Animal Husbandry Mimeograph
Series No. 55-14

A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE VALUE OF POULTRY BY-PRODUCTS MEAL AND FEATHER MEAL
AS SOURCES OF PROTEIN FOR GROW!NG-FATTENING SWINE, I

G. E. Combs, G, Edwards and H. D, Wallace2


Poultry meat meal and feather meal are by-products of the poultry industry,

Feather meal has been successfully fed to chickens (I) and fattening lambs (2),

but previous work with swine indicated this by-product to be of no value as a pro-

tein supplement for growing-fattening pigs (3).

This experiment was undertaken to determine if rations which contained poultry

meat meal or feather meal would be palatable and efficiently utilized by growing-

fattening swine.

Experimental

Twenty weanling Duroc gilts were equally divided according to weight into

four experimental lots. The pigs were self-fed in concrete pens which were

cleaned and washed daily. The composition of the rations fed the four groups

is presented in Table I.

Table I. Ration Composition

Lot I Lot II Lot III Lot IV

Ground yellow corn 73.5 81.5 77,5 80.5

Soybean Oilmeal 22.0 --- 10.5 10.0

Poultry meat meal ---- 160 8.5 --

Feather meal ---- ---- 5.0

Ground limestone 0.55 0,33 0.6 0.5

Steamed bonemeal 1.5 --- 0.5 1.5 'JUL 17 1956

Iodized salt 0,5 0.5 0.5 0.5

Vitamin premix a 2.0 2.0 2.0 2,0 OBRAI
b
Trace minerals 0.1 0.I 0.I 0.1
1. The poultry by-products were by Wilson & Toomer Fertilizer Company.
2. Combs, Assistant Animal Husbandman, Edwards, Graduate Assistant and Wallace,
Associate Animal Husbandman, Department of Animal Husbandry & Nutrition.








Table I Continued
a, Composition of vitamin premix
Vitamin A (10,000 I.U./gm) 20,00 grams
Vitamin D (9,000 I.U./gm) 2.20 grams
Vitamin E (44 I.U./gm) 9.10 grams
Vitamin 812 0,50 grams
Calcium pantothenato 0,30 grams
Choline chloride (25%) 160.00 grams
Niacin 1.00 grams
Thiamin 0.10 grams
Riboflavin 0.09 grams
Pyridoxine 0.06 grams
Folic acid 0.05 grams
Soybean oilmeal -714.60 grams

b. Composition of trace mineral mixture
Percent pp,m, supplied to ration
Manganese sulfate 21.53 53.8
Ferrous sulfate 33.21 66.6
Copper sulfate 1,79 4,6
Cobalt sulfate 0.47 1.5
Zinc sulfate 6.31 22.6
Potassium sulfate 1.58 7.1
Carrier 35.29

The chemical composition of the poultry meat meal and feather meal is shown

in Table 2.

Table 2. Analyses of Feed Materials Tested

Poultry meat meal Feather meal
Crude protein 56.98 percent 86.30 percent
Fat 14.73 percent 4.00 percent
Crude fiber 3.01 percent 0.69 percent
N.F.E. 0.00 percent 0.00 percent
Ash 19.94 percent 2.70 percent
Moisture 5.34 percent 8.30 percent
Calcium 3.43 percent -- percent
Phosphorus 2.03 percent ---- percent

The experiment was initiated March 14, 1956 and terminated after eight weeks.

A summary of the results obtained with the various dietary treatments is

given in Table 3.

Results and Discussion
There were no significant differences between the final growth rate of the

control group (Lot I) and those that received rations containing poultry meat

-2 -







meal or feather meal. During the eight week period the average daily gain for Lots

I, II, III and IV was 1.49, 1.52, 1,46 and 1.49 pounds, respectively. The feed

consumption and feed required per pound of gain was approximately the same for

all ration treatments, However, for the first two weeks of the experiment the

growth rate of the pigs receiving feather meal was observed to be considerably

lower than the other three lots, At the end of the third week these pigs showed

a definite improvement in rate of gain which persisted throughout the remainder

of the experiment. This may be interpreted to mean that a preliminary adjustment

period is required before pigs of this weight are able to efficiently utilize

feather meal.

Summary

A preliminary experiment involving twenty weanling pigs was conducted to de-

termine if rations containing 16 or 8.5 percent poultry meat meal or 5 percent

feather meal would be palatable and efficiently utilized. The results indicate

that the growth rate and feed efficiency of the pigs fed rations containing the

poultry by-products were comparable to those that received soybean oil meal as

the major source of protein,

Prior to making any definite recommendations on the use of poultry meat meal

or feather meal as a source of protein for growing-fattening swine, additional

Information needs to be obtained regarding the optimum level of these ingredients

to be included in swine rations.

References

1. Lillie, R. J., J. R. Sizemore and C. A. Denton. 1956. Feather meal in chick
nutrition. Poultry Scl. 35:316.

2. Jordan, R. M, and P. S. Jordan. 1955. Comparative value of feather meal and
soybean meal as a protein supplement for fattening lambs. J. Animal Sci.
14:1211-1212.

3. Thomas, H. R., C. C. Brooks and C. M. Kincaid. 1955, Proceedings Association
of Southern Agricultural Workers, P. 49.

3-








Table 3 -- SUMMARY OF RESULTS


Lot No. I II Ill IV


Experimental treatment Soybean oil meal Poultry meat meal Poultry meat meal Feather meal
(control) and and
Soybean oil meal Soybean oil meal


No, of pigs 5 5 5

Average initial wt., Ibs. 45.6 45.4 45.6 45.4

Average final wt., Ibs. (8 wks.) 128.8 130.6 127.8 128.8

Average daily gains for
8 week period 1.49 1.52 1.46 1.49

Average daily feed
consumption, Ibs. 4.36 4.40 4.36 4,41

Feed required per lb.
of gain 2.93 2.90 2.97 2.94

Days on test 56 56 56 56


>.
"o
.0
C

i 0m

m(U U
E r
,- NO