Use of sweet lupin, canola oilcake and full-fat canola as alternatives to soybean oilcake in diets for broilers

Abstract

The effect of replacing soybean oilcake meal as a protein source with three levels (6.6%, 13.0% and 20.0%) of sweet lupin (Lupinus angustifolius), canola oilcake and full-fat canola in diets for broiler chickens was examined. A control diet with soybean oilcake as the protein source was supplemented with alternative test diets containing sweet lupin, canola oilcake or full-fat canola as protein source at 100.0%, 67.0% and 33.0% inclusion level. The test diets were fed for six weeks to determine their potential to enhance the nutritive value of these vegetable protein sources. Broiler weights at six weeks old were significantly higher for the control diet than the 20.0% lupin diet. The feed intake of the 20.0% canola oilcake diet at Week 6 was significantly less than that of the control diet, but not less than the 6.6% and 13.2% canola oilcake diets. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) of the control diet was better than the 13.2% and 20.0% canola oilcake diets. The FCR of the broilers fed the 13.2% and 20.0% full-fat canola diets was significantly poorer than the control diet. From this study it is clear that sweet lupin, canola oilcake meal and full-fat canola can be used at low inclusion levels to partially replace soybean oilcake meal as a protein source in broiler diets.

Keywords: Feed conversion ratio, poultry nutrition, protein concentrates