KENYA STANDARD       DKS 2508: 20 21 
ICS.65.120  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Poultry feed premixes  — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© KEBS 20 21                   Second  Edition 20 21 
 DKS 2508: 2021  
ii   KEBS 2021 — All rights reserved  TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
 
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
 
Ministry of A griculture Livestock and Fisheries — Directorate of Livestock Production  
Directorate of Veterinary Services  
Kenyatta University — Department of Animal Science  
Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)  
Kenya Industrial Research and Deve lopment Institute (KIRDI)  
National Public Health Laboratories  
Unga Farm Care E.A. Ltd.  
Mombasa Maize Millers Ltd  
Modern Ways Ltd.  
Pet Pal Ltd  
Animix Ltd  
Consumer Information Network  
Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers — AKEFEMA  
Government Chemist’s Dep artment  
Pioneer Feeds Ltd.  
Pembe Feeds  
 Bureau Veritas Kenya Ltd  
Polucon Services (K) Ltd  
Lunadka Ltd – East Africa  
Essential Drugs Ltd.  
Kenya Bureau o f Standards ― Secretariat  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
 
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed.  Suggestions 
for improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bur eau of Standards, 
are welcome.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 2021 
  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 12 of 2001  of the Laws of Kenya, copyr ight 
subsists in all Kenya Standards and except as provi ded under Section 26 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bureau of 
Standards may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in  writing 
from the Managing Director . 
 
 
 
 KENYA STANDARD        DKS 2508: 2021  
ICS 65.120   
KEBS 20 21 — All rights reserved     iii  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Poultry feed premixes  — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS (KEBS)  
 
Head Office:  P.O. Box 54974, Nairobi -00200, Tel.: (+254  020) 605490, 602350, Fax: (+254 020)  604031  
E-Mail: info@kebs.org,  Web:http://www.kebs.or g 
 
Coast Region     Lake Region          Rift Valley Region  
P.O. Box 99376, Mombasa -80100   P.O. Box 2949, Kisumu -40100        P.O. Box 2138, Nakuru -20100  
Tel.: (+254  041) 229563, 230939/40  Tel.: (+254 057) 23549, 22396        Tel.: (+254 051) 210553, 210555  
Fax: (+254  041) 229448    Fax: (+254 057) 21814  
 DKS 2508: 2021  
iv   KEBS 2021 — All rights reserved   
Foreword  
 
This Kenya Standard was prepared by Animal Feeds  Technical Committee under the guidance of the 
Standards Projects Committee, and it is in accordance with the procedures of the Kenya  Bureau of 
Standards.  
 
Animal mineral and vitamin requirements vary from herd to herd and group to group dep ending on 
physiological status  and seasonality. Appropriate levels of vitamins and minerals impact energy and fat 
metabolism, immunity, h ealth and lameness, feed i ntake  and animal productivity. Many factors influence 
vitamin and mineral availability and utilization.  
 
The animal feed manufacturing industry in Kenya has continued to utilize animal premixes that are either 
imported whole (ready for use) or locally re -constituted in our factories without clear guidelines on 
specifications on nutrient requirements for the premixes. In view of the above, it has become necessary to 
develop standards for animal feed premixes for use in compounding animal feeds in Kenya. It i s expected 
that such an attempt could facilitate increased trade volumes as well as create a vibrant and competitive 
animal feed manufacturing industry in the region.  
 
During the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following document : 
 
KS EAS 90: 2019  Poultry  feed supplements  — Specification . 
 
Acknowledgement is hereby made for the assistance derived from this source.  
 
 
 
 
 
 DKS 2508: 2021  
 
 
Poultry feed premixes  — Specification  
 
 
1 Scope  
 
This Kenya Standard specifies requirements for compounded poult ry feed premixes used as a sole source of 
vitamins and trace elements for poultry.  
 
2 Normative references   
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements of this document. For d ated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
 
ISO 6497, Animal feeding stuffs — Sampling  
 
 
ISO 13903, Animal feeding stuffs — Determination of ami no acids content  
 
ISO 14565, Animal feeding stuffs — Determination of vitamin A content — Method using high -
performance liquid chromatography  
 
 
 
 
 
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.  
 
3.1 
premix  
is a concentrated mixture of vitamins, trace minerals and diluents. It may contain other feed additives such 
as amino acids or medica ments  
 
3.2 
compound feeds  
is a mixture of feedstuffs blended from various raw materials and additives as a concentrate that provides 
part of the ration (energy, protein, trace elements) for poultry  
 
3.3 
chicks 
young laying or breeding chicken up to 6 – 8 weeks of age  
 
3.4 
growers  
laying or breeding chicken from 6 weeks of age up to the point of laying  
 
3.5 
layers  
laying hens producing eggs  
 
3.6  
breeders  
breeding chicken producing fertile eggs   
4   KEBS 2021 — All rights reserved   
3.7  
broilers  
chicken specially bred for meat  
 
— Broiler starte r 0 – 3 weeks.  
 
