Effect of Desolventization Conditions and Removal of Fibrous Material by Screening on the Nutritional Value of Canola Rapeseed Meal for Broiler Chickens

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted with broiler chickens to determine the effect of the desolventization process and the removal of fibrous material on the nutritional value of canola meal (CM). Hexane extracted canola seeds were desolventized by evaporation at 25 C or by heating to 100 C with and without the addition of live steam. The materials were ground and screened to remove the coarse fibrous particles. Experiment 1 involved a comparison of the effect of the six CM fractions (three temperatures × two fiber contents, normal and low) at 10, 20, and 30% of the diet on the performance of chicks from day-old to 4 weeks of age. Birds fed CM desolventized at 100 C consumed 6% more feed (P<.001) and grew 5% faster (P<.01) than birds fed CM desolventized at 25 C. The desolventization process had no effect on feed:gain ratio. The performance of birds fed the normal or low fiber CM fractions was similar. Inclusion of CM fractions at 10% of the diet had no effect on performance. Dietary levels of 20 and 30% CM fraction resulted in a decrease in feed intake (P<.001) and weight gain (P<.001), and an increase in feed:gain ratio (P<.01). In Experiment 2, the nitrogen-corrected metabolizable energy (MEn) value of the CM fractions was measured with chicks at 4 weeks of age by regression analysis of a multilevel assay. The MEn content of the CM fractions varied inversely with the temperature of desolventization (P<.001) and the fiber content (P<.001). The MEn values of the normal and low fiber CM fractions, respectively, in kilocalories per gram of dry matter were as follows: 25 C no steam, 1.88 and 2.38; 100 C no steam, 1.65 and 2.10; 100 C with steam, 1.67 and 1.95.