Livestock Feed Resources within Integrated Farming Systems

A framework for the integration of poultry and fish production in the tropics and sub-tropics is proposed. Poultry may be integrated with fish culture in several ways and benefits extend to both. Both poultry production and processing wastes have value as nutrient inputs to fish and the water used for fish culture can be used for evaporative cooling of poultry and fertilization of crops. The conceptual basis of controlled eutrophication of fishponds using poultry manure for the production of herbivorous fish is compared to feeding of abattoir wastes to carnivorous fish. A comparison of poultry production systems in terms of their potential for integration with fish culture is made; the modern feedlot is compared and contrasted with traditional systems. The nature of poultry wastes is reviewed with respect to the effect of poultry strain/species, diet, and poultry and waste management. The impacts of the use of bedding materials, frequency of waste collection and contaminants are discussed. The use of poultry feedlot waste alone for fish culture is compared to the use of waste and additional fertilisers or feeds. The relative value of wastes from scavenging poultry alone or together with other inputs is analysed. The political economy of current poultry and fish production are considered in this article. The impacts on public health and the environment are also discussed.