Complementary responses between feather meal and poultry by-product meal with or without ruminally protected methionine and lysine in growing calves.

Abstract

We evaluated feather meal (FTH) and poultry by-product meal (PBM) as complementary protein sources for growing calves. In a replicated 84-d growth trial, individually fed steer calves (n = 120; 252 +/- 24 kg) were supplemented with urea or with graded levels of soybean meal (SBM), FTH, PBM, or 2/3 FTH:1/3 PBM (CP basis). Protein efficiency, calculated as gain above the urea control vs natural protein intake using the slope-ratio technique, was greater for FTH than for SBM, PBM, and 2/3 FTH:1/3 PBM (P < .10). Addition of ruminally protected methionine and lysine did not affect protein efficiency (P > .30) for FTH, PBM, or 2/3 FTH:1/3 PBM. Even though true protein digestibility in the gastrointestinal tract in a trial with lambs was similar (P > .15) for FTH (83.1%) and PBM (91.2%), escape protein was greater for FTH (66.8%) than for PBM (43.6%). Analyses were conducted to estimate intestinal flow of amino acids relative to requirements for live animal gain, and no obvious amino acid deficiencies were present. The lack of a response in protein efficiency to ruminally protected methionine and lysine suggests that FTH and PBM are adequate in these amino acids. Although FTH and PBM are excellent sources of metabolizable protein, there was no complementary response in protein efficiency between them.

Nutritional value of an extruded spent hen-soybean meal blend for pigs and ruminants

“…Despite the fact that the spent hen meal used in this study contained soybean meal, the ruminal undegraded protein value for spent hen–soybean meal blend was higher than the value reported for poultry by‐product by Klemesrud et al 27 and was similar to that reported by Bohnert et al 8 These results suggest that spent hen meal has a higher ruminal undegraded protein value than poultry by‐product. This is presumably due to the presence in the spent hen of materials such as feathers and bones which are characterised by high ruminal undegraded protein values 8.…”

“…However, ruminal degradability of poultry by‐product meal has been determined by several researchers 8. 27 Bohnert et al 8 reported that poultry by‐product meal has a higher in situ soluble crude protein fraction than soybean meal. However, owing to the higher rate of degradation, soybean meal is more degradable in the rumen than poultry by‐product.…”

“…This is presumably due to the presence in the spent hen of materials such as feathers and bones which are characterised by high ruminal undegraded protein values 8. 27…”

Keratinolytic bacteria isolated from feather waste

“…Considering that feather protein has been showed to be an excellent source of metabolizable protein (10), and that microbial keratinases enhance the digestibility of feather keratin (12,20), these keratinolytic strains could be used to produce animal feed protein. In addition, the selected isolates were able to grow and display keratinolytic activity in diverse keratin wastes.…”

Feather keratin hydrolysis by a Vibrio sp. strain kr2

“…1983). Feather protein has been considered as an excellent source of metabolizable protein (Klemersrud et al . 1998) and bacterial feather lysate has similar nutritional features to soybean meal (Williams et al .…”