Improving the nutritive value of poultry feedstuffs: the rapeseed products example.

Commercial brown-egg layers have the genetic potential to produce 26.5 kg egg mass per hen housed (405 eggs with 65.5 g average weight) in a prolonged laying period of 16 months, with a feed conversion ratio of 2.1 kg feed per kg egg mass (Lohmann Tierzucht, 2011). Rapid growing broilers reach market weight of 2.1 kg live weight in 5 weeks, with a feed conversion of 1.6 kg feed per kg live weight gain (ROSS, 2012). The genetic potential to convert feed nutrients efficiently into eggs and poultry meat (broiler, turkey, duck) for human consumption can only be fully utilized if the birds are well managed, remain healthy and receive highly digestible, concentrated and well balanced feed rations (Jeroch et al., 2013). The challenge for commercial feed formulation is to optimize feed composition from a reduced choice of raw materials, limited inclusion rates and special attention to anti-nutritive substances.