At Plant Elixir we are all about everything fulvic and humic and most of our clients end up talking our ears off about the positive effects fulvic and humic acid have on their plants and soil…
And it’s most definitely true that a lot of our growers are all about that beautiful lady Mary-Jane, but did you know that when it comes to nature’s very own nutrients, it’s not always about what grows in the ground… but what runs on TOP of the ground… on two legs to be exact!
Yes… this particular lover of fulvic acid (FA) spends a lot of time wandering around the farm or your co-op or smallholding clucking about catching grubs and crickets…
Who are we talking about? Why Henrietta the Hen of course!
To many poultry professionals it comes as no surprise that FA is just what the farmer ordered for his or her chickens. Because FA already exists in many poultry feeds.
But how, we hear you ask. Well quite simply put, because FA is a chelator (a bonding molecule), it helps Henrietta absorb nutrients more effectively, making her a healthier hen.
In fact, a bright young lady at North West University (NWU) just did a study on the effects FA had on broilers (chickens you chow) and she came up with some pretty amazing conclusions.
We won’t spoil all the fun but here are some of the things Keamogetswe Constance Mokubung discovered while working on her master’s degree in animal science at NWU:
- FA may save small-scale farmers money by providing a cheaper alternative to antibiotics
- FA is a healthier option to use in broilers when it comes to consumers
- “Supplemented with FA at 0,03% improved growth performance, nutritional status and general health in broilers”
- “The inclusion of fulvic acid in diets improved meat quality of the broilers. In particular, this led to an increase in total polyunsaturated fatty acids”.
These benefits are a theme that is repeated all over the world when it comes to serious poultry farmers. These guys in the US of A also know all about it!
So next time you hear a rooster waking you up at the crack of dawn for a jog around the neighbourhood… it may just be the potency of fulvates that’s keeping him going!
- Shout out to Oscar Mosiane for the great NWU article