FEEDING OF 00-RAPE SEED TO FATTENING CHIC KENS AND LAYING HENS

The feeding of full fat GO-rape seed to poultry was tested in a fatten ing trial with 360 male broiler chicks (type Ross) in 6 groups and als o in a feeding experiment with 60 individually kept laying hens (light laying hybrids, LSL) in 5 groups. The rations a ere isonitrogeneous a nd isoenergetic for the broilers and layers, respectively. In the fatt ening trial the feed was on a wheat and soybean meal basis and full-fa t rape seed was included in proportions of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 und 25 per cent as a replacement for soybean meal. The fattening period lasted 6 weeks and weight gains, feed intake and feed efficiency were measured . The rations for the layers which mere based on wheat, barley and soy bean meal contained 0, 10, 15, 20 and 25 per cent rape seed. The exper iment lasted 8 weeks, the layers were 78 weeks old at the beginning of the experiment. Feed intake, egg performance data and the profile of the egg fatty acids were measured and also the sensorical quality of t he eggs were tested. In both cases already the lowest proportions of r ape seed of 5 or 10%, respectively, reduced the performance data signi ficantly, which was still more intensified with higher proportions of rape seed. The Live weight gains of the broilers were reduced by 6.7 t o 24%, which resulted from a lower feed intake and reed efficiency. Al so with the layers, feed intake mas reduced, egg weight decreased and egg size diminished with increasing proportions of rape seed. Sensoric al quality of the eggs was not affected by feeding of 25% rape seed, t he content of essential fatty acids in the eggs was high.