June 3, 2009

Pakistan's poultry industry can benefit if animal waste are managed and processed appropriately rather than disposing it, according to a report by the Daily Times.

 

Many waste materials have the potential of increasing viable economic profitability of the poultry sector, the report claimed.

 

The traditional use of corn, wheat and soy in poultry feed can be substituted with newly-developed poultry feed made of animal waste, the report said.

 

One such example is hatchery waste, which includes egg shells, infertile eggs, dead embryos in the shell and dead chicks. Hatchery waste can be converted into nutritionally-dense meal through proper processing, the report said.

 

The only concern of the new feed is the microbial count, and rancidity due to formation of free fatty acids and the variability of its quality. But the problems can be overcome by using proper processing techniques, the report said.

 

Proper processing techniques can also minimise the issues of variability in nutrient level and quality, presence of natural-occurring anti nutritional and toxic factors, presence of pathogenic microorganism and need of supplementation.

 

Proper management of the waste can also counter the technical issues of seasonal or unreliable supplies, bulkiness, wetness, processing requirement, drying and detoxification, and lack of research and development efforts.

 

About 50-60 percent of poultry diet is made up of corn, wheat and soy. If they are eliminated as feed ingredients, about half of the ration could be replaced by carbohydrates waste and protein, said the report.

 

That can also lower production costs, of which feed accounted for about 70 percent.