Progress 09/01/02 to 08/31/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The research results have been presented at regional (Midwest Poultry Federation Convention) and national (Poultry Science Association annual meeting) poultry events. Poultry Science Association meeting, 2005. Overview of management practices of small flock owners in Minnesota. Midwest Poultry Federation Convention, Organic session, 2005. Alternative feedstuffs for organic poultry production.
PARTICIPANTS: This research was funded by a USDA/CSREES grant. List of Collaborators: 1. Study: Nutrient content of organically grown feedstuffs - Various organic crop producers in the Midwest - Buckwheat growers association 2. Feeding trial: Use of high methionine corn in pullet and layer trials - Organic Valley: Provided the chicks and feed used in the trial - Michael Fields Agricultural Institute: Provided the high methionine corn used in the trial - Land'O Lakes: Mixed the feed used in the trial 3. Feeding trial: Use of Illinois Bundleflower in chick starter diets - Paul R. Peterson, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics: Provided the Bundleflower seed used in the trial 4. Feeding trials: Use of buckwheat in organic broiler diets / Use of alternative feed ingredients in organic broiler diets - Minnesota Buckwheat Growers Association 5. Feeding trial: Use of potato protein in organic broiler diets - ChemGen: Supplied the feed enzyme used in the trial
TARGET AUDIENCES: - Organic crop and poultry producers in the Midwest - Nutritionists working with organic poultry producers
Impacts
Economic impact - The project is expected to impact rural families throughout the Midwest - those producing organically grown crops as well as those raising certified organic poultry. Locally grown organic feed would be cheaper than imported organic feed. In addition, producers growing some of the feedstuffs (e.g, buckwheat, field peas) could perhaps use them in their own organic poultry feed. Organic crop producers would save on transportation/marketing if they could sell it locally. Also, including these non-traditional ingredients in organic poultry feeds will give producers a market that they may not otherwise have. The number of organic poultry operations, and consequently profits, might increase if feed were more readily available. Currently, access to certified organic feeds limits the number of people able to raise organic poultry. Results of the analysis of the collected organically grown feed samples demonstrate that there are similarities in the average
nutrient content of organic and conventional feedstuffs but organically grown feedstuffs can have wide variations in nutrient content which will impact the formulation of consistent organic livestock feeds. Environmental impact - Encouraging organic operations-poultry and crop-would be beneficial to the environment. Organic crop operations would decrease pesticide usage and reduce erosion.
Publications
- Nutrient Content of Organically Grown Feedstuffs. 2007. Journal of Applied Poultry Research 16: 642-651.
- Jacob, J.P. 2007. Use of Illinois Bundle Flower in chick starter diets. Journal of Applied Poultry Research 16(1):39-44.
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
The first phase of this project was the development of a database of the nutrient composition of organically grown feed ingredients. Organically grown corn, wheat, barley, oats, soybeans, field peas, buckwheat and flax seed samples were obtained from producers throughout the Midwest. The nutrient content of the organically grown feedstuffs were compared with published values for conventionally grown counterparts. The nutrient content of a given feedstuff will vary due to differences in climate, soil conditions, maturity, cultivar, management and processing factors. As an emerging industry, organic crop production practices vary considerably from farm to farm. As a result there is considerable variation in the nutrient content of organically grown feedstuffs. This will impact the formulation of organic livestock feeds and demonstrates the need to develop a more extensive database of the nutrient content of organically grown feedstuffs. The second phase of this project
is the development of a feeding strategy for organic poultry production. The main problem that needs to be addressed with organic poultry diets is an alternative for synthetic methionine which will soon be prohibited in certified organic poultry diets. Casein and potato protein have the potential to replace synthetic methionine in poultry diets, but they are not currently available as certified organic. Feeding trials have been conducted with broilers and trials with pullets are planned for 2007. Organically raised poultry must have access to the outdoors 'with encouragement to use it.' We video-taped laying hens on pasture plots composed of different forage crops. The videos are currently be analyzed for hen preference for the crops offered. Forage samples from the same crops have been collected at different stages of development and are in the process of being freeze-dried for lab analyses. To date, 62 samples have been collected, with several more to be freeze-dried.
Impacts
Economic impact- The project is expected to impact rural families throughout the midwest - those producing organically grown crops as well as those raising certified organic poultry. Locally grown organic feed would be cheaper than imported organic feed. In addition, producers growing some of the feedstuffs (e.g, buckwheat, field peas) could perhaps use them in their own organic poultry feed. Organic crop producers would save on transportation/marketing if they could sell it locally. Including these non-traditional ingredients in organic poultry feeds will give producers a market that they may not otherwise have. The number of organic poultry operations, & consequently profits, might increase if feed were more readily available. Currently, access to certified organic feeds limits the number of people able to raise organic poultry. Results of the analysis of the collected organically grownfeed samples demonstrate that there are similarities in the average nutrient
content of organic & conventional feedstuffs but organically grown feedstuffs can have wide variations in nutrient content which will impact the formulation of consistent organic livestock feeds. Environmental impact- Encouraging organic operations-poultry and crop-would be beneficial to the environment. Organic crop operations would decrease pesticide usage & reduce erosion. Quality of life impact- By increasing the economic sustainability of organic production (crops & poultry) the project will have a long-term effect on the quality of life of rural families. It will allow them to maintain their lifestyle choice.
