Switching Chickens to Soy Free Feed
Producing eggs and poultry meat without soy feed
For poultry farmers, the cost of animal feed, in particular, plays a decisive role, but so does the desire of food retailers for truly regional, fair produced food as well as having feed that is highly digestible. In their search for alternatives to the "soy" feed component, two teams have made interesting new discoveries.
Field beans plus sunflowers can replace soy
It is possible to fully replace soy with field beans, a native protein plant, in combination with sunflowers – without loss of laying performance and egg weight. Additional information is available from the Abo-Vici Consortium headed by apl. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Link, DNPW (Plant Cultivation), Georg August University, Göttingen.
In aits second experiment, a research team from the University of Hohenheim was able to prove that the vicin and convicin level impairs feed intake but not amino acid digestibility or metabolisable energy. However, these two factors are affected by high phytate and tannin levels, so it is better to use varieties low in tannin. It is also sensible to peel off the tannin-containing peel before feeding, thus increasing the digestible starch content.
Soy replacement has cost advantages, especially for "Ohne Gentechnik" feeding
The use of oil cake is important in replacing soy – in this case, sunflower extraction meal with a 46 percent protein content. The break-resistance of the eggshell was also held stable even as the field bean content increased. However, the feed intake increased with the increased use of field beans – but the live weight also increased. In the scientists' opinion, the replacement of soy offers a large cost advantage for GMO-free goods at current prices.
Dual-purpose hens make it possible to dispense with killing chicks
Another sub-study shows alternatives in the intensive poultry fattening area. In addition to the use of soy, there has been special social focus on the matter of "killing day-old male chicks". In the project entitled "Potential for sustainable use of regional breeds and local protein feed in poultry production (PorReE)", scientists from the University of Göttingen investigated how fattening dual-purpose chickens with field beans affects meat quality. In the study, pullets of two dual-purpose breeds (Vorwerkhuhn and Bresse Gauloise) and one of specialised laying hen origin (White Rock) received various feed mixtures. One ration contained soy as the main source of protein and two others contained field beans (Vicia faba) in various proportions.
The goal of the study was to investigate the effect of feed on the meat quality of different breeds. With the study the researchers demonstrated that field beans can be used in feeding chickens without changing the physio-chemical and sensory properties of the meat. The scientists concluded that its particular nutritional composition makes the field bean a suitable alternative to soybeans as a source of protein in poultry feed. According to Dr. Daniel Mörlein, the research shows that the eggs and meat of dual-purpose breeds can deliver comparable quality, but in smaller quantities. This means that costs are higher. At the same time, by not killing chicks, animal welfare is improved and genetic diversity in livestock production is increased.
The Abo-Vici Project: Breeding and agronomy of novel low-vicin field beans and their use as a local protein feed
top agrar: Laying hen feeding: Field beans and sunflower meal instead of soy
DGS Magazine: Avoid soy for laying hens?
Meat Quality Parameters and Sensory Properties of One High-Performing and Two Local Chicken Breeds Fed with Vicia faba
Source: https://www.ohnegentechnik.org/en/news/article/producing-eggs-and-poultry-meat-without-soy-feed
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