Crop and Industrial By-Products:
Sunflower Residue as Poultry Feed

There are many varieties of sunflower and it is likely that one or more of these can be grown in many areas. Where commercial sunflower production operations occur, the residue from processing seeds for oil results in a residue, often called sunflower cake. This residue can be used as a valuable high protein addition to supplement poultry feed.

Value Added Sunflower Residue Village Chickens: A Neglected Resource References and Further Reading

Feed constitutes approximately 75% of the variable costs in poultry production. Most people associate poultry production with hybrid chickens fed commercial diets. The major constraints are the high cost and limited supply of commercial feeds on the market, particularly for smallholder farmers in the rural areas.

Sunflower residue (SFR) may be used to make high protein feed, which can be used to raise hybrid chickens as well as village or indigenous poultry. Sunflower is widely grown by smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe and it can be value added. Sunflower residue can be produced on-farm using manually operated ram press machines. Approximately 750 kg of residue and 250 litres of oil may be produced from 1 ton of sunflower seed.

Low-cost sunflower based diets formulated on-farm from locally available ingredients goes a long way in making available cheap and accessible feed for poultry rearing, especially for women who are carers and pillars of the community in terms of ensuring food security and poverty alleviation at household level.

The use of sunflower residue in poultry is limited by its high fibre content associated with the sunflower hulls. A simple device consisting of passing sunflower residue through a 1.4 mm screen provides low-fibre sunflower residue with high protein.

Approximately 80% of households living in rural areas keep chickens, which generally survive as scavengers. Village chickens are maintained on low inputs: land, labour and capital, resulting in almost every household including the very poor keeping them. Based on low inputs and outputs, village chicken production represents an important part of the farming system with an unique role in the economy of rural households. They are a source of high quality protein for the family, provide a small income and play a part in the cultural life of society.

When village chickens are given a low-cost supplement of sunflower residue based diet under free-range system, they may reach up to 1.5kg at 12 weeks of age. This compares with a body weight of 2kg at 8 weeks in hybrids. Imagine 5 breeding village chickens producing 120 chicks per year. This ensures about 3.0 kg of meat per household every week of the year, providing good nutrition for the household.

Hybrid chickens given a low-fibre SFR diet are able to reach their genetic potential and may weigh 2.4 kg at 8 weeks. This suggests that a low–fibre SFR diet could be a viable option to improving poultry production in the smallholder sector. It may be offered to hybrid or village chickens; there are no adverse effects on performance.

High mortality is a limiting factor when hybrid chickens are raised free-range. Hybrids have a limited ability to scavenge under temperatures of 23°C. Such temperatures together with low rainfall are characteristic of marginal areas in Zimbabwe where 75% of the population live. Village chickens are poor feed converters when kept in pens compared with free-range. The performance of village chickens improves with age: feed efficiency, gross margin and return per dollar is optimal in village chickens at 12 weeks of age.

A further advantage of village chickens is the high body protein and low body fat. Considering this advantage, and taking into account the increasing demand by consumers for diets containing low levels of animal fat, there may exist a larger potential market for village chickens.

To conclude, village chickens play a part in an integrated rural farming system. They make a contribution to the economy of the rural family, they provide a source of high protein, and play part in cultural life. Their productivity can be improved through supplementation with locally available low-fibre SFR.