More about poultry

For proper growth, egg production and health, appropriate poultry feed must satisfy the requirements for energy, proteins, minerals and other essential nutrients. Carbohydrate-rich crops such as maize and wheat provide the energy-rich foundation of the feed used in most modern production systems.

These carbohydrate-rich crops have less protein than is required and that protein is also low in some certain essential amino acids, such as lysine. A modern high-performance poultry feed almost always contains a mix of carbohydrate-rich and protein-rich ingredients. The protein-rich component must provide a balanced combination of essential amino acids.

Soybeans are the most common protein-rich ingredient in poultry feed, but other grain legumes such as peas, faba beans or lupins can also be used. Besides the nutritional aspects, the protein-rich source is of great economic importance because protein-rich ingredients are expensive components in most feed rations.

The Legume Hub examines aspects related to the protein supplied by grain legumes in poultry farming including their chemical composition, feed value and practical information for their use.