Feed Azolla to Chickens & Chicks: Reduce 20-30% Feed Cost

Do you want to feed Azolla to chickens to reduce feed costs?

How can you safely introduce Azolla to the diet of both chicks and adult chickens?

After installing a 12×12 ft Azolla tank in our backyard poultry system, we saw faster-growing birds, larger eggs, and lower feed costs in just 3 months. 

Azolla, a tiny floating fern called “duckweed fern” or “mosquito fern,” revolutionized poultry feed. It changed my chickens’ health because it is full of protein, vitamins, and minerals. 

Adding fresh Azolla to the diet made the birds lay more eggs and gain weight. According to published trials, adding Azolla to chicken feed boosts growth, feed efficiency, and reduces production costs.

Our 12×12 ft Azolla pond produces 1–1.5 kg of green Azolla daily, enough for 20-30 hens or a flock of chicks. Feeding Azolla 10–15% of their diet produced 10–20% more weight gain and richer eggs. 

Most importantly, Azolla grows cheaply and easily. Every few days, the fern doubles its biomass and contains 25–35% dry protein, essential amino acids like lysine, carotene, vitamins A and B12, and minerals like calcium and phosphorus. Its pigmented antioxidants give egg yolks a deep color and support bird health.

As a poultry “superfood,” Azolla is nutritious and easy to grow in a tank and feed to adult chickens and chicks. We’ll talk about growth, egg production, and cost savings using data from science and real-life case studies, such as the results of our own backyard flock. 

By the end, you’ll know how to start your own Azolla pond, which will help your birds do better and cut your feed costs by up to half.

What is Azolla?

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Azolla is an aquatic fern that grows quickly and naturally forms floating mats in calm water. It is also known as the mosquito fern or the water fern. 

The unique thing about Azolla is that it lives with Anabaena azollae, a nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae, in the spaces between its leaves. The cyanobacterium turns nitrogen in the air into ammonia, which feeds the fern and lets it grow quickly without any extra nitrogen. 

Azolla can double its biomass every 3–10 days in water that is warm and full of nutrients. It does best in tropical and subtropical climates, which is perfect for the hot, humid summers. 

On average, it likes temperatures between 20 and 30°C and some shade (about 25 to 50%). It grows best in water that doesn’t move or moves slowly, about 6 to 12 inches deep.

In ideal situations, crops can produce up to 10 tonnes of fresh weight per hectare per crop cycle, with some fields reporting as much as 38 tonnes per hectare.

For more than a thousand years, Azolla has been used as a green manure (to add nitrogen) in rice paddies all over Asia. 

Farmers found that growing Azolla in water or using it as mulch made rice crops grow better the next year. Azolla has recently been recognized as a good feed for animals by researchers and farmers. It was fed to chickens, cows, pigs, goats, and ducks by small farmers. 

Azolla, either fresh or dried, is now commonly used to feed chickens. More and more people are using it because studies show that it helps animals grow, lay eggs, and stay healthy.

Azolla is a Nutritional Powerhouse For Chickens

Azolla really is a feed that is high in nutrients for chickens. It has about 25–35% crude protein in dry matter, which is a lot more than most green forages. 

To give you an idea, most poultry starter or layer mash only has about 18–22% protein, while soybean meal, which is the best protein feed, has about 44–48% protein. 

But Azolla’s protein is complete; it has all the essential amino acids, including a lot of lysine, which is hard to find in grains. 

Studies have shown that Azolla has the same amount of lysine as or more than corn or rice bran. For example, A. pinnata has more lysine than broken rice.

Azolla is also full of minerals, vitamins, and pigments. It has a lot of vitamins A (from carotene), B12, and other small nutrients in its dry tissue.

If the green fronds are fed often, they make the egg yolks a deeper orange color. The amounts of minerals are high. 

For example, studies show that there are about 11 g/kg of calcium (1.1% DM) and 6.1 g/kg of phosphorus (0.61% DM). This lot of calcium makes eggshells and bones stronger. 

The nutrient profile means Azolla provides high-quality nutrition in a cheap form. The protein and amino acids support rapid growth and strong muscles. 

The vitamins and antioxidants enhance immunity and egg pigmentation. It’s calcium and phosphorus that enhance egg quality. 

