Standardized ileal amino acid digestibility of high-oleic full-fat soybean meal in broilers

Investigation of standardized ileal amino acid digestibility of rice protein meal in sexed broilers

Rice protein meal (RPM), a byproduct of the rice industry, has emerged as a potential alternative for poultry feed, especially in rice-producing regions in the South Asia region. The aim of this study was to evaluate the standardized ileal amino acid (AA) digestibility of RPM produced from two distinct rice varieties in sexed broiler chickens, with or without the inclusion of a commercial protease enzyme. Treatments were structured in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, including two sources of RPM (Basmati and IRI), sex (male and female), and protease levels (0 and 500 units per ton of feed). In addition to the test diets, a reference diet based on soybean meal (SBM) and a nitrogen-free diet (NFD) were included in the experiment. Titanium dioxide was added on 0.30% of the diets as an inert marker. Experimental diets were fed to 6 replicates, each consisting of male and female chicks, from 21 to 28 days of age. The data were analyzed using General Linear Model techniques with the help of SPSS 16.0. The main effect of varieties was significant (P < 0.05), as the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of lysine (57.8%) and threonine (50.7%) was higher for Basmati compared to IRI. The SID for arginine was lower (P = 0.02), and the SID of cysteine (14.4%), isoleucine (47.3%), leucine (46.1%), valine (45.2%), and histidine (49.6%) tended to be lower (P < 0.07) in females for RPM derived from Basmati rice. Protease had no effect on the SID of AA, nor did any of the other three- or two-way interactions.

Apparent metabolizable energy and ileal amino acid digestibility of commercial soybean meals of different origins in broilers

We studied the chemical composition and the in vivo AMEn content and apparent (AID) and standardized (SID) ileal digestibility of CP and amino acids (AA) of 27 samples of soybean meals (SBM) from Argentina (ARG), Brazil (BRA), and USA, collected in Spain. On 88% DM basis, the BRA meals had more CP (46.9 vs. 46.0 and 45.9%; P < 0.05) and less sucrose (5.21 vs. 6.28 and 6.47%; P < 0.001) and stachyose (4.20 vs. 4.66 and 4.78%; P < 0.05) than the USA and ARG meals. Urease activity, protein dispersibility index, KOH protein solubility, and trypsin inhibitor activity values, were higher for the USA meals than for the South American meals (P < 0.05). In the in vivo trial, broilers received a common crumble diet from 0 to 16 d of age and then, their respective experimental diets (53% of a N-free diet and 47% of each of the 27 SBM tested) in mash form, for 5 d. The AMEn (2,334 vs. 2,282 and 2,277 kcal/kg; P = 0.062) and the AID (87.3 vs. 86.7 and 86.4%; P = 0.054) and SID (91.9 vs. 91.2 and 90.8%; P < 0.05) of the protein, were greater for the USA meals than for the ARG and BRA meals. In fact, the SID of Lys (93.5 vs. 93.0 and 92.1%; P < 0.001) and of the sum of Lys, Met, Thr, Trp, and Cys (91.4 vs. 91.0 and 90.2%; P < 0.05) were greater for the USA meals than for the ARG and BRA meals. In summary, the chemical composition, protein quality indicators, AMEn content, and ileal digestibility of the CP and the AA of the SBM, varied with the country of origin of the soybeans. In order to increase the accuracy of the feed formulation process, the composition and nutrient content of commercial batches of SBM, by country of origin should be controlled and periodically updated.

Influence of extruded soybean meal with varying fat and oleic acid content on nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy in broilers

High oleic (HO) soybeans may serve as a value-added feed ingredient; providing amino acids and estimating their dietary energy value for broilers is essential. In this study, we determined the apparent metabolizable energy (AME), AME corrected for zero nitrogen retention (AMEn), digestibility, and nitrogen (N) retention of HO full-fat (HO-FF) soybean as compared to solvent-extracted soybean meal (SE-SBM), normal oleic full-fat (NO-FF) and extruded expeller (NO-EE) soybean. A total of 240 Ross-708 male broilers were selected, with 8 replicates per treatment and 6 chicks per cage. The AME and AMEn were estimated using the difference method with a 30% inclusion of test ingredients using a corn-soy reference diet with partial and total excreta collection. The index method with partial excreta collection used titanium dioxide as an inert marker. The same starter diet was provided for all birds for 14 d, followed by the reference and assay diets for the next 6 adaptation days. Total excreta were collected twice a day for 3 d. The AME and AMEn values determined for the HO-FF and NO-FF were higher (P < 0.001) than the NO-EE and SE-SBM. The AME of SE-SBM and NO-EE were similar with both methods, but the AMEn of SE-SBM was lower than the NO-EE only with the partial collection method. The agreement between AME and AMEn values determined by partial and total excreta collection analysis was 98%. Data from the total excreta collection method yielded higher AME and AMEn values (P < 0.001) than those from the partial collection method. In summary, HO-FF and NO-FF soybean meals had similar AME and AMEn values. The HO-FF soybean had 39 and 24% higher AME and AMEn than SE-SBM. Hence, high oleic full-fat soybean meal could serve as a valuable alternative feed ingredient to conventional SE-SBM meals in broiler diets, providing additional energy while providing amino acids and more oleic acid to enrich poultry meat products.

Feeding sunflower meal with pullets and laying hens even at a 30% inclusion rate does not impair the ileal digestibility of most amino acids

The use of locally available protein sources in poultry nutrition is challenging for feed manufacturers and farmers. Sunflower meal (SFM) is available in high quantities in several European countries and could be used as a poultry feedstuff at higher inclusion rates. However, its maximum inclusion rate in the diets of different poultry species and age categories is unknown. Pullets and laying hens can probably tolerate higher amounts of SFM, but only limited information is available on these poultry groups. Therefore, a digestibility trial was carried out with 8-week-old layer type pullets and 50-week-old laying hens. Beside a basal diet, SFM was fed at 10, 20 and 30% inclusion rates. Feeding SFM significantly improved the digestibility of essential amino acids (AA) of threonine, valine, lysine, tyrosine, glycine, aspartic acid, and arginine in the pullet diets. No such improvement was found in laying hens. Only the absorption of the two branch-chain AAs, leucin (pullets) and isoleucine (hens), declined due to SFM. The AA digestibility of the SFM itself was also calculated by linear regression. The coefficients were, in all cases, higher in hens than in pullets. Comparing the measured digestibility coefficients of SFM with table values, it can be concluded that high variance exists because of the differences in the methodology and the test animals in the digestibility trials. From the present trial, it can be concluded that SFM can entirely replace extracted soybean meal in pullet and layer diets, without negative effects on the protein digestion of birds.