Sunflower seeds (both hulled seeds or whole) are used as bird food, the oil cake leftover from the oil extraction process is used as animal feed and the green plant made into silage - a costly option.
Sunflower meal is a high-protein ingredient used in feed formulations for ruminants (e.g. cattle, goats, sheep), pigs and poultry feeds because of its high protein content - 28% to 42%.
It is palatable and if priced economically, can be the sole source of protein in cattle feeds.
Whole sunflower heads can be shredded, dried and chopped in a hammer-mill and the sunflower plant can be used as silage for animal feeds. It is more nutritional than maize silage but lower in nutrients than lucerne. Whole sunflower plant usage as silage is an alternative that can be used. The recommended stage for good quality silage varies between 25% flowers and the final flowering stage. Sunflower plant material must be dried to at least 30 - 40% before ensiling. However, the high price for oil and oil cake will limit the use of whole sunflower plants for silages.
The oil content of sunflower meal can be another limiting factor for the use of sunflower products in ruminant feeds. If the fat content exceeds 7% it interferes with fibre digestion.
Unhulled or partially dehulled sunflower meal can be substituted for soybean meal as an equivalent protein feeding ruminant feeds. The low-fibre and higher protein meal can be used to feed poultry and pigs.
Lower levels of the amino acids lysine and threonine may cause some restrictions on some non-ruminant uses of sunflower meal but due to its high level of methionine, it can be mixed with other meals for a more balanced array of amino acids. For example, due to its high fibre content and lower lysine levels, sunflower meal should be combined with, say soybean meal for use in pig rations.
The advice of an animal feed specialist is advised to ensure the optimum utilisation of sunflower products in animal feed rations.
By Marinda Louw