Importantly, Azolla can displace expensive protein feeds: many trials replace 5–15% of commercial rations with Azolla and still see equal or better growth. 

For example, one broiler trial showed that incorporating 15–45% Azolla led to higher body weights and a 30% drop in feed costs. Another summary notes that even 15% Azolla in a broiler diet significantly improved weight gain and feed conversion. 

Layers fed Azolla produce heavier eggs with deeper yolk color, thanks to its β-carotene and nutrient boost.

Azolla Cultivation Guide For Chickens

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Setting up an Azolla pond is a lot easier than you might think. This is our 12×12-foot (144-square-foot) tank. It has a shallow wooden frame that is lined with thick UV-resistant plastic (or HDPE sheeting). 

Six to twelve inches (15 to 30 cm) of water should be there, just deep enough for Azolla to float with its roots showing. 

Some shade, like under a tree or a shade green net, keeps plants from getting too hot in hot places. Azolla likes bright but indirect light (25–50% full sun).

Step-by-Step Azolla Setup:

• Site: Pick a flat area with some shade where the sun will shine in the morning or late afternoon. The water can get too hot when it’s in the sun.
• Basin: Dig or build the 12×12 area, but make sure there are no holes. Cover it with a thick black plastic sheet.
• Soil Layer: Put down a thin layer (about 1-2 kg per 10 sq ft) of rich loam or compost. The soil gives you trace minerals and a place to stand.
• Fill Water: Fill up to 10–20 cm deep with clean water. To avoid getting sick, use water from a natural source like a pond or a borewell.
• Slurry of fertilizer: Azolla needs potassium and phosphorus. Add a slurry of cow dung to the water. For every 100 square feet, use about 1 kg of cow dung mixed with 10 L of water. (You could also use 2 kg of fresh dung and 20 g of superphosphate for every 4 sqm.) Mix well. Let this bio-slurry sit for a few hours so that it can get oxygen.
• Inoculation: Put between 0.5 and 1 kg of live Azolla into the pond. A few (10–20%) will quickly spread if you only have a small culture. At first, spread the Azolla out on the surface in big chunks.

The 12×12-foot Azolla pond in our backyard is full of green ferns that float on the water. Note the depth (about 10 cm) and the tree shade that’s there. After being set up, this tank now makes about 1 kg of fresh Azolla every day.

Initial Growth: The Azolla mat should spread out and get thicker over 10 to 15 days, eventually covering most of the surface. It will double every few days if everything goes as planned. Keep an eye on the water level and nutrient needs during this “lag” period. Maintain a water depth of 10 to 20 cm and add water that is lost every week to stop it from evaporating. Azolla is hardy, but doesn’t like it when the pH of the water is too high or too low. Add a small amount of agricultural-grade phosphoric acid or manure to the water if the pH drifts high (alkaline tap water). Azolla plants do best in slightly acidic water (pH 6).

Maintenance:

• Feeding: Add a little fertilizer every week or so to help things grow. For instance, every so often, add 1 kg of cow dung and 10 to 20 g of single superphosphate to every 100 square feet. Gently stir so that the nutrients spread out (Azolla will soak up the dissolved P/K). Don’t add any urea or chemical nitrogen; its symbionts take care of nitrogen on their own.
• Temperature and Light: If it’s really hot outside (more than 30°C), cover the pond with a green net or thin cloth to keep it cool. In the middle of the day, Azolla can get very pale. Make sure it still gets enough light (about 4 to 6 hours of sunlight) in the colder months, or add mulch if the water gets cold.
• Harvesting: After 2 to 3 weeks, when the mat is healthy, harvest every day or every other day. Use a net or tray to skim off the extra Azolla, leaving a thin layer behind. Harvesting encourages new growth and keeps plants from getting too crowded. After it matures, a 12×12 ft pond can produce about 0.5–1.5 kg of fresh Azolla every day. In our system, a steady harvest for three months gave us more than 1 kg per day, which is enough to feed 10 to 20 chickens if each eats about 50 to 100 g per day.
• Cleaning: Change the bed and drain it every four to six months. Take off the old soil, add a new layer, fill it back up, and add some Azolla to it. This keeps pathogens from building up and gives nutrients a chance to get fresh.

