Comparison of three different diets for organic broilers: effects on performance and body condition

Herbal Plants Application in Organic Poultry Nutrition and Production

Background:

Medicinal plants and natural feed additives are the most important alternatives in animal production, especially broiler production, due to the ban on the use of certain antibiotics, their cost-effectiveness and harmful residual effects.

Objective:

In this mini-review article, some important medicinal herbs and plants with positive effects on organic broiler production have been highlighted.

Methods:

A literature search was conducted in Science Direct, Google, Google Scholar, Springer, Medline and PubMed.

Results:

Medicinal plants such as ginger, ginkgo, thyme, ponderosa pine, soybean, forsythia, peppermint, Chinese star anise, astragalus, mistletoe, schisandra, cumin, capsicum, garlic, hooker chives, artichoke, Borreria latifolia, zataria, pomegranate, turmeric, lingzhi, Lippia javanica, neem, oriental chaff flower, mulberry leaf, goji berry, Aloe vera, pumpkin, grape, common nettle, marigold, coriandrum, Citrus sinensis, Alisma canaliculatum, Persian hogweed, Eucommiaulmoides, bamboo leaf extract, rosemary, Morina citrifolia, chestnut, green tea, wild mint, clove, sumac, satureja, ashwagandha, Lonicera japonica, Acacia, liquorice, Artemisia annua, milk thistle, cinnamon, black cumin and etc. have positive effects on organic broiler production.

Conclusion:

Herbal medicines lead to increased body weight due to a higher feed intake and a higher feed conversion ratio, and improve antioxidant activity of broiler chickens based on their phenolic compound contents. The combination of medicinal herbal additives also has a positive impact on broiler production. In organic broiler production with the usage of herbal plants, reducing hormones, growth promoters and antibiotics should be organized as well as considering appropriate organic feed management and higher production.

The Potential of Locally-Sourced European Protein Sources for Organic Monogastric Production: A Review of Forage Crop Extracts, Seaweed, Starfish, Mussel, and Insects

Organic monogastric agriculture is challenged because of a limited availability of regional and organic protein-rich ingredients to fulfill the amino acid requirements. The development of novel feed ingredients is therefore essential. The use of starfish (Asterias rubens), mussel (Mytilus edilus), insect, green and brown seaweed, and forage crop extracts exhibits different approaches to increase protein availability in a sustainable manner through improving the protein quality of existing ingredients, better use of under- or unutilized material, or development of circular bioeconomy. This review assessed limitations and opportunities of producing, processing, and using these novel ingredients in feed. The use of non-renewable resources and the effect on the environment of production and processing the feed ingredients are described. Protein concentration and amino acid quality of the feed ingredients are evaluated to understand their substitution potential compared with protein-rich soya bean and fishmeal. Feedstuffs’ effect on digestibility and animal performance is summarized. With the exception of seaweed, all novel ingredients show potential to partly substitute fishmeal or soya bean fulfilling part of the protein requirement in organic monogastric production. However, improvements during production and processing can be made to enhance protein quality, sustainability of the novel ingredients, and nutrient utilization of novel feed ingredients.

Reduction of nitrogen excretion and emission in poultry: A review for organic poultry

Organic poultry is an alternative to conventional poultry which is rapidly developing as a response to customers' demand for better food and a cleaner environment. Although organic poultry manure can partially be utilized by organic horticultural producers, litter accumulation as well as excessive nitrogen still remains a challenge to maintain environment pureness, animal, and human health. Compared to conventional poultry, diet formulation without nitrogen overloading in organic poultry is even more complicated due to specific standards and regulations which limit the application of some supplements and imposes specific criteria to the ingredients in use. This is especially valid for methionine provision which supplementation as a crystalline form is only temporarily allowed. This review is focused on the utilization of various protein sources in the preparation of a diet composed of 100% organic ingredients which meet the avian physiology need for methionine, while avoiding protein overload. The potential to use unconventional protein sources such as invertebrates and microbial proteins to achieve optimal amino acid provision is also discussed.