Algae as a Source of proteins in Domestic Animals’ Feeding

In view of an increase in the world’s population and a potential problem of food shortages in the future, a task of the profession is to find a way to produce sufficient food while reducing a burden imposed on production. This paper’s objective is to illustrate the possibilities of using the algae as a source of proteins in the domestic animals’ feeding, with a particular reference to their use in different animal species and the advantages and disadvantages of their use in modern feeding. The algae are increasingly being researched, as they can be a source of proteins in animal nutrition, and various organic compounds can be extracted that can be subsequently used as an additive to the animal feed. Most algae have been proven to exert a positive effect on the domestic animals’ production indicators, product quality, health, and fertility. However, with all the positive aspects that the algae may offer, attention should also be paid to their toxicity. If the algae are incorporated in the domestic animals’ feeding, it should be clearly defined what quantities are acceptable. There is a necessity to further study the effect of algae on the ruminants and monogastric animals, as a vast majority of the research conducted is based on poultry. As the profession advances and the algae-production and -processing technology is being developed, it can be expected that the algae will be more widely added to the domestic animals’ feeding in the future.