NUTRITION AND FEEDING OF ORGANIC POULTRY This page intentionally left blank NUTRITION AND FEEDING OF ORGANIC POULTRY Robert Blair Faculty of Land and Food Systems The University of British Columbia Vancouver, British Columbia Canada CABI is a trading name of CAB International CABI Head Office CABI North American Office Nosworthy Way 875 Massachusetts Avenue Wallingford 7th Floor Oxfordshire OX10 8DE Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 UK USA Tel: +44 (0)1491 832111 Tel: +1 617 395 4056 Fax: +44 (0)1491 833508 Fax: +1 617 354 6875 E-mail: cabi@cabi.org E-mail: cabi-nao@cabi.org Website: www.cabi.org © CAB International 2008. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronically, mechanically, by photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owners. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library, London, UK. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Blair, Robert, 1933- Nutrition and feeding of organic poultry / Robert Blair. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-84593-406-4 (alk. paper) 1. Poultry Feeding and feeds. 2. Organic farming. 3. Feeds Composition. I. Title. SF494.B53 2008 636.5'085 dc22 2008006056 ISBN: 978 1 84593 406 4 Typeset by SPi, Pondicherry, India. Printed and bound in the UK by Cromwell Press, Trowbridge. The paper used for the text pages in this book is FSC certified. The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is an international network to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. Contents Acknowledgements vii 1. Introduction and Background 1 2. Aims and Principles of Organic Poultry Production 6 3. Elements of Poultry Nutrition 23 4. Approved Ingredients for Organic Diets 66 5. Diets for Organic Poultry Production 208 6. Choosing the Right Breed and Strain 248 7. Integrating Feeding Programmes into Organic 272 Production Systems 8. Conclusions and Recommendations for the Future 306 Index 311 v This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgements The author acknowledges with thanks the help of the following: the library staff of the University of British Columbia for assistance in obtaining publi- cations; Dr Peter Wang for translating the Chinese organic regulations; Trade Commissioners in several Canadian embassies for their assistance in supply- ing information on organic standards in certain countries; IFOAM and the Soil Association for their advice; and the Brill Corporation, Norcross, Georgia, USA, for the gift of the Brill Feed Formulation system. Special thanks are accorded to Dr Jacqueline Jacob of the University of Minnesota for her expert assistance in the preparation of Chapter 6. Some data and illustrations in this book have been reproduced from the book Nutrition and Feeding of Organic Pigs, with the permission of the publisher. vii This page intentionally left blank In recent years there has been a rapid increase in organic animal production in many countries. This development is a response to an increased consumer demand for food that is perceived to be fresh, wholesome and flavoursome, free of hormones, antibiotics and harmful chemicals, and produced in a way that is sustainable environmentally and without the use of gene-modified (GM) crops (Fig. 1.1). For example, recent research examined Irish consumer perceptions of organic meat (O’Donovan and McCarthy, 2002). Purchasers of organic meat believed that organic meat was superior to conventional meat in terms of quality, safety, labelling, production methods and value. Other interesting data were reported by Scholten (2006), who studied local and organic food consumption and risk perceptions in Seattle (Washington, USA) and Newcastle (UK). A total of 58 Newcastle and 40 Seattle motorcyclists was surveyed. The study showed that a greater proportion of Seattle motorcyclists (68%) consumed organic food than Newcastle motorcyclists (38%). Furthermore, Seattle motorcyclists (54%) showed a greater preference for locally sourced organic food than Newcastle bikers (28%). Firefighters in Seattle consumed more organic food than their counterparts in Newcastle, who in turn have been shown to consume more organic food than those in Edinburgh, Scotland. This research suggests that increasing awareness of food safety and pollution issues of organic produce are important determinants in the purchase of organic meat. Lack of availability and the price of organic meat appear to be key deterrents to the purchase of organic produce. Organic feed is generally more expensive than conventional feed, often resulting in eggs and meat being twice as costly as the conventional products. These data confirm that there is an increasing market for organic eggs and meat, if they can be delivered at a price acceptable to the consumer. This will be a particular challenge for northern regions that have harsher climates and a lower supply of organic feedstuffs than southern, more productive, regions. 1 Introduction and Background ©R. Blair 2008. Nutrition and Feeding in Organic Poultry (Blair) 1 2 Chapter 1 This publication sets out guidance for producers on nutrition and feed- ing practices that relate to the standards for certification of organic poultry. Details on permitted feed ingredients, with an emphasis on those grown or available locally and on suitable dietary formulations, are included. Although aspects of these topics have been presented at conferences and in trade and scientific publications, no comprehensive text has been published to date. Organic farming can be defined as an approach to agriculture in which the aim is to create integrated, humane, environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural production systems. Thus, maximum reliance is placed on locally or farm-derived renewable resources. In many European countries, organic agriculture is known as ecological agriculture, reflecting this emphasis on ecosystem management. The term for organic production and products differs within