Why Leaf Meal Is Used as an Alternative Feed to Poultry

Leaf meal is used as alternate poultry feed primarily in developing companies in an attempt to lower production costs. These countries either don't grow grain or their production is totally consumed by people. Grain is the main component of chicken feed and its replacement with leaf meal will boast poultry production in countries where very little meat and eggs are presently available.

  1. Filling a Need

    • Populations of many developing countries have a protein deficiency in their diet. Poultry supply protein through their meat and eggs and have a good fit in countries where land is scarce because they can be raised on a small area. The problem is that feed has to be imported into these countries at an unaffordable cost. In Nigeria, for example, feed accounted for 70 to 85 percent of the production cost in 2002. More than 50 percent of the country's poultry farms went out of business and another 30 percent reduced their production capacity because of feed shortage. The expense and shortage of feed prompted development of leaf meal as a poultry feed.

    Leaf Meal Manufacture

    • Leaf meal preparation differs between countries and climates. Green leaves are usually picked from a legume or browse plant (woody shrub) and chopped for faster and more effective drying. The leaves are sun-dried for three days or until they become crispy and yet still retain their green color. The green leaves are then ground through a hammer mill.

      Subtropical countries have five months of heavy frequent rains and five months of dry weather. During the wet periods vegetation is lush and grows rapidly. Growth stops during the dry periods and vegetation becomes dry and brittle. Leaves harvested early in the dry periods can be immediately ground into meal without drying and chopping.

    Plants Used in Leaf Meal

    • Leaf meals made from a large variety of plants are being fed experimentally in many of the South American and Asian countries. There is commercial leaf meal production from the stylo plant in South China. The plant is widely grown and is used for fresh feed and hay as well as in leaf meal. Cassava leaf meal is used as poultry feed in tropical countries and is often mixed with meal made from the plant's roots to obtain the desired nutrient content.

    Nutrient Content

    • Protein, vitamins, minerals and oxycarotenoids are provided to poultry in leaf meal. Oxycarotenoids are important in poultry feeds because they are responsible for yellow color of broiler skin and egg yolks. Protein content ranges from around 16 to 40 percent with an average of approximately 20 percent. Leaf meal nutrient variability is related to differences in plant species, harvest methods, stage of plant maturity at harvest, soil fertility and climate.