Acta Vet. Brno 2008, 77: 431-437
Influence of Thermally Treated and Untreated Lupin Meal on the Indicators of Performance and Health Condition of Broilers
The objective of the study was to test the productive effectiveness of complex feeding mixtures for broiler chickens containing lupin meal thermally treated or untreated and to assess their influence on the utility indicators and health condition of broilers. A total of 161 sexed broiler chickens of Ross 308 type were included in the experimental study. The group of cocks (LNM) and hens (LNF) fed a diet containing 10% untreated lupin meal reached a higher mean weight in comparison with the groups consuming a diet with the content of 10% meal treated by heat (LTM and LTF). The cocks in the LNM group reached a higher live weight (2 680.26 g) on day 42 compared with the cocks in the LTM group (2 591.28 g). A significantly higher weight (p ≤ 0.01) was proven in the hens in the LNF group (2 357.25 g) compared with the hens in the LTF group (2 241.22 g) on day 42. Blood was taken from vena basilica on day 42 in order to perform haematological and biochemical tests. In the native blood, the total numbers of erythrocytes (Er), the haematocrit value (Hc), haemoglobin (Hb), the mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean erythrocyte volume (MCV) and total leukocytes volume (Le) were determined. The assessed biochemical indicators in blood plasma included the total protein concentration (TP), glucose (Glu), cholesterol (Chol), catalytic concentration of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), plasmatic calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg). The results of haematological and biochemical tests ranged within physiological values. Some differences cannot be associated with the diets tested. The study results suggest the possibility of better utilization of thermally untreated lupin meal (compared with thermally treated lupin meal) for the nutrition of broiler chickens. The results achieved suggest both positive and economic effect (no costs for thermal treatment) in the case of no necessity of thermal treatment of lupin meal, when compared e.g. with soy meal, from the point of view of inactivation of anti-nutritional factors.