Feed Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement | Utilization of Unconventional Plant Protein Feed Ingredients

Utilization of Unconventional Plant Protein Feed Ingredients    

(1) Most unconventional plant protein feed ingredients contain antinutritional factors or toxins, which must be appropriately processed before use.    

(2) The majority of unconventional plant protein feed ingredients are by-products of legume seed processing, and their product quality and nutritional value are greatly affected by the processing methods, especially the digestibility and bioavailability of amino acids.    

(3) Most unconventional plant protein feed ingredients have imbalanced amino acids, lacking certain limiting amino acids. When replacing soybean meal in the diet, it is important to supplement amino acids. (4) Generally, unconventional plant protein feed ingredients have poor palatability and require attention to processing and formulation.

   

   

Cottonseed Meal    

Cottonseed meal with too much hull has low energy and should be avoided in broiler feed. For other feeds, it is recommended to use it in amounts below 5%.

Poultry is less sensitive to gossypol than pigs, but even at low doses that do not affect growth, it can cause egg yolk discoloration issues.

For laying hens, if the gossypol content in the feed is below 200 ppm, it does not affect egg production. However, to avoid egg yolk discoloration during storage, it should be limited to below 50 ppm. Otherwise, during storage, the egg whites may turn pink, and the egg yolk may appear greenish-yellow or dark red with spots. The higher the pH of the egg yolk, the faster the discoloration reaction.

Adding ferrous salts can increase tolerance to gossypol by preventing its absorption in the small intestine. The commonly used ferrous salt is ferrous sulfate, added in a quantity four times the gossypol content. With this addition, the tolerance level for egg yolk discoloration can increase to 150 ppm. The tolerance level for broiler chicks is 150 ppm, which can be increased to 400 ppm with the addition of ferrous salts.

Cottonseed meal has a high fat content, but the fat contains 1%–2% cyclopropenoid fatty acids, which cause egg yolks to harden, forming a sponge-like texture when heated, referred to as "sponge eggs." These cyclopropenoid fatty acids also make the egg yolk more fragile, increasing its permeability, accelerating the gossypol discoloration reaction, and leading to a reduction in egg production rate and hatchability.

Flaxseed Meal    

Flaxseed meal is not recommended for poultry feed. Even at a 5% inclusion level, it can cause reduced appetite and the excretion of sticky feces, affecting the environment of the chicken house. Unripe flaxseeds contain anti-vitamin B6 factors, which increase the requirement for vitamin B6 in poultry feed. Soaking flaxseed meal, steam processing under high pressure, or adding vitamin B6 to the feed formulation can help reduce the harmful effects.

Sunflower Meal, Dehulled Sunflower Meal    

Lysine is the first limiting amino acid, but the content of sulfur-containing amino acids is high. The crude fiber content varies with the hull ratio, while the fat content varies depending on the oil extraction method. The energy content shows significant variation but is lower than soybean meal. The B vitamins are higher than in soybean meal, with a particularly high niacin content. The calcium and phosphorus levels are higher compared to typical oilseed meals.

With hulls, sunflower meal has low energy and poor fattening effects, making it unsuitable for broilers. Dehulled sunflower meal can be used in small amounts for broilers, but due to its low content of lysine, leucine, and methionine, its value is not high.

For laying hens, it is recommended to use up to 10%, and for dehulled sunflower meal, the inclusion can be increased to 20%. However, using too much can cause speckling on the egg yolk.

   

Flaxseed Meal    

Due to its stickiness, it aids in pelleting and is commonly used in fish feed. However, the amino acid profile is unbalanced, and the quality is unstable. The inclusion level should be limited to below 5%.