Scaling Yields: If you have a bigger flock (20 to 50 birds), you can just add more ponds or make the area bigger. Many farmers use more than one 4×4 ft plastic tub of Azolla at the same time. Managing a lot of smaller ponds can be easier than managing one big one.

Troubleshooting: Common issues include slimy algae takeover (use shade and ensure low nitrogen), blue-green algal blooms (too much urea – avoid chemical fertilizers), and predatory pests like snails or grasshoppers (barrier netting can help). Ensure the liner has no tears to prevent loss of Azolla or pests from below. By keeping the water moving slowly (stir every week) and the nutrient balance correct, the pond stays productive. If you take care of it, a 12×12 ft Azolla bed will give a small flock a steady supply of food every day. This is a truly sustainable source of protein.

Feeding Azolla To Adult Chickens

You can feed chickens azolla that is fresh, partially dried (wilted), or dried. Fresh or wilted is the best and easiest option. 

Start with the diet: Mix the chopped Azolla in with the regular feed. A common way to do this for the first week or two is to mix 50% Azolla with 50% commercial mash (or grains). This gets birds used to the taste and feel. Gradually increase the amount of Azolla. If given the chance, many flocks will happily eat mostly Azolla for 2 to 3 weeks. The birds have been enjoying the new green fronds.

Rates of inclusion: Research has shown that most adult chickens can safely eat 10% to 20% of their food (by weight) as fresh Azolla. For example, broiler trials with 15–45% Azolla in the feed showed that the birds gained more weight and had a lower feed conversion ratio (FCR). We actually use Azolla for 10 to 15 percent of the total feed. At this level, birds get 10–15% of their protein and calories from Azolla. If a hen eats about 120 grams of food a day, then 15% of that is about 18 grams. That’s about 50–75 grams of fresh Azolla, which is mostly water. That means that every day, each bird eats between 50 and 100 grams of Azolla.

How to feed: You can feed Azolla as a separate green feed or a little at a time with the grain. Azolla that is brand new is often just put on the coop floor or in a shallow tray once a day. They’ll eat it like salad. If there is a lot of humidity, you can let the Azolla dry out in the sun for an hour or two. If you wilt the azolla, it won’t go bad as fast and will be less messy. Another way to save extra food is to freeze it or dry it. Drying keeps the nutrients and stops rot.

Benefits for production: Adding Azolla to adult chickens’ diet makes them work better. Studies and backyard tests show that growth is 10–20% faster and egg production is better. For example, layers that eat Azolla often lay more eggs with yolks that are a deeper orange color because of the carotenoids in the plant. Broiler studies also demonstrated that birds consuming Azolla exhibited superior feed conversion ratios (requiring less feed per unit of weight gain). After three months of feeding Azolla to my own flock, the hens were about 10% heavier on average than if they had only been fed standard feed. They also laid a few more eggs each month.

Health and immunity: Azolla appears to improve health. It’s vitamins and antioxidants boost gut and immune health. For instance, Azolla-fed birds have higher vaccine antibody titers, indicating a stronger immune system. Most importantly, no studies have shown side effects at recommended levels. Layers of 20% diet were not toxic or physiologically harmful.

Practical tips: 

• Mixing: Always add new Azolla feed a little at a time. If birds have only been eating grains up to this point, a sudden 20% Azolla (fresh) could make them gain weight in water.
• Volume: Since Azolla is mostly water, it changes how much food birds can eat. A handful of wet Azolla is lighter than a handful of grain, but it takes up the same amount of space. Check how the body is doing and change the amounts.
• Freshness: Use Azolla as soon as you can. The first few hours after it is picked are when it tastes best. You can harvest one to two hours before you feed.
• Variety: Keep feeding the birds regularly so they get the calories and nutrients they need that Azolla doesn’t have. We usually mix Azolla with feed in a 1:4 or 1:5 ratio, which means that 20–25% of the feed is Azolla.

Feeding Azolla to Baby Chicks

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Azolla can also help baby chicks, but you need to be more careful with them. It’s best to keep Azolla low in starter feed (5–10% of the diet) so that the first few weeks can be focused on growth without any stomach problems. 

Adding up to 5% dried or fresh Azolla to chick starter has been shown to help them gain weight and use feed more efficiently than just a basic diet. In a backyard test, chicks that were given 5% Azolla gained more weight, laid more eggs later, and were healthy.

