The potential of blue lupins as a protein source, in the diets of laying hens

Abstract

Layers diets typically contain 15–20% soya due to its high crude protein content (ca. 36%). Reliance on soya for protein can result in large increases in cost of feed due to the law of supply and demand as a global commodity. Lupin grains have high protein content (35–40%) but previous experience with white lupins has shown toxic effects in poultry due to high levels alkaloids and poor performance due to anti-nutritional Non-starch polysaccharides (NSP). Here blue lupins either processed or whole were trialled for their potential as a protein source. Point of lay chickens (64) at 16 weeks of age were weighed and allocated to 16 coops of four hens. Coops, as the experimental unit, were randomly allocated to four treatments: layers mash with soya (Control); or layers mash with 150 g of lupin/kg diet with the lupin either: whole (Whole); dehulled (Dehulled) or dehulled + a solid state fermentation enzyme extract (SSF; 150 g/tonne DM). All diets were ground and formulated to be balanced for energy, crude protein and essential amino acids using NIRS. No difference in growth rate, final hen weight, DM and water intake, eggs per day, mean egg weight, yellowness of yolk or chroma was found between treatments. There was a trend (P<0.1) for the SSF treatment to produce less heavy shells and a significant effect for the lupin treatments to have redder yolks (P<0.001). Fecal DM and bacterial counts were not different and there was no sign of enteritis or intestinal tissue hyperplasia from hen autopsies. Inclusion of blue lupins in the diet of laying hens at a rate of 150 g/kg DM resulted in no adverse effects in production or hen health and could be used as part of a balanced ration with inclusion of NSP degrading enzymes to reduce reliance on soya protein.

Effects of Different Dietary Levels of Blue Lupine (Lupinus angustifolius) Seed Meal With or Without Probiotics on the Performance, Carcass Criteria, Immune Organs, and Gut Morphology of Broiler Chickens

“…In the literature, blue lupine can be incorporated in broilers' diets in up to 25% of soybean meal protein and yield similar results to the soybean meal (16,18) and white lupine diets (21,22). Other researchers found that when blue lupine is fed at 30% of soybean meal protein (19,40,49) and 15% it does not have any negative influences on the production performance and health of layers (8), but increasing blue lupine to 40 and 80% of soybean meal protein decreased growth and impaired gut ecosystem and increased wet dropping (18,19). Similar results were obtained with the inclusion of 25-30% of blue lupine in turkey diets (40,49).…”

“…One of the most important strategies for the poultry industry is to develop domestic dietary formulations, which will allow the use of local ingredients as substitutes for imported feed ingredients and, subsequently, reduce diet costs. Legume seeds such as the blue lupine (Lupinus angustifolius), which belongs to the family Fabaceae, are important sources of protein for monogastric animals and are considered as alternatives to the soybean meal (7,8). Blue lupine is characterized by its year-round availability and its low price compared to soybean meal.…”

“…Lupine flour can constitute up to 30% of soybean meal protein of broilers' diets while maintaining their production performance in good levels, but increasing blue lupine to 40% (18% in the diet) and 80% (∼30% in the diet) of soybean meal protein decreased growth performance (19). Lupines can constitute up to 15% of layers' diets without any negative effects on their production performance and health (8). Thus, overcoming the anti-nutritional effects of lupine and improving the utilization of lupine NSPs require further research (20)(21)(22).…”

Comparison of Lupinus angustifolius protein digestibility in dependence on protein, amino acids, trypsin inhibitors and polyphenolic compounds content

“…Hull, which constitutes up to 25% of the lupine seeds, contains many compounds (e.g. 65% of cellulose and lignin) that affect the digestibility of the seeds and their protein (Mateos et al , ; Leea et al , ; Mera‐Zúñiga et al , ). However, not only the hull fibre influences digestibility of the lupine protein.…”

Framework for life cycle assessment of livestock production systems to account for the nutritional quality of final products

“…The authors found that, while the legumes improved meat quality, poultry demonstrated lower feed conversion ratios and reduced weight gain, suggesting that forages may not be an efficient feed source for broilers. A later study demonstrated, however, that this negative effect can be partially offset by providing exogenous enzymes to utilize fiber and nonstructural polysaccharides (Lee et al., 2016). …”