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Hybrid Rye for Poultry
Hybrid Rye for Poultry
Hybrid rye can be incorporated into the rations of broilers, layers and turkeys successfully. Research is underway to develop detailed recommendations for feeding protocols and to understand the potential health and welfare benefits of feeding hybrid rye to poultry.
Similar to feeding other cereal grains to poultry, we recommend including an exogenous fibre degrading enzyme in the diet to help improve fibre digestibility and reduce viscosity. While the soluble fibre may promote intestinal health and improved animal welfare, it can also lead to challenges in poultry due to their small intestinal system.
When starting birds on hybrid rye, begin feeding low levels and gradually increase as the birds grow. For layers and broilers, research has shown that starting at 15% inclusion and increasing to 25-40% can maintain animal growth and performance.
Average Nutrient Composition of KWS Hybrid Rye Grain(1)
| Composition, as fed | Average | Standard Deviation |
| Proximate Components, % | ||
| Dry Matter | 89.07 | 1.34 |
| Crude Protein | 9.77 | 1.61 |
| Crude Fibre | 2.22 | 0.53 |
| Ether Extract | 1.80 | 0.74 |
| Ash | 1.84 | 0.89 |
| Carbohydrate Components, % | ||
| Neutral Detergent Fibre | 14.47 | 3.35 |
| Acid Detergent Fibre | 3.34 | 0.68 |
| Starch | 57.04 | 5.69 |
| Beta-Glucans2 | 2.33 | - |
| Fructans2 | 1.13 | - |
| Minerals, % | ||
| Calcium | 0.05 | 0.01 |
| Phophorus | 0.29 | 0.04 |
| Phytate P | 0.17 | 0.01 |
| Amino Acids, % | ||
| Lysine | 0.43 | 0.16 |
| Methionine | 0.27 | 0.2 |
| Threonine | 0.24 | 0.07 |
| Tryptophan | 0.12 | 0.02 |
| Other | ||
| Intrinsic Phytase, FTU3 | 2,833 | 473 |
1 Unless otherwise noted, hybrid rye data was collected from 16 samples used in Canadian Research Trials bewteen 2016-2024 (not all studies reported all values).
2 Data obtained from McGhee and Stein, 2018.
3 FTU = phytase units per kilogram; McGhee & Stein, 2019
Hybrid Rye for Layer Chickens
In several research studies using brown hens, inclusion of hybrid rye (processed or whole) maintained laying rate, egg quality, egg weight and egg mass output. Feed conversion was not impacted with processed grain, but whole grain tended to reduce feed conversion rate, so care must be taken when formulating diets.
For processed grain, the recommended inclusion is up to 25% of the ration, and for whole grain, 20% inclusion was found to maintain performance and provide economic returns.
References:
Bederska-Lojewska et al., 2019; Mikulski et al., 2022
Hybrid Rye for Broiler Chickens
Research looking at the effect of including hybrid rye into the diets of broiler chickens has shown growth performance can be maintained or even improved, while meat quality and yield are no different from birds fed other cereal grains.
Recommended feeding levels are up to 15% in starter diets, and up to 30-50% in finisher diets if inclusion rates are stepped up.
Research has also shown that feeding 20% hybrid rye to broiler chickens increased the intestinal crypt depth, villi height, villi-to-crypt ratio and absorption surface area in the small intestines of the birds. Further research is required to understand the full impact of feeding hybrid rye on intestinal health in birds, and the overall health and welfare of the animals.
References:
Milczarek et al., 2020; Donaldson et al., 2021; Ciurescu et al., 2022
Hybrid Rye for Turkeys
Research on feeding hybrid rye to turkeys is in the early stages; however, a large trial was conducted with over 17,000 female turkeys where hybrid rye was included at 5% and stepped up to 10% as the birds grew, replacing wheat. Data from this study shows that turkeys grew well and had excellent foot pad health when fed hybrid rye at these levels.
References:
Lingens et al., 2023