Publications
- Jacob, J.P. 2007. Nutrient content of organically grown feedstuffs. Submitted to the Journal of Applied Poultry Research
- Jacob, J.P. 2007. Use of Illinois Bundle Flower in chick starter diets. Journal of Applied Poultry Research 16: in print
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
The purpose of this research is to develop a feeding strategy for organic poultry production using non-traditional crops grown in the area. The main problem that needs to be addressed with organic poultry diets is an alternative for synthetic methionine which will soon be prohibited in certified organic poultry diets. The first phase of the project involved development of a database of the nutrient composition of organically grown feed ingredients. To date, almost 100 samples have been received and analyzed. True metabolizable Energy (TME), using both turkeys and chickens, were determined for several samples. The second phase of the project involved feeding trials with broilers. The first trial was in the summer of 2003 and looked at the use of potato protein as an alternative source of dietary protein. While the results indicated that potato protein is a good source of methionine for organic poultry diets, organic potato protein is not currently available. With a
potential market now being identified it is hoped that entrepreneurs will come forward to develop a source. A second feeding trial in the summer of 2004 looked at the use of Bundleflower in poultry starter diets. Even at low levels, the inclusion of Bundleflower in broiler starter diets negatively affected feed consumption, growth and feed efficiency. Other researchers working with growing pigs have found that Bundleflower is a potential feed ingredient for older animals. This may be the case with poultry, but has not yet been investigated. A third trial in the Fall of 2005 looked at the use of casein in broiler grower diets, as an alternative source of methionine. The high lysine content of casein limited its potential inclusion to 7.5% of the diet. The results appear to indicate that the inclusion of casein is a potential solution to the methionine problem for organic poultry producers. As with potato protein, however, there are no organic sources of casein. Researchers at West
Virginia University have indicated that when broilers are kept outdoors, pasture consumption is important in meeting the methionine requirement - although only for the older birds. Broiler starter diets still require supplemental with synthetic methionine. There is very little research available on which crops are best for use with pasture poultry production. During the summer of 2005 a preliminary behavioral trial was conducted to determine which of 16 possible pasture crops (grasses and legumes) chickens prefer. The data is still being analyzed. In addition, samples of pasture crops were collected over different developmental stages. They are in the process of being freeze-dried for nutrient analyses. The results of these two studies will help in making crop recommendations to pasture poultry producers. Two more feeding trials are planned for Spring and Summer 2006.
Impacts
Economic impact - The project is expected to impact rural families throughout the midwest - those producing organically grown crops as well as those raising certified organic poultry. Locally grown organic feed would be cheaper than imported organic feed. In addition, producers growing some of the feedstuffs (e.g, buckwheat, field peas) could perhaps use them in their own organic poultry feed. Organic crop producers would save on transportation/marketing if they could sell it locally. Also, including these non-traditional ingredients in organic poultry feeds will give producers a market that they may not otherwise have. The number of organic poultry operations, and consequently profits, might increase if feed were more readily available. Currently, access to certified organic feeds limits the number of people able to raise organic poultry. Environmental impact - Encouraging organic operations-poultry and crop-would be beneficial to the environment. Organic crop
operations would decrease pesticide usage and reduce erosion. Quality of life impact - By increasing the economic sustainability of organic production (crops and poultry) the project will have a long-term effect on the quality of life of rural families. It will allow them to maintain their lifestyle choice.
Publications
- Jacob, J.P. 2005. Alternative feedstuffs for organic poultry. Presented at the Midwest Poultry Federation Convention held in St. Paul, MN March 15-17, 2005.
