Feeding of poultry with vegetarian diets
2007
Helander, E., Suomen Rehu Ltd., Espoo (Finland). Research and Development Director
Meat and bone meal used to be a common raw material in poultry feeds but due to the BSE crisis, its use is no longer allowed. The price of fish meal has at least doubled within a few past years. Therefore vegetarian diets for poultry have become more common. Vegetarian protein sources are valuable in poultry feeding, as long as the anti-nutritive agents are taken into consideration. Vegetarian protein sources are usually heat-treated to diminish the effect of anti-nutritive agents. The amino acid profile of the protein sources must be taken into consideration. Determination of digestibility coefficients is useful. The main essential amino acids in soybean meal are easier to digest than the corresponding amino acids in meat and bone meal or rape seed meal. Using the vegetarian diets can increase the water intake that will enhance the risk for higher excreta moisture. Inclusion of fish meal in laying hen diets does not prevent or alleviate feather pecking and cannibalism. Enzymatic products are available for minimizing the disadvantages of enzyme-inhibitors. All meat poultry feeds have been successively vegetarian in Finland for several years and very small quantities of fish meal are used in some layer feeds only.
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