Protein source provides all the benefits of fishmeal, without the associated variability and environmental impact.
Growing pressure to reduce dependence on fishmeal in game bird diets, without compromising on crop health and performance, has been addressed by replacing with an innovative, protein-rich functional ingredient, exclusive within the game industry to Sportsman Game Feeds.
Alphasoy Gold is an alternative protein product, providing all the benefits of fish in the feed formulation, without the environmental impact and sustainability concerns associated with it.
Sportsman Game Feeds has now not only completely removed fishmeal from its diets with this alternative protein source, an industry first, but in doing so, has also improved feed quality.
In-depth Sportsman trials conducted in 2020 supported the suitability of Alphasoy Gold as an improved replacement for fishmeal, giving game birds the best start in early life by optimising feed intake, improving gut health and boosting the immune system.
Alphasoy Gold is a processed soya product, which is highly digestible and has particular benefit to the young bird. Using sustainably produced soya from zero-deforestation* areas, Alphasoy Gold is not only a highly digestible protein source, but it also provides added benefit towards gut functional properties.
The specialised processing of Alphasoy Gold means that the protein is more available to the bird for growth, with fewer anti-nutritional factors. It is also a more consistent protein source, removing some of the variability associated with fishmeal.
Giving the best possible start during early life is extremely important in ensuring the bird has a fully developed gut, to aid digestion and nutrient absorption, throughout the entirety of its life.
The additional yeast components support the development of the gut from the point of hatching, which is critical in a young bird, as well as aiding in immune modulation and in the binding of pathogenic bacteria, such as salmonella, in the gut.
The trial work compared Alphasoy Gold against an equivalent diet containing fishmeal, fed to pheasants and partridges over seven weeks, showing a significant reduction in mortality over the rearing period.
Improvements in early mortality are consistent with the promotion of early gut development, which leads to better gut health and thus overall bird health, seen as increased bird body weight gain and reduced overall mortality.
The final body weight of the birds was higher and there was less variability in body weight seen within the flocks. Achieving an optimal body weight earlier means that birds can be sold on, or released earlier, and thus reduce the amount of grower feed required.
Overall, the trial work supported the promotion of this more responsible and sustainable protein as a suitable, and improved, replacement for fishmeal in game birds, as an exclusive benefit for Sportsman customers.
*All the certification schemes that Sportsman uses specify zero deforestation. This means the soya has not been grown in areas that have been converted from forest or other valuable native habitats since agreed cut off dates