In order to meet the growing demand for replacing the overseas protein that has been widely used to date, the poultry industry needs reliable information in advance about the effects of protein substitute components used; investigations into feed additives for emission reduction are also of great interest.
This project investigates potential influences on fattening performance (daily weight gain, final weight, feed conversion), the release of harmful gases (ammonia and carbon dioxide), and odor emissions in poultry farming. In addition, analyses of the feed used and fecal samples taken at the end of the fattening cycles are conducted. The aim is not to find a suitable "soy substitute" or feed additive for maintaining fattening performance that, conversely, leads to an increase in odor and/or ammonia emissions.
The general aim of this project is to provide reliable data before implementation in the Austrian poultry industry. Conducting trials directly in practice is not feasible given the research questions being investigated – or rather, the economic risk for a farmer would be too high in the event of any negative effects from the feed components used (due to the large number of animals kept).
