The quality of protein components in the diet is an important factor in poultry feeding. One of the products with a high protein content is sunflower protein concentrate Hypro 44. I want to share my own experience using this product in feeding heavy cross turkeys.
I first learned about sunflower concentrate Hypro 44 in 2024 at the international exhibition Agro Animal Show. I became interested in this product, got acquainted with its nutritional indicators. I especially attracted attention to the high content of crude protein and low content of crude fiber.
Sunflower concentrate is a high-protein feed product obtained by processing sunflower seeds, with a low fiber content, which ensures better absorption of nutrients.
Compared to soybean meal, sunflower concentrate Hypro 44 has a lower fat content, which is very important for feeding young turkeys.
If we compare sunflower concentrate Hypro 44 with soybean meal, we can note a higher content of the essential amino acid methionine.
Sunflower concentrate Hypro 44 contains: crude protein – 44%, crude fat – 1.5%, crude fiber – 12%, calcium – 0.36%, phosphorus – 1.09%, metabolizable energy – 220 kcal/100 g. Essential amino acids: lysine – 1.43%, methionine – 0.92%, threonine – 1.49%, valine – 2.08%, arginine – 3.46%.
Sunflower concentrate is effective for feeding laying hens, broiler chickens, turkeys, pigs and fish.
At our enterprise, sunflower concentrate Hypro 44 began to be used since March 2025.
The product was introduced into the diet of the control group gradually from the 46th day of growth, starting from 4% to 12%. Sunflower meal (crude protein 35%) was completely replaced and soybean meal (crude protein 45%) was partially replaced.
The result of the study initially did not meet expectations (possibly due to the fact that they began feeding the compound feed to turkeys aged 46 days of growth). But when they began to use sunflower concentrate in another age group from the 1st day of growth with a gradual introduction from 5% to 14%, the growth indicators in the control group improved: feed conversion decreased by 0.01%.
I would also like to note that with the introduction of sunflower concentrate Hypro 44, the pellet of the compound feed became stronger, which is also very important for feeding turkeys.
Today, we use this product at all stages of growing turkeys and for all age groups.
Age group 1 (1-14 days) – 6%
Age group 2 (15-35 days) – 11%
Age group 3 (36-63 days) – 13%
Age group 4 (64-91 days) – 15%
Age group 5 (92-119 days) – 15%
Age group 6 (120-147 days) – 16%
The most important result for us is a decrease in feed conversion, it is easier to optimize compound feed recipes.
I believe that in the future, sunflower concentrate Hypro 44 can replace soybean meal in poultry feeding due to the price.
My advice to those farms that want to try this product: do not hesitate, but start using it.
An error that may occur is an incorrectly composed recipe for compound feed. When adding it to the diet, you need to pay attention to quality indicators, maximum permissible norms for introducing this product for different age groups.
Is there an economic benefit?
Yes, definitely. There is an economic benefit. Due to the fact that the feed conversion per kilogram of live weight has decreased, and accordingly, the costs of compound feed production (raw materials, electricity, logistics) have decreased.
Why did we decide to replace sunflower meal if it is cheaper?
One of the good reasons is that the quality of sunflower meal does not always meet our requirements, namely: the product may be high in fiber or low in crude protein. The result of introducing poor-quality meal into compound feed is poor feed absorption in poultry. The introduction of sunflower concentrate into poultry feed depends on its type, age and the quality of the concentrate itself (fiber level). In general, sunflower concentrate is an excellent energy alternative. For feeding turkeys, it is recommended to use from 5% for young birds and 15-20% for adult birds (with a fiber content of up to 10%). Exceeding the norm of 20% can lead to an imbalance in the diet in terms of amino acid composition. That is why you should strictly follow the recommendations for introducing this or that product into the diet.
Now we buy concentrate at the market price, and accordingly the price of feed recipes has increased (compared to the prices of recipes where sunflower meal is present). But in the end, we get a decrease in conversion by 0.01%, which in turn covers the increased price of feed. In poultry farming and livestock farming there is such a saying: “cheap feed is expensive to feed.”
Bohdan MYKHAYLOVYCH
(Deputy Director for Cultivation of JV “VOLODAR”)
