Barley uses in Feed

Although corn is typically used in poultry diets in the United States, Canada and many countries in Europe have been using wheat and barley for many years.  Corn requires a longer growing season and cannot tolerate frost periods as well as wheat and barley can. Tradition and culture also influence where these crops are grown.

The level of barley use varies depending on market prices and local conditions. Wheat and barley are lower in energy than corn, so it is common to add fat to poultry diets that rely on wheat and barley in order to achieve the high dietary energy levels required in commercial poultry production (Adams, 2001). Such diets can increase the viscosity of the intestinal contents and increase the moisture content of the litter. Wet litter results in increased ammonia levels in the poultry house, as well as an increased incidence of breast blisters and hock burns on meat-type birds.

Nutritionists use nutrient composition tables to determine how to meet the nutrient requirements of animals at the least cost to producers. However, table values do not reflect the wide variation observed in the energy content of barley, although producers must consider this energy content when formulating diets. Many research reports in the literature are contradictory, but it is generally recommended that unsupplemented barley not be used in starter diets and that the use of in poultry diets be restricted to 20% barley content.

The use of feed enzymes reduces these restrictions. The use of feed enzymes in barley-based diets reduces intestinal viscosity, improving the feeding value of barley. Enzyme supplementation also reduces the variation noted for the feeding value. Feeding barley cultivars of widely different beta-glucan levels gives similar growth performance when supplemented with dietary enzymes. Enzymes also improve the litter quality of poultry raised on barley-based diets. Today near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has made it easier to identify which batches of barley would benefit from enzyme supplementation and which would not.