— Broiler finisher after 3 weeks  
 
3.8 
ducklings  
young ducks up to 6 – 8 weeks of age  
 
 
3.9 
poults  
young turkeys up to 6 weeks of age  
 
4 Requirements  
 
4.1 Description  
 
Premixes shall be a fine powder, granular or liquid concentrate.  
 
4.2 Quality requirements   
 
4.2.1 The p remix shall be free from harmful constituents, metallic objects, adulterants, moulds, 
pathogenic micro -organisms or pest infestation and free from fermented, musty, rancid or uncharacteristic 
odour.  
 
4.2.2 The poultry feed p remix shall contain levels of nutrients as stipulated in Table 1.  
 
 
Table 1 Minimum Mineral Nutrients levels for poultry feed premixes  
 
SL No  Class of  
stock  Copper  
mg Manganese  
mg Iodine  
mg 
 Zinc 
mg 
 
 Selenium  
mg Test method  
i) Chicks  5000  75000  1000  5000 0 100 AOACa 
ii) Ducklings  5000  75000  2000  65000  100 
iii) Poults  5000  75000  400 70000  200 
iv) Growers  5000  50000  1000  50000  100 
v) Layers  5000  50000  1000  50000  100 
vi) Breeders  5000  75000  2000  50000  200 
vii) Broilers: Starter  Finisher  5000  7500 0 1000  50000  100 
viii) Ducks  5000  75000  1000  50000  100 
iix) Turkey  6000  60000  400 40000  200 
 
NOTE  The above levels must be attained by inclusion at 1 kg of premix per metric tonne of feed. Premixes labelled at 
different inclusion rate must contain a pro rata level of nutrient.  
 
a Association of Official Analytical Chemists Methods  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
KEBS 20 21 — All rights reserved     5 5 Packaging and labelling  
  
5.1 Packaging   
  
5.1.1  Poultry feed premixes for sale shall be packed in containers which are of sufficient strength and 
sufficiently se aled so as to withstand reasonable handling without tearing, bursting or falling open during 
normal handling and transportation.  
 
5.1.2  Each container for feed premixes shall be clean and free from visible indications of contamination, 
infection and inse ct infestation.  
  
5.2 Labelling  
 
The packages shall be securely closed and marked with the following information:  
 
i) Name of product;  
 
ii) Category of animals for which it is intended;  
 
iii) Net weight of the product;  
 
iv) Batch number;  
 
v) Name and phys ical address of the manufacturer;  
 
vi) Date of manufacture and expiry ; 
 
vii) Nutrient declaration;  
 
viii) Instructions for use and storage . 
 
 
 
 
 
6 Sampling  
Representative samples shall be drawn in accordance with ISO 6497.                                                
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
6   KEBS 2021 — All rights reserved  ANNEX I  
 
(Informative ) 
 
 
Table 2 Recommended Minimum Vitamin levels in Poultry feed premix  
 
 
 
SL 
No Class of  
stock  Vit. A  
IU Vit. D3  
IU B2 
mg B12 
mg E 
IU K 
mg B6 
mg Pano  
thenic 
acid mg  Nico  
tinic 
acid        
mg Folic  
acid 
mg Choline  
mg Biotin  
mg Test 
Metho
d 
i) Chicks  6000000  1500000  4000  15 10000  2000  3000  10000  27000  500 250000  100 AOAC
a ii) Ducklings  8000000  2000000  3000  10 25000  1000  2500  15000  30000  1000  250000  100 
iii) Poults  10000000  2000000  5000  10 10000  2000  4500 15000  75000  2000  1600000  250 
iv) Growers  4000000  1000000  3000  4 5000  1000  2800  10000  25000  250 250000  100 
v) Layers  3000000  300000  2500  4 5000  500 1000  2000  10000  250 250000  25 
vi) Breeders  8000000  2000000  4000  8 20000  2000  2500  10000  20000  550 250000  100 
vii) Broilers:  
Starter  
Finisher   
1500000   
200000   
3500  10 
  5  
10000   
500 1500   
10000   
20000   
1000   
250000  150 
viii) Ducks  2500000  400000  40000  5 10000  500 2500  11000  55000   
1000   
250000  150 
iix) Turkey  5000000  1100000  2500  3 10000  750  9000 40000  700 950000  150 
 
NOTE  The above levels must be attained by inclusion at 1 kg of premix per metric tonne of feed. Premixes labelled at different inc lusion 
rate must contain a pro rata level of nutrient.  
 
NOTE 2  Vitamin B 12 may substitute cobalt a t a minimum rate of 3000 µg/kg to represent 100 mg/kg of cobalt with no upper  limit. 
  
a Association of Official Analytical Chemists Methods