Beets? (Non-urgent hopefully)

Date sort Score sort
Its Ok, not stronly encouraged. More yellow/orange in my experience - though mine aren't real fond of them.

According to Feedipedia.org, (Nutritional Aspects Tab) you need to be concerned about Oxylates, particularly in the tops:

Oxalates​

Cases of poisoning have been reported in cows fed on fodder beet. Symptoms described were similar to those of milk fever and were alleviated by calcium injections (Price, 1954). Leaves contain large amount of oxalic acid (calcium oxalates) and should not be fed in large quantities to livestock as it has a deleterious effect on Ca status. Oxalates bind circulating Ca, a factor contributing to milk fever (Duncan et al., 1997). However, levels of oxalic acid between 3.0-6.0 g/kg DM have been observed in the roots, far below the 100 g/kg level that is considered to be dangerous (Boyd, 1991).

Nitrates​

Freshly harvested fodder beet roots can contain high levels of nitrates, which are known to cause scouring in farm animals. Scouring was observed in pigs fed fodder beet containing high levels of nitrates and the digestive disturbance ceased within two days when fodder beet with very low nitrate levels was substituted. It has been suggested that nitrates rather than oxalates were the cause of the scouring observed in other experiments (Boyd, 1991). In sows, cases of abortion in herds fed on high nitrate/nitrite fodder beet roots have been reported (Bouska, 1991).
Click to expand...

Nutritionally, the roots are mostly carbs with a moderate amount of fiber, and low protein. Essentially, a potential corn substitute in feed (in limited quantity), which would require rearranging the rest of the feed. Beets are even lower Methionine, which is the hardest AA to supply in a plant-based diet, though better in Lysine and Threonine, on average.

I've not put them into my nutritional calculator, they just aren't frequently used in poultry feeds. Nor have I run across any studies I recall re: beet roots and poultry feed.
 
MysteryChicken said:
When you say tops, you mean greens? I've always given my birds beet greens, & they never had issues.

But it's good to know more about them though. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Yes, I mean Greens.

Thje problem with those summaries is that they don't offer dosages - and obviously, the digestion of beet greens by a cow is different than the digestion of same by Chickens.

I'll look for some studies later, to grow my own knowledge.

I am not fond of beets, I plant few each year, and fewer still do well - so when added to scraps being fed a flock of my size, dosage is quite small. I've not given it much thought, due to lack of personal impact. But now that its been brought up, its interesting simply because I don't know. I'll "go learn things" and later, report back.
 
There are studies with laying hens being fed beet pulp. As of right now the data shows that as long as it makes up less than 10% of they’re diet, there shouldn’t be a problem. Research has also suggested that beetpulp may increase retinol content in the eggs. It’s one of those ingredients that could certainly use more research, but whether or not that happens depends primarily on whether or not it would be considered potentially cost effective for the commercial industry to use.
 
I bumped into a couple other studies, none with negative consequences - some with no statistically significant result at all - but each was testing very low rates of inclusion into the feed. 1-4% typically. That's firmly in the "treats" category, and lends further support to the "thumb rule" of treating - less than 10-%, by weight, of the daily diet.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8399094/ (Study size not given, I may look for an alternate source on this study to look into details further)

https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/isils-19/125923812 (barely big enough study, not familiar with the publisher - peer reviewed???? I hate symposium presentations)

http://www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.7/September-2014/2.pdf (small sample sizes, "more study needed")

https://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=ijps.2020.303.308 (another small study) As a kick, look at the "basal diet", particularly the Methionine and Lysine levels being offered - now look at the guaranteed nutrition label on your own feed bag... This study was primed from the start to produce big birds.


Etc.

Note that these are also focused on BROILERS. Short anticipated lifespan, no long term study for effects which might present over a longer timeframe in layers or vanity flocks...
 
U_Stormcrow said:
Its Ok, not stronly encouraged. More yellow/orange in my experience - though mine aren't real fond of them.

According to Feedipedia.org, (Nutritional Aspects Tab) you need to be concerned about Oxylates, particularly in the tops:



Nutritionally, the roots are mostly carbs with a moderate amount of fiber, and low protein. Essentially, a potential corn substitute in feed (in limited quantity), which would require rearranging the rest of the feed. Beets are even lower Methionine, which is the hardest AA to supply in a plant-based diet, though better in Lysine and Threonine, on average.

I've not put them into my nutritional calculator, they just aren't frequently used in poultry feeds. Nor have I run across any studies I recall re: beet roots and poultry feed.
Click to expand...
When you say tops, you mean greens? I've always given my birds beet greens, & they never had issues.

But it's good to know more about them though. Thanks.
 

Similar threads

W
Looking for feed ideas without flax/flaxseed
Replies
6
Views
405
lambman93
L
Brooke Carson
Protein
Replies
9
Views
528
Krux5506
Krux5506
K
Messy Eaters - Elevate more?
Replies
6
Views
177
K0k0shka
K0k0shka
S
    • Like
    • Haha
Mealworm Farm
Replies
2
Views
331
Sammy Sam
S
H
    • Like
Automatic door and feeding time
Replies
2
Views
714
Mouthpear
Mouthpear

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom