Cultivation and use of faba beans (Vicia faba minor) as a component in poultry feed

Abstract

 Popularization of faba bean cultivation among growers can increase the supply of seeds of this crop on the Polish market. Thanks to the fact that more seeds will be available, especially low-tannin varieties, it may also increase the interest of the feed industry in this component, mainly of the poultry feed production sector. Studies have shown that the partial replacement of soybe­an meal with faba bean in mixture feeds does not adversely affect the production performance of birds. Refining treatments additio­nally increases nutritional value of seeds and the use of protein from them. Thanks to their starch content faba bean seeds bring a certain amount of energy into the mixtures. This is particularly important in view of the ban on the use of GMO feed materials in animal nutrition and, to some extent, in view of the improvement in the supply of Poland with domestic feed components.