RALEIGH, N.C. — Dr. Ondulla Toomer has spent years researching nutrition and allergens in humans. Now, she has turned her focus to chicken nutrition.
Toomer grew up in North Carolina, where her grandparents and great-grandparents grew peanuts and subsequently fed them to their animals. This connection has led her foray into the world of allergens and nutrition. With North Carolina being in the top five poultry producing states, this has assisted Toomer to find a new direction to marry together her up-bringing and passions.
“I noticed in chicken feed production soybean meal was the predominant ingredient, which made me wonder, ‘why we don’t use what we grow locally?’,” Toomer said. “The southeast is known for growing peanuts, what would happen if we used peanuts instead of soybeans?”
With this readily available crop, Toomer is looking into what would be the benefits of using peanuts in nutrition for chickens. Soybeans are mostly imported from either the Midwest or South America; using peanuts would be more cost effective as the transportation cost could be slashed.
“Furthermore, this study also confirms the use of high-oleic peanuts with the skin intact as an energy and protein-rich alternative feed ingredient for older production hens to prevent the production of oversized eggs, while naturally enhancing yolk pigments and carotenoid content,” Toomer notes in her research. (Toomer et al., 2021).
High oleic peanuts are not just for the birds, they are also a popular variety for candy companies.
“Candy companies like to use high-oleic peanuts because they don’t go rancid as quickly,” she said. “Which helps improve taste and shelf life.”
Going forward, Toomer would like to continue her research in the field of peanut and chicken nutrition by exploring full fat peanut meal, and if it would have the same advantages.
“The research field is heavily driven by stakeholders,” Toomer said, “and we need to keep an ear to the ground to hear what is important to them, as well as those in the peanut industry.”