We slowly start to introduce Azolla when she is just a few days old. Adding a few wilted Azolla leaves to their mash every day is a good way to do this. Chick crops are small, and Azolla is wet. Putting the Azolla in the sun for an hour to wilt it makes it less wet and easier for the chicks to peck. Check the crop fill; azolla should make up 5% to 10% of what they eat. At 3 to 4 weeks old, chicks can handle 10% of the food. It’s less than 10% because the high fiber and bulk can fill them up, which slows their growth.

Azolla is good for chicks in a number of ways. For example, its balanced amino acids help their muscles grow, and its vitamins A and B help their eyesight and immune systems. Baby birds on Azolla are actually more active and healthy. They grow bigger as time goes on, and by the time they are 6 weeks old, they are usually 5–10% heavier than controls. There have been no negative effects seen at these levels. The natural probiotics in Azolla may even help the chicks’ gut flora as they get older.

Introducing Azolla to Chicks:

• Start slowly, mixing in small amounts of wilted Azolla for the first one to three days after hatching.
• Always provide ground grains or mash as the base – Azolla is a supplement, not the entire ration.
• To avoid problems with water, make sure Azolla is fresh and clean (free of poop and other debris).

By the time they’re juvenile (4–6 weeks), chicks on an Azolla-supplemented starter have built more muscle and stronger immunity, setting them up for robust adolescent growth. 

We’ve noticed our own chicks had vibrant health and glossy feathers after being fed Azolla. 

So, Azolla is safe and good for chicks when used in small amounts (less than 10%), and it helps them grow faster and healthier than just grain.

Challenges and Solutions in Raising Azolla

Cow Dung Smell: We use cow dung slurry to fertilize the Azolla pond. This can leave a faint smell of manure on Azolla that has just been picked. You should always wash the Azolla before giving it to birds. Put the fern you picked in a bucket of clean water, move it around, and then drain it. This gets rid of most of the poop. Birds won’t mind the mild smell of manure when it’s mixed with water.

High Fiber Content: Azolla has 15% more fiber than grains, so our chicks were healthy and had shiny feathers after eating it. Real-life Azolla inclusion is 15% for adults. Never force-feed Azolla to your flock if you have too much. Instead, dry or ferment the excess. Drying in the sun or shade concentrates nutrients and reduces bulk. Like silage, fermenting Azolla breaks down fibers and keeps it moist. Provide enough energy feeds (grains and oils) with their high-Azolla diet to prevent birds from overeating.

Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes can lay eggs in any body of water that is calm. A thick mat of Azolla, on the other hand, does stop mosquito larvae from growing by blocking the light in the water. But if the coverage isn’t good enough, mosquito larvae might show up. Add some fish that eat larvae, like guppies or minnows, to the tank, or add some fish naturally, like catfish fingerlings. They will eat larvae and help keep the water clean. You could also put floating logs on top of the water or a fine mesh over it. Azolla can grow all the way to the mesh. Also, keeping the mat thick and harvesting it often helps keep mosquito eggs from hatching.

Size: Fresh Azolla is hard to move around in large amounts because it is more than 90% water. When you dry Azolla for a few hours, it becomes thicker and easier to mix with feed. We just left it outside on a tarp for half a day in the sun or wind. This keeps the nutrients but cuts the volume in half.

By taking these steps – washing harvests, moderating inclusion, and managing water – you can enjoy Azolla’s benefits with minimal downsides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Azolla is a superfood for birds that live in your backyard. It is easy and cheap to grow, and it gives chickens and eggs a lot of protein and other important nutrients. 

We saw this happen: our small Azolla pond paid for itself by lowering the cost of feed and making our flock healthier. 

Science backs it up too: a number of studies have shown that diets with 10–15% Azolla can greatly increase weight gain and egg production while cutting feed costs by up to 50%.

For any smallholder or homesteader in a tropical climate, an Azolla tank is a small investment that pays off big. We started small by growing azolla in a 12×12 ft liner. 

Put the freshly picked fern in your chickens’ food and watch them thrive on this green gold. You not only save money by turning water and dung into high-protein feed, but you also make a loop that is good for the environment and lasts a long time. 

Azolla really does turn weeds into money, which makes raising chickens in your backyard more productive and good for the environment.