Legumes--A High Quality Protein Source in Latvian Animal Feeds

Farms in Latvia have an insufficient amount of protein in a feed for herbivorous animals. To tackle this issue, plants containing high protein content should be cultivated in grass mixtures. Legumes are rich in protein and play an important role on farms with dairy livestock. It is advisable to have at least 30-50% of legumes in mixtures with grass for grazing animals and to conserve fodder for the winter period, which lasts from November to May. As well as being rich in protein, legumes have a high dry matter digestibility (TDN) and high energy content (NEL). While legumes during the optimal mowing period (early flowering) have a high-buffer capacity (BC) of 600 - 700 mEq/kg and a low fermentation coefficient (FC) of 13 - 18, they contain less carbohydrates than grasses and consequently, have poor fermentability (Osmane et al. 2008, Jemeljanovs 2006, Mustafa et al. 2003, Wilkins et al. 2000). Therefore, they need to be included with grasses to make silage or hay. Latvian farmers use legumes in grass mixtures about from 20 species of different clover (Trifolium), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), eastern galega (Galega orientalis) and the annual legumes, peas (Pisum sativum), vetch (Vicia sativa) and cowpeas (Phaseolus vulgaris), each with a varied biochemical and microbial composition and requiring different requirements for cultivation and fodder conservation

Pasture Grass Conversion in Digestive Tract of Red Deer over Different Grazing Periods

Deer farming is an alternative to traditional animal farming which also promotes a more economic use of pasture grass resources in Latvia. 61 holdings of farmed red deer and fallow deer have been registered in this country (Paeglits et al. 2006). Over the summer season, pasture grass is the main feed source for red deer (Cervus elaphus) (Miller 2004). No matter how much feed animals get, it is of no use unless it can be digested. This is the process that happens in the stomach and gut, when the feed is broken down (Tuckwell 2003). The goal of this study is evaluation of changes in nutritive value of the uncultivated pasture grass over different periods of the grazing season in connection with feed conversion in the digestive tract of red deer

Local Food Development Perspectives in Latvia: A Value-Oriented View

The role of local food products in the food system of West European countries tends to increase. Currently, the economic aspects of food in most of the western world are no longer dominant in decision-making, and consumers are willing to pay more for prosocial food. The present research examines support for prosocial food among consumers in Latvia. A consumer survey conducted in Latvia (n = 1000) revealed attitudes and behavior in relation to: (a) food and shopping convenience values; (b) economic values; (c) prosocial values of food consumption (local and environmental friendly food). The purpose of the survey was to make quantitative measurements that reveal the main trends in the society of Latvia and what values are important for consumers, depending on their family status, level of education, place of residence and income level. The scientific discourse reveals that more support for prosocial food is observed among higher-income households living in a city which have children and higher education. Surprisingly, the research results did not confirm this. Although the support of this consumer segment for such food is relatively high, it is lower than that of other consumers. Perhaps the explanation should be sought in the broader context of life values, e.g., sentimental feelings caused by travel rather than belongingness to a particular place; or, it is possible that hedonism prevails in the awareness of social and ecological reality and each person’s responsibility for it, which could be further research problems

The possibility of improving meat quality by using peas and faba beans in feed for broiler chickens

The price-to-quality ratio of broiler chicken meat is one of the reasons why consumers use these products in their daily diet. The quality of poultry products such as meat is closely associated with the nutritional value and quality of feed fed to broilers. In composing broiler diets, the main focus is turned on crude protein (CP). Because of the trend for the poultry industry to reduce its dependence on soybean meal as a source of protein, the role of pulses in the supply of protein and energy, which could partly replace the soybean meal in poultry diets, increases. Due to considerable progress in plant breeding, the present research study used peas (Pisum sativum) of the var. ‘Bruno’ and var. ‘Pinochio’ as well as faba beans (Vicia faba minora) of the var. ‘Lielplatone’ was developed in Latvia. Higher protein diets induce a higher meat protein content, accordingly, feed proteins are hydrolyzed in the digestive system into amino acids (AA) that, after absorption, are used to form proteins and to build different body tissues. The most important AA was twofold lower in peas and faba beans than in soybean meal. Although the amount of AA in feed is not directly proportional to the content of AA in broiler chicken meat, the amount of AA in poultry feed can significantly affect an important meat quality criterion for consumers – the nutritional value of protein. Therefore, the research aimed to identify changes in AA composition and chemical composition – a qualitative property of poultry meat – as a result of adding pulses (peas and beans) to poultry diets. The research results showed that the diets with an addition of faba beans and peas had a positive effect on the level of essential amino acids (EAA) and non-essential amino acids (NEAA) in broiler meat, decreased cholesterol concentration in meat, and increased energy value of meatBioekonomikos plėtros fakultetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta