Search

The output of poultry products by poultry enterprises in the world was mainly determined by feeding techniques and poultry productivity. The productivity of poultry is characterised by the rate of egg-laying or the number of eggs produced per hen a year and affected by the availability and diversity of feed materials (especially protein). In recent years, researchers have focused on legumes of various species as promising sources of protein for livestock production, such as beans, peas, lupine, alfalfa etc.; therefore, in Latvia more attention is paid to the production of protein crops or legumes. The aim of the research was to identify the impact of domestically sourced legume seeds included in diets for laying hens on the economic performance of egg production. Two kinds of protein crops were examined by the research: peas 'Bruno' and dried alfalfa pellets. Feeding laying hens with peas or dried alfalfa pellets made it possible to produce eggs with a heavier weight (55.28-67.07%), which in turn makes it possible to increase revenues (10.3-12.9%) from the sales of eggs with the same feed consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lower price on poultry meat, compared with other meats (beef, pork etc.), affects the increasing demand for poultry meat. The productivity and production cost of broiler chickens are directly related to the amount of feed fed, the proportion of crude protein in the feed, and the biological value and price of the feed. The EU produces only 30% of the protein crops used for feed; thus, the large import of protein feed crops contribute to agricultural instability and production cost increases. To reduce the consumption of imported protein feeds and the production cost of poultry meat, it is necessary to assess opportunities to use a domestic protein crop as faba beans. The research aim is to identify economic gains from the production of broiler chicken meat if using domestic faba beans in broiler chicken diets. Specific research tasks are as follows: 1) to identify the effect of the use of faba beans on the cost of broiler chicken feed; 2) to assess changes in broiler chicken productivity due to faba bean diets. It is economically efficient to replace soybean protein with domestically produced faba beans in the feed ration for broiler chickens; it provides an adequate amount of crude protein and reduces the feed conversion ratio and production costs. A faba bean ration in the broiler chicken diet provides the broilers with necessary nutrients, thereby contributing to their growth and increases in their live weight, reducing feed costs and resulting in increases in economic return. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal nutrition is directly related with the need to maintain the animal's physiological functions and health, thereby, ensuring a certain level of productivity. However, the quality of food of animal origin is closely related with proper animal nutrition and the choice of feed. It is known that feeding apple pomace to food-producing animals contributes to the functions of their digestive system and increases the level of their productivity. Currently in Latvia, there are only a few studies on the efficiency of use of apple pomace as a feed rich in fibres and natural bioactive substances in livestock farming. Accordingly, the research aim is to determine the efficiency of use of apple pomace in the red deer feed ration in a winter period. The research found that it was efficient to use apple pomace as a valuable source of natural vitamins and minerals available in Latvia in the nutrition of red deer, thus, turning apple pomace into a valuable raw material for the production of high-quality and healthy meat. The daily consumption of feed per red deer in the experimental group amounted to 8.5 kg, i.e. 0.5 kg or 6.25% less than that of feed per red deer in the control group, while the cost of feed for the experimental group decreased by 1.5%. The carcass weight (by 2.49 kg or 4.07% on average) and the amount of muscle tissue (by 8.06%; p<0.05) in the experimental group were greater than in the control group. Feeding apple pomace resulted in higher quality meat -- the contents of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids increased by 5.20% and 10.62% respectively compared with the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New feed ingredients in the form of dry loose powder contained spruce: pine needles extractives on the basis of calcium carbonate and are dark green in color. Dry loose powder feed ingredient was produced from forestry by products - spruce: pine needles total extractives in equal proportions (1:1). During our investigations the evaluation of new feed ingredients was carried out to assess their effects on productivity and quality of broiler chickens meat. Chicken of the cross ROSS - 308 were included in the feeding trial. The new feed ingredients, containing biologically active substance from spruce: pine needles extract, involved in metabolic processes of the broiler chicken organism system. The dose of new ingredients added to basic feed ration homogenously bound to other feed ingredients. It was found, that the new loose powder feed ingredients used to supplement the broiler feed improved the quality of meat. That increased the composition of fatty acids in meat, increased the amount of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids by 2.73% including EPA and DHA fatty acids by 0.26 - 1.25% and positively reduced the calculated IA (index of atherogenic) and IT (index of thrombogenic) levels by 0.09 - 0.06% in comparison with the control group. The new feed ingredients in poultry diet particularly decreased the cholesterol level in meat by 15.61 mg 100 g-1 or by 21.2% in comparison with the control group. By using new feed ingredients containing total extractive from spruce: pine needles in diet broiler chickens it's was possibility to obtained meat with innovative composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food production industry development in Latvia in the same way as the global food industry is driven by the consumer preference trends in respect of food products: there is a growing demand for wholesome products manufactured following an individual approach. This preference is furthered by rising health concerns of the consumers and the dominating public opinion claiming that food products of local origin enjoy a relatively higher quality. The relevant competition strategy for sales of the non-traditional agricultural products is a niche strategy which is oriented towards high level service and manufacture of high quality products or distinct product qualities. The above trends of the food market create a favourable environment for food manufacturing from the primary agricultural products under domestic craft conditions. The consumer behaviour in purchase of the food products is considered changeable and difficult to forecast thus causing difficulties for producers to identify the market trends. Therefore factors that influence the consumers' decision to make a purchase should be identified through analysis of the existing and emerging motives which could promote the impact on trends of the consumers' demand. Consequently the objective of the present research study was identification of factors behind the activities of consumers in the market of food products manufactured by non/traditional agriculture. The conclusion drawn from the results of research is that of a dominating opinion among the consumers of Latvia which claims that meat and meat products purchased from the local producer are bound to be safer for human health and also more wholesome. The intention of consumers to buy products directly from the manufacturer (farmer) (36.1%) in their turn is a pre-requisite for development of food craft under domestic conditions. The activation of home industry for processing of non-traditional agriculture products in small quantities and their continuous availability on the regional market is a precondition for increase of the sales volumes and growth of these industries. The availability on the market of different venison products motivated 59% of the inquiry respondents to make a purchase decision while more regular availability and wider assortment of the above products motivated 52.5% of the respondents to take a purchase decision. Consumer information is an essential prerequisite for the growth of non-traditional agriculture industries; consumer awareness is a motivating factor to buy more food products of the particular kind. Respondents point also to the lack of information on different kinds of non-conventional agriculture products and their availability and admit that access to extensive and structured information is very important in relation to making a choice which product to buy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topicality of the research is growing consumer demand for quality, health-beneficial poultry meat in the European Union Member States (EU). The aim of the paper is to characterise the production of poultry meat in the EU and development in Latvia. Research results show that the production and consumption is almost in balance in the EU. The total poultry meat production in the EU has steadily increased from 11.0 million tonnes in 2004 to 11.8 million tonnes in 2009, and consumption has increased from 10.3 million tonnes in 2004 to 11.6 million tonnes in 2009. Total poultry meat produced in Lithuania were 71437 tonnes (65.2% of the total poultry meat in the Baltic States), followed by Latvia - 23168 tonnes (21.2%) and Estonia 14882 tonnes (13.6%) in 2009. Consumers demand poultry meat with increased omega group fatty acids, antioxidants, and low level of cholesterol. In this aspect, feeding trial was conducted with cross Ross 308 broiler chickens by applying composition of the spruce needles neutral extractives substances in their diet. It is possible to improve broiler chicken meat quality significantly by increasing the level of antioxidants carotenoids and decreasing cholesterol level. It was concluded that profit from sales of innovative composition meat was 11.34% in comparison with commercial production. In the perspective, the quality of poultry meat should be increased by production of poultry meat that is innovative. Thus, the production costs will increase together with the productivity of the poultry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food quality is a set of characteristics of the food product that can be evaluated for each kind of food. Several characteristics are identified for each of them: degree of freshness, energy value, amounts of protein, vitamins, microand macronutrients as well as various additives etc. However, the main characteristics of quality food of animal origin relate to its healthiness and safety for the consumer. From the perspective of a producer, quality represents specific characteristics to be achieved by the producer, and product quality is one of the basic elements of economic development to produce