the European Union (EU). In English the term is organic; but in Danish, Swedish and Spanish it is ecological; in German it is ecological or biological; and in French, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese it is biological (EEC Regulation No 2092/91). In Australia the term used is organic, biodynamic or ecological. It is clear that the idealism set out initially in the principles of organic agriculture has had to be tempered by practical considerations. The stand- ards adopted have to aim for a balance between the desire of consumers for organic products and considerations of ethical and ecological integrity and the practical and financial needs of producers. As a result, synthetic vitamins are now allowed in organic poultry feeds, with some restrictions. An example whereby the regulations may have to be further modified is the situation regarding supplemental amino acids. Some countries seek this change. At present, pure amino acids are banned from organic diets in some countries on the grounds of being synthetic, or if derived from microbial fer- mentation, are similarly banned because the organisms used are GM. Lack of availability of pure amino acids for organic feed supplementation is known Fig. 1.1. Public perception of organic food. [...]... produce ruminant and non-ruminant diets can no longer use fishmeal at all The result is that those mills in particular have a very difficult task in producing organic poultry diets of the necessary nutritional standard Introduction and Background 5 Although the main aim of this book is to assist nutritionists and organic producers in formulating diets and feeding programmes for organic poultry, the regulatory... identity of all organically managed birds, all inputs and all edible and non-edible organic livestock products produced The result is that organic food has a very strong brand image in the eyes of consumers and thus should command a higher price in the marketplace than conventionally produced food The whole organic process involves four stages: (i) application of organic principles (standards and regulations);... standards: CGSB 32.310 Organic Production Systems - General Principles and Management Standards; and CGSB 32.311 Organic Production Systems - Permitted Substances List Currently the provinces of British Columbia and Quebec (CAAQ, 2005) have Aims and Principles of Organic Poultry Production 13 their own regulations The Canadian standards are based on the same set of principles as those in Europe and. .. sold as organic must be maintained under continuous organic management from birth to market Organic poultry production appears to differ from organic livestock production in that the parent stock is not required to be organic Feed, including pasture and forage, must be produced organically and health care treatments must fall within the range of accepted organic practices Organic poultry health and performance... the Standards Committee of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and the guidelines for organically produced food developed within the framework of the Codex Alimentarius, a programme created in 1963 by FAO and WHO to develop food standards, guidelines and codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme IFOAM Basic Standards were adopted in 1998 and. .. the National Organic Standards (NOS) Organic producers must be certified by NOP-accredited certification agencies All organic producers and handlers must implement an Organic Production and Handling System Plan, which describes the practices and procedures that the operation utilizes to comply with the organic practice standards The use of continuous confinement systems including cages for poultry is... (standards and regulations); (ii) adherence to local 6 ©R Blair 2008 Nutrition and Feeding in Organic Poultry (Blair) Aims and Principles of Organic Poultry Production 7 organic regulations; (iii) certification by local organic regulators; and (iv) verification by local certifying agencies Restrictions on the use of ingredients in organic diets include: ● ● ● ● ● ● No genetically modified (GM) grain... million ha of land in organic production The main organic goods produced in Brazil are pineapple, banana, coffee, honey, milk, meat, soybean, sugar, chicken and vegetable According to the GAIN Report (2002) about half of the organic production in Brazil is Aims and Principles of Organic Poultry Production 15 exported, mainly to Europe, Japan and the USA, indicating that the Brazilian standards are... quarantine/fopolicy/national_standards pdf AQIS (2007) National Standard for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce Organic Industry Export Consultative Committee Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Aims and Principles of Organic Poultry Production Canberra Available at: http://www.daff gov.au/corporate_docs/publications/pdf/ quarantine/fopolicy/national_standards pdf CAAQ (2005) Quebec Organic Reference Standard Conseil... system Organic poultry producers must take into consideration several factors other than the production of livestock These factors include the use of organic feedstuffs (including limited use of feed additives); use of outdoorbased systems; and minimizing environmental impact Organic poultry production also requires certification and verification of the production system This requires that the organic . NUTRITION AND FEEDING OF ORGANIC POULTRY This page intentionally left blank NUTRITION AND FEEDING OF ORGANIC POULTRY Robert Blair Faculty of Land and Food Systems The University of British. application of organic principles (standards and regulations); (ii) adherence to local 2 Aims and Principles of Organic Poultry Production 6 ©R. Blair 2008. Nutrition and Feeding in Organic Poultry. task in pro- ducing organic poultry diets of the necessary nutritional standard. Introduction and Background 5 Although the main aim of this book is to assist nutritionists and organic producers