Possibilities of using hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and its byproducts in sheep nutrition – A review

Abstract

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a highly commercialized crop used in the production processes of more than 25,000 products in many different industries. Industrial hemp is a versatile, sustainable plant with a variety of applications in its various forms, including fiber from hemp stalks, foods from hemp seeds, and oil from hemp flowers and seeds. Hemp seeds in their hulled or whole form, stalks and grass, leaves, oil and oil meal have high potential for use as an alternative raw feed material in animal nutrition. Considering the fact that the share of feed cost in overall production costs in animal husbandry is around 70%, and the most important part of this feed cost is the protein source feed raw materials, it is important to reveal the possibilities of using alternative feed raw materials. Although there are many studies in the field of animal nutrition using hemp and its by-products, studies in sheep are limited. Because of their tendency to extensive feeding and their ability to use feed resources that other animals cannot use, sheep are known to breed well with a wide range of alternative feedstuffs. Due to these characteristics, research on feeding hemp to sheep has been increasing in recent years. In this review, the nutrient contents of hemp and its products and the findings of previous studies on feeding hemp to sheep were summarized and the possibilities of using hemp in sheep feeding were strived to be revealed.