UTILIZATION OF RAPESEED MEAL AS A SOURCE OF PROTEIN FOR TURKEYS

Rations containing 10, 20 and 30% of rapeseed meal respectively were fed to Large White turkeys starting at 1 day of age. The results at 56 days showed a significant linear decrease in weight gain and feed utilization when compared with an isocaloric and isonitrogenous corn–soybean basal diet. Steam-pelleting the diets reduced the difference in weight depression observed between the control and rapeseed meal diets as compared with similar diets fed in the form of mash. At 113 days, the levels of rapeseed meal in the diets were reduced in order to maintain desired dietary protein levels. Weight gain and feed utilization were still significantly lower at market age for the rapeseed-fed birds as compared with those on the control diet. Analyzing the weight-gain and feed-utilization data from 57 days to the conclusion of the experiment suggested that most of the adverse effects of rapeseed meal were encountered with birds up to 56 days of age.