Are poultry companies paying for nutrients birds never receive?

Several years ago, I was involved in a case where broiler performance varied considerably among farms receiving supposedly the same feed. The formulation was correct. Laboratory results were also acceptable, and the feed mill was understandably confident that the problem was elsewhere. That sounded reassuring. It was also beside the point.

When we followed the feed beyond the mixer, we found large differences in pellet quality and fines. Some farms received reasonably good pellets, whereas others received feed that had suffered more handling and arrived with considerably more fines. It was the same formula, but it was not the same feed by the time birds consumed it.