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Collaborative project: Organic turkey production: Requirement adjusted amino acid and vitamin supply under consideration of genotype, feeding strategy and husbandry conditions

Project


Project code: 2819OE089
Contract period: 03.03.2020 - 28.02.2023
Budget: 199,831 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Keywords: animal nutrition, husbandry techniques, organic farming, ingredients, animal feed, poultry, animal husbandry

Feeding turkeys with 100% organic feed materials is a specific challenge, because the commonly used turkey genotypes were not selected under organic conditions. Knowledge gaps exists in particular regarding dietary requirements of genotypes selected under conventional conditions but raised under organic conditions with a reduced nutrient supply. A deficient supply needs to be avoided in order to prevent animal health problems. Additionally, the available, regionally produced feed materials have to be used more effiently to reduce nutrient excretion. Therefore, nutrient requirements will be derived under consideration of genotype, feeding strategy and husbandry condition. Feed materials for organic turkey feeding with high native contents of first limiting amino acids and vitamins (i.e., fodder and ist conservatives, animal-based products) will be identified. The focus will be on the amino acid methionine, which is commonly first limited in organic diet formulations, and the vitamin B2 (riboflavin), which is also often deficient in organic production. To optimize diet formulations and to compensate for low native contents of methionine and riboflavin the use of feed materials rich in amino acids based on clover-gras-juices and of fermentation products rich in native riboflavin will be considered. Both fast- and slow-growing turkey genotypes will be included in the studies. Feeding concepts based on compound feed and fodder silages will be compared to foraging on the free-range and supplementary feed. Enriched husbandry environments are supposed to minimize feather pecking and cannibalism. AS husbandry systems fixed stables will be compared with mobile houses.

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