The Efficacy of High-Protein Tropical Forages as Alternative Protein Sourcesfor Chickens: A Review

Sameh A. Abdelnour, Mohamed E. Abd El-Hack and Marco Ragni
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Sameh A. Abdelnour: Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
Mohamed E. Abd El-Hack: Department of Poultry, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
Marco Ragni: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy

Agriculture, 2018, vol. 8, issue 6, 1-14

Abstract: Smallholders of poultry production systems in developing countries are commonly found in rural, resource-poor areas, and often face food insecurity. The main constraints for smallholders in poultry production in rural, resource-poor areas are the shortage of available commercial dietary protein and the high cost of commercial diets. The beneficial effects of legume and forage cultivation are economic, through providing protein for animals, and ecological, such as soil amendment, nitrogen fixation, and stripping control which participate to increase cropping efficiency. The potential nutritive value of a wide range of forages and grain legumes is presented and discussed. The impacts of dietary protein, fiber, and secondary metabolites in plant content, as as well as their consequences on feed efficiency, animal performance, and digestion processes are enclosed in this review. Lastly, approaches to reduce the anti-nutritional factors of the secondary metabolites of plants are explained.

Keywords: tropical forages; chicken; alternative protein; anti-nutritional factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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