Pea seeds and alfalfa hay pellets: to increase the economic return of poultry farms

Abstract

The output of poultry products by poultry enterprises in the world was mainly determined by feeding techniques and poultry productivity. The productivity of poultry is characterised by the rate of egg-laying or the number of eggs produced per hen a year and affected by the availability and diversity of feed materials (especially protein). In recent years, researchers have focused on legumes of various species as promising sources of protein for livestock production, such as beans, peas, lupine, alfalfa etc.; therefore, in Latvia more attention is paid to the production of protein crops or legumes. The aim of the research was to identify the impact of domestically sourced legume seeds included in diets for laying hens on the economic performance of egg production. Two kinds of protein crops were examined by the research: peas `Bruno` and dried alfalfa pellets. Feeding laying hens with peas or dried alfalfa pellets made it possible to produce eggs with a heavier weight (55.28-67.07%), which in turn makes it possible to increase revenues (10.3-12.9%) from the sales of eggs with the same feed consumption.