competitive products. Food production and processing, especially food of animal origin, is a complicated process that involves several stages and production process deviations affected by risk factors, and the elimination of the deviations is usually associated with significant financial expenses. Risk factors can appear at one or more stages and pass from one production stage to another, thereby negatively affecting the subsequent stages and the final product. In the production of venison, one of the groups of risk factors relates to venison harvesting, pre-processing and storage. Properly processed venison is usually clean and its microbiological contamination is not high, while non-compliance with venison storage requirements as well as bacterial contamination of venison in case of the non-compliance with storage requirements should be considered as a cause of possible materialization of some risks. Therefore, the present research aims to identify changes in venison quality important to the consumer during venison harvesting and storage. Microbiological control of venison is an important factor that affects the quality of the product, its shelf life and, in the long term, the competitiveness of the enterprise in the market. The research has found that venison could be stored for 45 to 50 days in vacuum packaging at a temperature of +3 to +4 °C, provided that all the hygiene requirements are met during venison processing, which makes it possible not only to sell the product in the domestic market but also export the fresh venison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted to test the effect of Jerusalem artichoke (JA) in dry form on the digestive tract of broiler chicken. The birds were divided in seven groups. The feed ration of the first group chicken was without supplement, the other six groups - supplemented with additive JA and Lactobacillus reuteri in different concentrations. Two birds from each group were slaughtered at the trial beginning on the 7th, further - 28th and 42nd days of age. The content of ileum was bacteriologically tested for counts of lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae. The results confirm that intestinal homeostasis is most favourably influenced by adding dried JA in 0.5 % concentration to the basic feed or a symbiotic - dried JA in combination with 1.108 Lactobacillus reuteri in 0.5 % concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A trial was carried out with broiler chicks 1 to 42 days old of cross Ross-308 with an aim of establishing the impact produced by the combination of the dry form of prebiotics obtained from Jerusalem artichoke and the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus reuteri L. and Pediococcus pentosaceus L. on productivity of broilers and quality of their meat as well as on feed conversion, bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae and lactic bacteria counts in the ileum part of intestinal tract. As the result of the trial it was established that supplementation of the broiler basic feed with 0.5 % dry powder prebiotics obtained from JA (Helianthus tuberosus L.) in combination with probiotics 1 x 108 cfu·g-1 Lactobacillus reuteri L. and 1 x 108 cfu·g-1 Pediococcus pentosaceus L., both the productivity of broiler chicks and the meat quality increased in comparison with the control group. The live weight of the broiler chicks increased by 2.1 %, the feed consumption for obtaining 1 kg of live weight decreased by 3.2 %, the level of the favourable lactic bacteria in ileum part of the intestinal tract was increased by 0.85 log cfu·g-1, the cholesterol level in the meat of broiler chicks was reduced by 22.7 mg· (100 g)-1, moreover, the meat had higher nutritional value: higher level of essential amino acid tryptophan and lower level of connective tissue protein - oxiproline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research evaluated the chemical composition of various locally grown pea and bean varieties and breeding lines. The amounts of crude protein (CP), soluble protein (SIP), undegradable intake protein (UIP) and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN) were identified for pea and bean samples grown by Priekuli State Plant Breeding Institute as well as commercial soy bean samples. A comparison of the above mentioned quality parameters was done for evaluating the opportunity to replace commercial protein rich feedstuffs with locally grown peas and beans. The highest content of crude protein in dry matter was identified in soybean meal, compared with beans and peas. Among the pea varieties and breeding lines, the highest content of CP was identified in the varieties "Bruno" and "Vitra", while among beans the best performers were "Tolea" and "Priekuļu". Soybean meal, compared with beans and peas, had a considerably greater UIP fraction (p<0.05). The SIP content in dry matter in all the varieties and breeding line of beans and peas analysed was higher (p < 0.05) than that in soybean meal. The ADIN content in dry matter in soybean meal was higher (p < 0.05) than that in all the varieties and breeding lines of beans and peas. The protein of the pea variety "Bruno" (ADIN - 0.17 %) was absorbed the best, compared with beans and soybean meal, as the absorption rate of it was higher. The digestibility of peas was the same or significantly better (p < 0.05) than that of soybean meal, while the digestibility of soybean meal, on average, was the same or slightly lower than that of beans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]