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
Many small farm holdings are switching to organic crop production. In doing so, they are producing crops not traditionally grown in the area. For many, a strong market is required for the economic sustainability of these crops. Organic poultry production is one possible market. The purpose of this research is to develop a feeding strategy for organic poultry production using these non-traditional crops. In Part 1 of the study, a database of the nutrient composition of organically grown feed ingredients will be established. Samples of organically grown feed ingredients will be collected from a variety of sources and analyzed for nutrient composition. Samples collected to date include: 1) 8 samples from the organic research fields at the SW ROC in Lamberton: Yellow corn, white corn, amaranth, wheat, buckwheat, buckwheat screenings and flax. True Metabolizable Determinations (TME) were determined for these feedstuffs, comparing turkey and chicken assays; 2) 72 samples
have been collected from organic and transitional farms: 5 barley, 7 buckwheat, 7 corn, 8 peas, 5 flax, 4 flax millings, 5 oats, 2 hulless oats, 1 millet, 1 navy bean, 7 soybeans, 3 soybean meal, 1 sunflower seed meal, 3 rye, 1 triticale, 9 wheat, 1 weed seeds plus 1 oats + millet and 1 barley + peas; 3) 2 samples of potato protein, a good source of methionine which is an important amino acid in poultry diets; 4) 2 of Illinois Bundleflower; 5) 4 insect meals: 1 house fly larva, 1 house fly pupae, 1 face fly pupae and 1 mealworm. Considerable variability was found in the nutrient content of feedstuffs, especially the fat content of flax. Since flax is commonly added in organic poultry feeds to increase the omega-3 content of eggs or chicken meat, it is an important feed ingredient in organic poultry feeds. To further investigate this, flax samples from a study being conducted at the Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca. As part of the study, 61 flax samples were collected
from different locations in a field - to evaluate the effect of landscape on flax yield and nutritional composition. These samples are being analyzed for crude protein, fat content, amino acid profile and fatty acid profile. In Part 2 of the study some of the feed ingredients were tested in feeding trials with broilers. A trial was conducted with potato protein. Potato protein is used in Europe to meet the methionine requirement of poultry without adding synthetic methionine (an ingredient not allowed in organic poultry diets). Potato protein can be successfully used in poultry diets without the need for synthetic methionine supplementation. However, an inclusion rate of 12% of potato protein was required to meet the nutritional requirements of the birds and such levels of an non-organic feedstuff is not allowed. In a similar study, Illinois Bundleflower, a crop native to the Midwest and being re-introduced in organic farms was included in broiler starter diets at 0, 5, 10 and 15%.
Even at the lowest level of inclusion, bundleflower had a negative impact on growth of the chicks and thus is not recommended for starter diets. It may be possible to include bundleflower in the diets of older chicks.
Impacts
The wide variability in nutrient content of organic feed ingredients will complicate their use in organic poultry diets. Most organic feed mills do not have easy access to the laboratory facilities necessary for determination of the nutrient content of feedstuffs. As a result, they will have to use wide margins of safety in their feed ration formulations. Many of the organic poultry producers are also marketing their products as omega-3 enriched. They are increasing the omega-3 levels of eggs and poultry meat by supplementing poultry diets with flax. Such producers will have trouble guaranteeing the omega-3 enriched status of their products if they can not be sure of the fat and omega-3 content of the flax they are feeding.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
Many small farm holdings throughout the United States are switching to organic crop production. In doing so, they are producing crops not traditionally grown in the United States, such as buckwheat, sorghum, millet, rye, hulless oats, flax, and field peas. A strong market is required for the economic sustainability of many of these crops. Organic poultry production, like organic crop production, is also on the increase but its expansion is limited by the availability of certified organic feeds. Organic poultry production, therefore, is a logical market for these non-traditional crops. The purpose of this research is to develop a feeding strategy for organic poultry production using non-traditional crops grown in the area. This would assist both the crop producers, by developing a market for their crops, and the organic poultry producers, by developing a feeding strategy that makes most economical use of the crops available. The main problem that needs to be addressed
with organic poultry diets is an alternative for synthetic methionine which will soon be prohibited in certified organic poultry diets. It is necessary to identify alternative sources of dietary methionine. The first phase of the project involves development of a database on the nutrient composition of organically grown feed ingredients. This phase is currently underway and will continue throughout the study as new samples become available. To date, 47 samples have been received and analyzed. The second phase of the project involves feeding trials with broilers, pullets and laying hens. This phase started in the summer of 2003 with the first broiler trial. The data has been collected but is still being analyzed. Preliminary analyses, however, indicate potato protein may be a good source of methionine for organic poultry diets. The final phase of the study will involve field testing of the most promising organic poultry diets.
Impacts
The project is in the very preliminary stages but is expected to impact rural families throughout the midwest--those producing organically grown crops as well as those raising certified organic poultry. Locally grown organic feed would be cheaper than imported organic feed. In addition, producers growing some of the feedstuffs (e.g, buckwheat, field peas) could perhaps use them in their own organic poultry feed. Organic crop producers would save on transportation/marketing if they could sell it locally. Also, including these non-traditional ingredients in organic poultry feeds will give producers a market that they may not otherwise have. The number of organic poultry operations, and consequently profits, might increase if feed were more readily available. Currently, access to certified organic feeds limits the number of people able to raise organic poultry. Encouraging organic operations-poultry and crop-would be beneficial to the environment. Organic crop operations
would decrease pesticide usage and reduce erosion. The project is in the very preliminary stages, but by increasing the economic sustainability of organic production (crops and poultry) it will have a long-term effect on the quality of life of rural families. It will allow them to maintain their lifestyle choice.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
The project only started September 1, 2002 so it is in the very early stages. We are currently collecting samples of feedstuffs for analysis.
Impacts
The results of this project will enable producers to formulate organic poultry diets that are more economical and sustainable. This will allow family farms to remain viable.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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