EFFECT OF SUBSTITUTING SESAME MEAL FOR SOYBEAN-MEAL ON LAYER AND BROILER PERFORMANCE

Sesame meal (SM, 47.1% CP) has an amino acid composition similar to th at of soybean meal (SBM, 47.7% CP) with the exception of lower lysine and higher methionine, but has been relatively underutilized in poultr y feeds. Two experiments (1 and 2) were conducted to measure laying pe rformance and hatchability of White Leghorn hens fed practical diets ( 17% CP), and two additional experiments (3 and 4) examined the perform ance of broiler chicks fed practical diets (22% CP) with varying subst itution levels of screw-pressed SM for solvent-extracted SBM. In Exper iment 1, SM contributed 0, 12.6, 25.3, 38, or 50.6% of dietary CP, and each diet was fed to hens for 6 wk. In Experiment 2, SM contributed 0 , 4.7, 9.4, 14.1, 18.8, or 23.6% of dietary CP, and each diet was fed for 4 wk. In Experiment 3, SM contributed 0, 15, 30, 45, or 60% of die tary CP, and in Experiment 4, SM contributed 0, 38, or 76% of dietary CP; in these experiments, diets were fed to broiler chicks for 3 wk. T here were no differences in egg production, egg weight, egg mass, dail y feed intake, or body weight measurements among control hens fed SBM and hens fed SM at 12.6% (Experiment 1) or 4.7 to 18.8% of dietary CP (Experiment 2). Hens consuming these diets were able to satisfy their daily requirements for essential amino acids. Egg quality measurements were similar among hens fed the control SBM diet and those fed SM at 12.6 or 25.3% of dietary CP in Experiment 1, and at 4.7 to 23.6% of di etary CP in Experiment 2. All production variables were significantly depressed in hens that were fed SM at 38 or 50.6% of dietary CP, but H augh units increased. In Experiment 3, the performance of broiler chic ks fed the diet containing SM at 15% of dietary CP was not different f rom that of the control chicks fed the SBM diet, and both diets contai ned chicks essential amino acids at required levels. Feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion were consistently depressed with inc reased SM substitution at 30, 45, or 60% of dietary CP. In Experiment 4, feed intake was not different between the control chicks fed the SB M diet and those fed the diet containing SM at 38% of dietary CP. Howe ver, body weight gain and feed conversion of chicks fed diets containi ng SM at 38 or 76% of dietary CP were significantly lower than those o f the control chicks fed the SBM diet.