The ZEOL recommendation of 4–6% of dry feed mass also applies to pigs. Young pigs need a gentler start, though. The literature on feeding natural zeolite meal to pigs describes starting piglets on a much lower dose and raising it as the animals grow:
Weaned piglets, 6–7 weeks old: start at 0.3% of the daily feed
From 10 kg live weight: 0.5%
From 20 kg live weight: 1%
From 40 kg live weight: raise the dose step by step to the full rate of 4–6%
In that practice, zeolite meal of 0.1–1 mm particle size is given together with concentrate feed. Reported results for pigs include 15–18% better piglet survival and 8–10% higher productivity in young stock. Zeolite is described as especially useful against the diarrhoea that piglets often get at weaning.
Three precautions for pigs:
Do not give zeolite together with laxatives or with products that speed up gut movement.
If piglets become constipated, stop adding zeolite to their feed.
Raise the dose in steps rather than moving straight to the full rate.
Mixing it in properly
Use a fine fraction. Fine powder mixes evenly and exposes the most surface area. Israway supplies fractions from 0–0.04 mm (40-micron powder) upward. For feed, the finest fractions are the right choice.
Mix thoroughly. Zeolite is chemically neutral and blends with other feed ingredients without special processing. The main risk is uneven mixing, which gives some animals too much and others too little.
On the farm, add it to the ration just before feeding.
At the feed mill, zeolite is usually added through a premix or straight into compound feed during mixing. Because a premix is only a small part of the finished feed, it will contain a higher percentage of zeolite. Calculate the final inclusion rate in the complete feed, not in the premix.
What dosing cannot do
A higher dose will not make zeolite bind every toxin. Laboratory tests of ZEOL at the Leningrad Interregional Veterinary Laboratory (protocol No. 63128 of 07.07.2017) measured these sorption rates:
Aflatoxin B1: 100%
Zearalenone: 25%
T-2 toxin: 5.4%
ZEOL is therefore a strong binder of aflatoxin B1, a partial binder of zearalenone and a weak binder of T-2 toxin. If T-2 or other trichothecenes are the main problem in your grain, you will need additional measures. See our previous article, Zeolite as a Mycotoxin Binder in Animal Feed: What Laboratory Tests Actually Show, for the full results.
Safety
At the recommended rates, the manufacturer has observed no side effects or complications, and no contraindications have been established.
Every ration is different, so check the final inclusion rate with your nutritionist and make sure it complies with the feed regulations in your country.
Summary
All farm animals and poultry: 4–6% of dry feed mass (40–60 kg/t)
Poultry trials: results above were obtained at 2–4%
Pigs: 4–6%; weaned piglets start at 0.3% and move up gradually
When to add: immediately before feeding
Need a sample or a technical datasheet? Israway supplies activated zeolite in bulk, from powder to granules, in big bags of 700–800 kg (depending on the fraction) or 25 kg bags on pallets.
Sources: ZEOL activated zeolite-containing feed additive brochure (TU 10.91.10-002-27860096-2017); Leningrad Interregional Veterinary Laboratory, test protocol No. 63128 of 07.07.2017; Israway technical materials on natural zeolite in animal feeding.
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