Effect of protein sources on performance characteristics of turkeys in the first three weeks of life.

The effect of nutrition during the early life of turkey poults has a long-lasting impact on bird performance. This study assessed the digestibility of 5 high protein feed ingredients (soybean meal [SBM], corn gluten meal [CGM], canola protein concentrate [CPC], fish meal [FM], and porcine meal [PCM]) in broiler chickens, as well as their use in turkey pre-starter diets fed to 21 d of age. The first experiment (5 × 2 factorial arrangement) determined nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) and apparent ileal amino acid digestibility (AIAAD) of each ingredient in broiler chickens at 5 and 21 d of age, using 6 replications of 30 and 8 chicks, respectively.

The influence of indigestible protein on broiler digestive tract morphology and caecal protein fermentation metabolites.

Indigestible dietary protein fermentation products have been suggested to negatively influence broiler performance due to their impact on health and digestive tract morphology. This study evaluated the digestive tract morphology and caecal protein fermentation metabolites of broiler fed 3 dietary protein levels (24%, 26% and 28%) with low or high indigestible protein (LIP, HIP). Two completely randomized 3 × 2 factorial trials were conducted with protein level (PL) and indigestible protein (IDP) as the main factors.

Development of an protein digestibility assay mimicking the chicken digestive tract.

It is difficult to obtain digestion kinetics data of high protein ingredients using chickens. Collecting kinetics data requires repeated sampling of digesta from the small intestine during the digestion process, which is not easily accomplished due to the anatomical structure of chicken digestive tract. An technique is proposed for measuring the digestion kinetics of protein sources fed to chickens.