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Abstract
1. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of 100% organic feed for organic broilers by comparing it with 80% organic feed (situation at the time of the experiment; 2004) and 95% organic feed (alternative).
2. Diets were optimised for nutritional value, allowing a maximum 10% increase in feed price when using 100% organic feedstuffs. This could only be achieved at the expense of the methionine content.
3. The birds were reared from 0 to 3 weeks of age in a broiler house in three groups of 500 broilers each on either an 80, a 95 or a 100% organic starter diet. At 3 weeks of age, they were transferred to 15 pens with an outdoor run. Each treatment group of 500 birds was divided into 5 groups of 95 and given an 80, a 95 or a 100% organic finisher diet.
4. Broilers receiving 100% organic feed reached a lower body weight and grew more slowly than those receiving 95% organic feed, mainly because of a lower feed intake.
5. Broilers on 95 or 100% organic feed had a higher incidence of breast blisters than broilers receiving 80% organic feed.
6. The cost price for meat from broilers that received 80% organic feed was €1·83 per kg live weight. The cost prices for broilers that received 95 and 100% organic feed were €1·84 (+0·8%) and €1·93 (+5·4%) per kg live weight, respectively.
7. In conclusion, 95% organic feed led to a better performance than 100% organic feed in this study. Probably, the lower methionine content in the 100% organic feed negatively affected performance. The results for 95% organic feed were similar to 80% organic feed, except for a higher incidence of breast blisters.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Eveline Coenen for her help with the experimental work. We would also like to thank the employees of van Gorp Diervoeders BV, Waalwijk, the Netherlands, for their help with formulating and producing the feed and the animal care staff of experimental farm ‘Het Spelderholt’, Lelystad, the Netherlands, for taking good care of the broilers. This project was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Food Quality (LNV).