{"id":276,"date":"2018-08-28t13:36:08","date_gmt":"2018-08-28t13:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/poultry.mystagingwebsite.com\/?page_id=276"},"modified":"2021-03-06t16:53:39","modified_gmt":"2021-03-06t21:53:39","slug":"feeding-barley-to-poultry","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"\/\/www.bkpromos.com\/beplayapp网页 \/feeds-and-feeding-of-poultry\/feed-ingredients-for-poultry\/cereals-in-poultry-diets\/feeding-barley-to-poultry\/","title":{"rendered":"barley in poultry diets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

written by<\/span><\/i><\/b>: dr. jacquie jacob, university of kentucky<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

barley<\/span><\/b> (<\/span>hordeum vulgare<\/em>) is commonly grown for malting but can also be grown for human food and animal feed. barley is the main feed ingredient in some parts of western north america and in many countries in europe that are less suitable for corn. in addition, barley can also be grown as a pasture crop and can play an important role in crop rotation in organic production systems. barley has an extensive root system that makes it able to compete with weeds. barley is often used to break disease, insect, and weed cycles associated with other crops. direct rotation with other small grains, however, is not recommended.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"barley
barley ready to harvest (image by alexander raths on shutterstock.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

nutrient content<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

barley can be added to an animal feed as an energy source, with some restrictions. poultry cannot digest barley’s carbohydrates as easily as those of corn because of the amount of non-starch polysaccharides (nsps) in barley. the carbohydrates of corn grain are typically 65% to 70% starch and 11% to 14% fiber. in contrast, barley grains typically contain 60% starch and 22% fiber. as early as 1928, reports described the poor performance of birds fed barley-based diets. the poor performance was originally believed to be because of barley’s high fiber content, but hull-less barley cultivars show similar performance levels to that of the hulled cultivars. the <\/span>antinutritional factor<\/a> identified in barley grain is <\/span>beta-glucans<\/a> (\u00df-glucan), which, because of its chemical structure, cannot be easily digested by poultry. the beta-glucans bind with water in the intestine, resulting in the formation of gels and increasing the viscosity of the intestinal contents. the increased intestinal viscosity reduces the availability of the nutrients in the diet. it can also cause sticky droppings resulting in increased incidences of ‘pasty butt.’<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

commercial feed enzymes are now available that can break down the beta-glucans in the diet, reducing intestinal viscosity, increasing nutrient availability, and improving bird performance. the effectiveness of enzyme supplementation, however, is influenced by the age of the bird as well as the barley cultivar used and the conditions under which it was grown. older birds are more able to utilize barley than young chicks.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

barley also contains <\/span>phytic acid<\/a>. this compound binds phosphorus during digestion, reducing its availability to the animal. varieties of barley that are low in phytic acid are now available, decreasing the need for supplemental phosphorus in poultry diets. commercial phytase, a feed enzyme that can be added to poultry diets to improve the availability of phytate-bound phosphorus, is also available.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

nutrient composition tables allow nutritionists to meet animal needs with a combination of ingredients. however, energy values for barley can vary widely and a given nutrient table might not reflect the true values of the barley a producer uses. beta-glucan levels in barley are affected by the cultivar, growing conditions, geographic location, conditions at harvest, and storage conditions. the age of the animal consuming the feed is also important. the digestive tract becomes more efficient as the animal ages, permitting older birds to utilize barley more effectively.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

average nutrient content of barley<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

(source: <\/span>feedstuffs ingredient analysis<\/a> table<\/a>: 2016 edition of the feedstuffs reference issue, by amy batal and nick dale, university of georgia)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n