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

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.