Utilization of High Levels of Meat and Bone Meal in Broiler Diets

Abstract

Recent sanctions on feeding rendered animal by-products to ruminants may favor feeding high levels of meat and bone meal to broilers. Two samples of meat and bone meal (MBM) - low-ash = 25.87% ash; high-ash = 34.85% ash - were subjected to amino acid and proximate analysis, with digestible amino acid (DAA) and metabolizable energy content calculated. Each source was used to formulate diets in which the minimum DAA was 100% of NRC total amino acid content. The nonphytate phosphorus (NPP) content was increased in increments of 0.10%. Control diets utilized dicalcium phosphate to maintain either a constant 0.45% NPP or to provide levels of NPP recommended by NRC for different age broilers. Inclusion of MBM in broiler diets at levels higher than traditionally used (up to 12.98% of high-ash and 17.76% of low-ash meat and bone meal) had no adverse effects. However, the economics of protein sources as well as supplemental phosphorus sources must be considered. Increasing the level of MBM above that needed to provide adequate levels of NPP may be an environmental concern in some areas of poultry production.