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Poultry
Poultry establishes as sustainable and future-proof
For more than ten years, a decline in the cattle and pig population has been observed in Germany. Among other things, the increased requirements on pig farming play a decisive role here. The number of poultry kept, on the other hand, has been rising steadily since then. And while the per capita consumption of meat as a whole is also steadily decreasing, the consumption of poultry meat is increasing. This is due to both the image of healthier meat and the fact that poultry meat is cheaper.
However, the decline in meat consumption does not reduce people's need for protein. Eggs are therefore a valuable and valued source of protein as an alternative to meat. The egg market has also been growing significantly for several years, which is evident from the increased number of laying hens kept.
Therefore, the Seed2FEED team at KWS deals with the following poultry species:
Challenges
Poultry poses special challenges for the animal feeder. While pigs, cattle and horses have a more or less large fermentation chamber in which a microflora is available for the digestion of fibers, the body of birds has specialized in the ability to fly. Among other things, this is accompanied by a short digestive tract, which (apart from a few exceptions) offers hardly any room for microbiological digestion. The selection of possible feedstuffs and their use is therefore limited.
In addition, the age of the animal has a decisive influence on the intestine. With increasing age, for example, the surface area of the intestinal epithelium increases and the microbiome also develops, adapts to the food and stabilizes. While broilers have little time for these processes (lifespan 29-38 days), turkeys (17, 22 weeks) and laying hens (around 14 months) have more time for them.
Standard rations
A standard ration has an energy content of 10-13 MJ ME and a protein content of 180-230 g/kg feed, depending on the species and age. It consists mainly of cereals such as corn and wheat, soybean extraction meal and other supplements such as oils, minerals, amino acids and enzymes.
The following applies:
The older the fattening animal, the higher the energy content and the lower the protein content in the feed.
Our interests and goals
Factors such as climate change and the demand for more sustainable agriculture make it necessary to rethink the previous feeding concept. This is where plant species come into play, which
- cope better with dry climatic conditions
- deliver stable yields despite low fertiliser intensity
- can be grown regionally and
- possibly also by-products that are produced in various food sectors.
Our standard offer to this market is grain corn, where we focused on high starch content and energy density.
Hybrid rye is one of the possible alternatives next to wheat and corn. It meets almost all of the above criteria, but provides a lower protein content than wheat and higher proportions of soluble fiber. EU soybeans as a regional alternative also have a lower protein content and a higher fiber content compared to non-EU soy.
The goal of Seed2FEED is to find solutions and workable approaches to these challenges, both from a breeding perspective and at the level of animal feeding.
Seed2FEED currently focusses on broilers and laying hens, as they account for 90% of the poultry sector. Together with research institutions, industry and farmers, we explore digestibility, alternative feeds, feeding technology and sustainability.
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