Improvement of lupins and lathyrus for broilers and egg layers by enzyme tr
University of Western Australia
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Project code: PRJ-000449
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Project stage: Closed
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Project start date: Friday, December 1, 2006
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Project completion date: Friday, October 24, 2008
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National Priority: CME-Priority 3-Contributing to efficient and secure chicken production systems
Program
Chicken Meat
Research Organisation
University of Western Australia
Objective Summary
To provide the poultry industry with suitable alternatives to animal proteins (eg. meatmeal) and imported soybean meal by improving the nutritive value of locally-grown legumes lupins and lathyrus. We think that if these legumes are treated with enzymesthat are not present in the digestive tract of birds a more extensive breakdown of pectin and therefore cell walls can be acheived. By doing so we should be able to; i) increase the nutritive value by making more nutrients available to the bird for digestion; ii) reduce water-holding capacity of digesta and hence wet droppings iii) reduce viscosity of digesta and allow a greater digestibility of released nutrients and iv) reduce excretion of nutrients into the environment.