Alternative sources of protein for poultry nutrition University of New England, Australia

Abstract

Alternative sources of protein for poultry nutrition Paul A. Iji, Mehdi Toghyani, Emmanuel U. Ahiwe and Apeh A. Omede, University of New England, Australia1 Introduction2 Regional supply of conventional protein sources3 Finding alternative sources of protein for poultry4 Alternative plant protein sources: grain by-products5 Alternative plant protein sources: oil seed and fruit by-products6 Alternative plant protein sources: grain legumes or pulses7 Alternative plant protein sources: algae and duckweed8 Alternative animal protein sources9 Poultry responses to diets containing alternative protein sources10 Constraints on the use of alternative protein sources11 Improving the nutritive value of alternative protein sources for poultry12 Conclusion13 Where to look for further information14 ReferencesProtein sources are the second largest component of practical poultry diets. A limited number of ingredients are used by the mainstream commercial poultry industry to supply protein; these are limited in distribution and are also generally more expensive than energy sources. Soybean seed is the premier protein source used by the poultry industry. Rapeseed or canola seed is probably the second most important protein source. Both seeds are rarely fed as whole seed meals but rather the residue left over after oil extraction is the main ingredient used by the poultry industry. Both soybean and rapeseed are cultivated in only a few places in the world. Soybeans are predominantlyproduced in the United States, Brazil and Argentina, while the leading producers of rapeseed/canola are Canada, some parts of Europe and China. The key producers of soybean meal export the product to several countries around the world, to the extent that it would seem that it is produced all over the world. A large amount of canola seed meal is now also exported but not to the same extent as soybean meal (SBM). Owing to the limited number of producers and demand, the prices of SBM and canola meal are high and tend to fluctuate with changes in climatic conditions and social situations in the countries where they are produced. These are the drivers of change, and many countries which do not produce soybeans or canola explore alternative sources of protein to support their industries.