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Sprouted wheat and vetch seeds as a green feed for poultry (OK-Net EcoFeed Practice abstract)

{Tool} Sprouted wheat and vetch seeds as a green feed for poultry (OK-Net EcoFeed Practice abstract). Creator(s): Alford, Jerry. Issuing Organisation(s): Soil Association. OK-Net Ecofeed Practice abstract. (2021)

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Summary in the original language of the document

There is little data available for feed value of sprouts as animal feed. The addition of sprouted seeds to the ration could improve utilisation of available feedstuffs. Sprouting triggers the breakdown of antinutritional factors in pulses increasing protein in the diet and provides the benefits of a green feed.
• Initial phases of the sprouter produced uneven germination and a mouldy product. Following adaptations, the final sprouter incorporated spray nozzles, UV lights and a fan to control humidity (Figure 1) which resulted in consistent germination and product.
• Samples of wheat and vetch from days 1, 3 and 5 were sent to an independent laboratory where they were tested for nutritional value, amino acid contents and TIA (vetch only).
The results for wheat (Figure 2) and for vetches (Figure 3) demonstrate that there is no loss of nutritional value due to sprouting although starch is converted into sugars during the process. Feed value starts to drop at day 5.
Crude protein and amino acid profiles do not change with sprouting (Figures 4 and 5).
There was a small reduction in TIA activity from 1.4 to 1.3 mg/gram on day 5 which is consistent with the slow germination of the vetch seeds compared to wheat.
• Intake of sprouts was good even while the flock had access to their silvopasture range. There was a prefer-ence for vetch sprouts.
• A sequential sowing system could be used to manage the germination times of different species to create a mixed feed of sprouted seeds.


EPrint Type:Practice tool
What problem does the tool address?:It is a requirement of organic regulations for organic birds to have access to a range. Under some circumstances such as drought, snow or veterinary lockdown green forage is not available. A mixture of sprouted seeds can be used as a green feed with nutritional benefits. Vetches are a pulse crop commonly grown as a forage. They have a similar protein quality to beans but also contain antinutritional factors and toxins which limit inclusion in rations when untreated.
What solution does the tool offer?:An on-farm sprouter was developed to produce a con-sistent crop using equipment available on farm. Wheat and vetch seeds were then sprouted, and samples tested for feed value including amino acid profiles. Trypsin inhib-itor activity (TIA) was also assessed in the vetches to as-sess change in antinutritional factors. Sprouted seeds were then fed to layers to assess interest.
Country:United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Type of Practice Tool:Practice abstracts
Keywords:poultry, feeding, green feed, vetch seeds
Agrovoc keywords:
Language
Value
URI
English
animal husbandry
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_8532
English
poultry
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6145
English
feeding
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2838
English
green feed
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3374
Subjects: Animal husbandry > Feeding and growth
Animal husbandry > Production systems > Poultry
Research affiliation: European Union > Horizon 2020 > OK-Net EcoFeed
European Union > Horizon 2020 > OK-Net EcoFeed > OK-Net Ecofeed Tools
UK > Soil Association
European Union > Organic Farm Knowledge
Horizon Europe or H2020 Grant Agreement Number:773911
Related Links:https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/39518, https://www.facebook.com/organicfarmknowledge/posts/232993801946595, https://twitter.com/farm_knowledge/status/1381511989252517897
Project ID:ofk
Deposited By: Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau, FiBL
ID Code:39518
Deposited On:30 Mar 2021 12:07
Last Modified:02 May 2024 10:31
Document Language:English
Status:Published

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