A note on the use of field beans (<i>Vicia faba</i>) for growing cattle

Abstract

SUMMARY Field beans were compared with fish meal and soya bean meal as a protein source for young calves, and the effect of processing beans and barley on the digestibility of the diet was measured with older, castrated male cattle. In calves given equal nitrogen intakes, apparent nitrogen digestibility was lower with field beans than with soya bean meal or white-fish meal, but nitrogen retention (g/day and percentage of intake) in calves given beans was between that obtained with fish meal and soya bean meal. The dry-matter digestibility of diets containing 20 % whole or rolled beans together with rolled barley was 80 % but fell to 74 % if the barley was given whole.