Possibilities and limitations in the use of legumes from domestic cultivation in poultry feed in the context of fodder protein deficit

Abstract

Poland is one of the leaders among poultry producers in Europe. There is a constant and dynamic development trend in this field of animal production. Restructuring which has occurred in Polish agriculture after the period of systemic transformation, including in poultry farming through the transition from small--farm farms with diversified animal species structure and feed production based on own production feed resources to speciali-zed poultry farms with a production profile of eggs or poultry. This resulted in a significant increase in the demand for indu-strial feed as well as raw materials necessary for their production. The introduction of high-production hybrids of laying hens and broiler chickens requires proper living and feeding conditions. The poultry industry in Poland is characterized by high dynamics of development and in this respect it was ranked among the top European Union countries. Large poultry stock requires constant supply of raw materials for the production of feed, including pro-tein components, which constitute the highest cost of feed mix. The aim of the study is to discuss the problem of cultivation and use of native coarse-grained leguminous plants as a substi-tute for post-extraction soybean meal. The work focuses on four species: faba bean, pea, lupine and soybean. The problems of cul-tivation and use of seeds of these plants for fodder purposes are presented, with particular emphasis on the suitability of their use in poultry feeds.