EVALUATION OF MEAT MEAL AS A PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT FOR THE CHICK

Abstract

When meat meal was used as the sole source of protein in a ration it did not support satisfactory weight gains in growing chickens. However, when the meat meal was supplemented with the amino acids in which it is limiting, satisfactory weight gains were achieved. One may conclude that the main problem with meat meal protein is one of amino acid imbalance rather than digestibility.It has been demonstrated in the present study that meat meal offered for sale in Ontario may be deficient in six amino acids as compared with soybean meal. These amino acids may be classified in order of their degree of deficiency. Methionine is easily the first limiting amino acid while tryptophane and isoleucine are second and about equally limiting. Cystine, threonine, and arginine are next in order of limitation. Part of the lack of response obtained when meat meal constitutes all of the protein in experimental diets can be explained on the basis of the excessive levels of calcium and phosphorus in the diet.