ABSTRACT
A major problem that limits livestock production in the arid region of the world is the high cost of animal feed which may reach up to 70% of the total production cost. This is mainly due to an acute shortage in fresh water that limits the utilization of arable land for the production of food for human and animal consumption. Droughts and progressive salinization of water and soils are also limiting factors for fodder production around the world. Any reduction in the cost of livestock feeding will result in higher revenues for livestock owners. Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) belongs to the Phoenix genus which includes about 17 palm species and is a member of the Palmae family (Nehdi et al., 2010). Date palm is a major crop in many countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and Western Asia. Date by-products in the form of low-quality dates, date pits, fronds, and date byproducts such as date syrup by-product (DSBP) (date Ÿber) and syrup are available in large quantities in these countries. Date fruits, a cheap nutritious source full of energy, are available in many parts of the arid region. About 20% of the total date production is unsuitable for human consumption
Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 323 Uses of Dates and Date By-Products for Feeding Livestock ......................................................... 324 Date Fruits ...................................................................................................................................... 324
Whole Date Fruit Composition ................................................................................................. 324 Use of Whole Dates in Ruminants’ Diets ................................................................................. 325 Use of Whole Dates in Poultry Feeds ....................................................................................... 326 Use of Whole Dates in Fish Feeds ............................................................................................ 327
Date Pits ......................................................................................................................................... 327 Chemical Composition of Date Pits .......................................................................................... 327 Use of Date Pits in Ruminants’ Feeds....................................................................................... 329 Use of Date Pits in Poultry Feeds ............................................................................................. 329 Use of Date Pits in Fish Feeds .................................................................................................. 330
Date Palm Fronds (Rachis Plus Leaves) ........................................................................................ 330 Date Palm Frond and Leaf Composition ................................................................................... 330 Use of Date Palm Fronds in Feeding Ruminants ...................................................................... 331 Processing of Palm Fronds ........................................................................................................ 332
Industrial Products ......................................................................................................................... 333 Date Syrup By-Product ............................................................................................................. 333 Use of Syrup By-Products in Feeding Ruminants .................................................................... 333 Use of Syrup By-Products for Feeding Poultry ........................................................................ 333
Effects of Date and Date By-Product Feeds on Animal Health ..................................................... 334 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 335 References ...................................................................................................................................... 336
and is wasted (Belal et al., 1999). Wasted dates are deŸned as 1-year-old dates and/or fresh dates that are infested, which are generally fed with no processing to livestock, including sheep, cattle, and camels. In Saudi Arabia, more than half-a-million tons of date palm fruits may be produced annually (Al-Dabeeb, 2005). Dates may also be used as a binding material for pelleting livestock feeds instead of molasses (Belal and Al-Jasser, 1997).
