AltaGreen’s hemp-based poultry feed is in the final stages of testing and was recently featured in The Western Producer. AltaGreen’s use of hemp in its chicken food is setting it apart from the competition, but what makes the use of hemp in animal food so revolutionary?
Why Hemp?
Hemp seed, a nutritional powerhouse, is packed with omega fatty acids and plant proteins, providing poultry with the essential nutrients to grow healthy and strong.
“One of the things that becomes very apparent is that current feed does nothing to strengthen the immune system naturally,” said AltaGreen CEO and co-founder Doug Kirillo.
Chick mortality rates in Canada can be as high as 5.5%. The current chicken food on the market can lead to hindered digestion, low nutrition, improper feed conversion, and disease susceptibility, which can be a factor in chick mortality.
“In Canada, we have 2.5 to five percent mortality in chicks in their first 45 days and if you can reduce that by even one to two percent by naturally strengthening immune systems, that is significant.”
Hemp helps strengthen the immune system in animals and improves feed conversion, helping to address this problem.
Hemp is also a very high-protein product, meaning if used as chicken feed, the animals can eat less but produce more meat compared to soy-based feed.
Soy-based proteins also lead to the buildup of phytoestrogens (estrogen-like compounds found in plants) in birds. Phytoestrogens can lead to health concerns in both animals and humans. However, hemp seeds do not have phytoestrogen properties, making them less risky for consumption.
If you have questions about the benefits of hemp-based poultry feed, contact us today!
You can also check out The Western Producer’s article by clicking here for more information.