Short communication: Pelleting increases the metabolizable energy of de-hulled sunflower seed meal for broilers

Abstract

The study examined the effects of two methods of processing de-hulled sunflower seed meal (SFM) from the same batch of sunflower seeds. Sunflower seed meal was fed to broilers as meal (MSFM) or after it had been pelleted (PSFM) at 75 °C and 360 kPa pressure to pass through a 3 mm mesh. Three diets were prepared, namely a balancer feed (BF) and two diets containing 200 g/kg MSFM or 200 g/kg PSFM. They were fed to 30 pens (two birds each) with male Ross 308 broilers, from 8 to 21 days old, following randomization. Data were analysed by ANOVA. Two pre-planned orthogonal contrast tests were performed to compare overall differences between the diets containing SFM and BF and between diets containing the MSFM and PSFM. The BF had a very different nutrient composition from the complete feeds containing SFM so, as expected, there were differences in growth performance and nutrient retention. The diet containing PSFM had greater apparent metabolizable energy corrected for N retention (AMEn) and dry matter retention (DMR) than that containing MSFM. The use of the substitution method showed the PSFM had AMEn that was 18% greater than the MSFM (8.79 vs 7.47 MJ/kg DM). Under the conditions of the current study, incorporating PSFM in a mash broiler feed increased dietary AMEn compared with the same feed containing MSFM. Further studies are needed to identify whether the benefits of pre-pelleting SFM remain after this product has been incorporated in complete pelleted broiler feeds.

Consideration of dietary protein level for laying hen production and egg quality during storage

“…Original scientific paper DOI: /10.5513/JCEA01/25.1.4093 Journal of Central European Agriculture, 2024, 25(1), p.47-54 Soybean meal (SBM) is widely used in laying hen diets, but its cost constantly increases, which reflects on the cost of egg production. Thus, research on replacing SBM and the use of more available, less expensive locally produced alternative protein sources in poultry diets is important (Whiting et al, 2019;Karkelanov et al, 2021;Watts et al, 2021).…”

Rapeseed meal processing and dietary enzymes modulate excreta inositol phosphate profile, nutrient availability, and production performance of broiler chickens

“…With the sustained rise in the price of imported soybean meal ( SBM ) and its high environmental footprint, attention has been redirected toward the need to develop alternative protein sources for modern poultry production ( Abdulla et al, 2017 ; Whiting et al, 2019 ; Karkelanov et al, 2021 ). Rapeseed is the most widely grown oilseed crop in the United Kingdom ( UK ) and Europe ( Carré and Pouzet, 2014 ).…”