Abstract

This study evaluated diets containing poultry by-product meal (PBM) formulated on an equivalent digestible amino acid (AA) basis compared to a corn-soybean meal (SBM) diet. Three PBM (A, B, and C) produced in commercial rendering plants were evaluated. Mean true digestibility coefficients (percentages) for 15 AA in PBM A, B, and C were 81.75, 67.80 and 66.31, respectively. In a chick trial, 1-wk-old male chicks were fed from 8 to 21 and 21 to 42 days of age, a corn-SBM diet or diets containing 5 or 10% PBM formulated to be equal in digestible AA to the corn-SBM diet. From 8 to 21 d post hatch, feed efficiency of chicks fed 5 or 10% PBM A or 5% PBM C was equivalent to that of chicks fed the corn-SBM diet; however, dietary inclusion of 5 or 10% PBM B or 10% PBM C depressed feed efficiency even on a digestible AA basis. Chicks fed from 21 to 42 days of age, a diet containing 10% PBM B, had significantly lower weight gain and feed efficiency than chicks consuming the corn-SBM diet; however, diets containing 5 or 10% PBM A and C or 5% PBM B yielded weight gain and feed efficiency that was similar to the corn-SBM diet. The results of this study indicated that up 10% inclusion of two of the three PBM in chick diets had no detrimental effects on performance if the diets were formulated to contain adequate levels of digestible AA.

Key words: Broiler chicks, digestible amino acid, poultry by-product.