Feeding value of compound feed for egg-laying hens with the introduction of fish concentrate

Recently, the shortage of feed protein in poultry diets remains a pressing issue. Fishmeal is a traditional animal protein used in many industrial poultry farms to produce poultry feed, but it is expensive and reduces expected profits from poultry farming. The feed industry requires an alternative source of easily digestible protein with a suitable amino acid profi le to replace traditional protein sources. Therefore, research to determine the feasibility of using feed containing domestically produced fi sh concentrate for egg-laying poultry is essential. The purpose of this research was to investigate the nutritional value of feed for egg-laying hens supplemented with the high-protein fi sh concentrate VolgaFish. Comprehensive studies were carried out to determine the effectiveness of fish concentrate VolgaFish in feeding of replacement chicks and laying hens of the highly productive egg-laying cross Hisex Brown. These studies provided a scientific justification and confirmed the economic feasibility of using fish concentrate VolgaFish in industrial poultry farming. The high-protein concentrate has been shown to have a positive effect on the absorption of feed nutrients, the metabolic rate of replacement chicks and laying hens, the development of their egg production and the quality of edible eggs. In the control group of laying hens the profitability level was 10.43 %, while in the 1st experimental group it was higher by 2.35 abs.%, in the 2nd experimental group it was higher by 5.33 abs.%, and in the 3rd experimental group it was higher by 5.15 abs.%. Optimal doses for introducing this high-protein feed product into poultry diets have been developed.