THE EFFECT OF ENZYME PREDIGESTION ON THE QUALITY OF POULTRY BY-PRODUCT MEAL FROM WHOLE TURKEY MORTALITY

Enzyme predigested poultry by-product meal made from on-farm, whole tu rkey mortality (E-TBM) was compared with soybean meal (SBM) and commer cial poultry by-product meal (CPBM) in each of three experiments. In E xperiment 1, young poults were fed diets containing 16, 20, or 24% CP with either SBM or E-TBM as protein sources. A separate group of poult s was fed a nitrogen-free diet. The E-TBM was higher than SBM in prote in, fat, lysine, methionine, and total sulfur amino acids. Diets conta ining E-TBM resulted in increased BW, feed consumption, and a higher p rotein efficiency ratio (PER) and net protein ratio (NPR) compared wit h diets containing SBM. In Experiment 2, feeding nonenzyme-treated tur key by-product (TBM) or E-TBM resulted in significantly improved BW an d feed efficiency compared with CPBM but this may have been due to dec reased protein in diets containing CPBM. Protein source did not affect feed intake, PER, NPR, or net protein utilization (NPU). In Experimen t 3, the TME(n) content of CPBM was lower than both TBM and E-TBM but lysine and methionine digestibilities were greater.