written by: dr. jacquie jacob, university of kentucky
buckwheat is a summer annual grown widely throughout the world. buckwheat is often grouped with the grains, but it is not a true grain because it is not a grass. buckwheat has favorable agronomical characteristics. the period from planting to harvest is only 10 to 12 weeks. buckwheat often yields a better crop on poor soil than the true cereals. buckwheat can also be included in an organic crop rotation to disrupt the weed cycle. it can be double-cropped with wheat, and it is popular with beekeepers because the resulting honey has a distinctive flavor.
use in poultry diets
the amino acid composition of buckwheat appears to be nutritionally superior to that of cereal grains, but this has not translated into good performance of poultry fed buckwheat-based diets. buckwheat contains protease inhibitors and tannin, anti-nutritional factors that appear to inhibit performance. buckwheat has some potential as a protein supplement to cereal grains. buckwheat has a high lysine content, which can compensate for the lower lysine levels common in cereal grains.
although some research shows that broiler feed can be composed of up to 60% buckwheat with no impact on overall body weight of the poultry, there is a reduction in feed efficiency when buckwheat composes so much of the diet. diets of animals raised outdoors should not include such high levels of buckwheat. buckwheat contains fagopyrin, a substance that increases skin sensitivity to ultraviolet (uv) light, leading to sunburns. it is recommended that poultry raised outdoors be fed a diet of no more than 30% buckwheat. as the cost difference between organic corn and buckwheat widens, it becomes more economical to include buckwheat in broiler diets.
nutrient content
nutrient content of buckwheat.
- dry matter: 88%
- metabolizable energy: 2640 kcal/kg (1200 kcal/lb)
- crude protein: 11.0%
- methionine: 0.18%
- cysteine: 0.20%
- lysine: 0.60%
- tryptophan: 0.18%
- threonine: 0.44%
- crude fat: 2.5%
- crude fiber: 11.0 %
- ash: 2.1%
- calcium: 0.10%
- total phosphorus: 0.30%
- non-phytate phosphorus: 0.10%
(source: feedstuffs ingredient analysis table, 2016 edition of the feedstuffs reference issue, by amy batal and nick dale, university of georgia)
for more information
buckwheat: a multi-purpose, short-season alternative. robert myers and louis meinke, university of missouri.