Soybean Quality and Broiler Performance

Two trials were conducted at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid ( Spain) to study the influence of soybean meal origin on performance of broilers from 1 to 37 d of age. The crude protein, trypsin inhibitor units (TIU), and KOH solubility were 47% and 48.3%, 5.9 mg/g and 3.4 mg/g, and 81.2% and 86.8% for the soybean meals of Argentine and USA origin, respectively. The calculated digestible lysine and AMEn content were 2.54% and 2,310 kcal/kg for Argentine meal and 2.68% and 2,390 kcal/kg for the U.S. meal. For each of the two feeding periods, starter (1 to 21 d) and finisher (22 to 37 d), the diets had similar calculated AMEn and digestible lysine content.

In trial 1, 5,200 straight-run, one-day-old Hubbard chicks were allotted to four treatments with ten replicates (a floor pen with 130 chicks). Origin of the soybean meal did not affect performance at any age. In the second trial, 1,500 straight-run, one-day-old chicks were allocated to six treatments arranged factorially with three soybean meal sources (Argentine, USA, and local) and two levels (0 vs. 250 mg/kg of diet) of plant oil extract rich in terpenes.. The local SBM contained 47.3% crude protein and had similar calculated nutritive value to the Argentine soybean meal. Each treatment was replicated five times. Results showed the birds fed U.S. and Argentine meals grew faster (P<=0.001), and had better feed utilization (P<=0.01) than birds fed the local SBM. The inclusion of prebiotic improved body weight gains and feed conversion in birds fed the local SBM, but not in those fed the other meal sources. The researchers concluded that the U.S. soybean meal had more AMEn and digestible lysine for broilers compared to the Argentine and local soybean meal and that the use of a prebiotic may improve performance in broilers fed low quality SBM.

Frikhal, M. and co-workers. 2009. Effect of soybean meal origin on performance of broilers from 1 to 37 days of age. Annual Meeting of the Poultry Science Association, July 20-23. Poster 364.