Common names
Feather meal, feathermeal, hydrolyzed feather meal, poultry feather meal, hydrolyzed poultry feather meal
Related feed(s)
Description
Feathers are a by-product of broiler, turkey and poultry processing operations. Variability of feather meal between batches and between plants can be quite high due to differences in what is included (heads, feet, skin, etc.).
Processes
Pressurized cooking of feathers is the primary method of processing used in preparing feather meal. Some bacteria have been identified that produce a feather digesting enzyme, that will convert the protein fraction into a digestible form (Shih, 1993). Pepsin digestibility is used as method of assessing the quality of feather meal. Normally a pepsin digestibility of 75 % is considered to be a minimum value to assure that the feather meal has been adequately processed.
Potential constraints
Feather meals needs to be tested (pepsin digestibility) to assure that it has been processed properly. Care need to be taken to select other supplemental protein sources that will complement to poor amino acid profile of the feather meal, when formulating rations.
Tables of chemical composition and nutritional value
Ruminants
Calves
Feeding a combination of feather and blood meals resulted in the best growth in calves (Blasi et al., 1991). When feather meal was incorporated into liquid supplements to replace a portion of the CP provided by urea, average daily gain and reproductive performance was improved in mature beef cows (Pate et al., 1995). Calves fed feather meal as their primary supplemental protein didn’t respond to when supplemental lysine or methionine was fed (Klemesrud et al., 1998).
Dairy cattle
Feather meal has been found to be an effective supplemental protein source for lactating dairy cattle (Harris et al., 1992). Combination of feather meal and blood meal was shown to be acceptable as a protein source in dairy cattle (Johnson et al., 1994). Feeding a combination of feather meal and blood meal was found to increase milk production in dairy cattle (Grant et al., 1998).
Sheep
The rate of gain in lambs was increased when feather meal replaced soybean meal (Thomas et al., 1994). Feather meal was found to increase ADG when it replaced soybean meal and urea in sheep diets (Punsri, 1991). Supplementation with feather meal showed no effect on straw digestion in lambs (Thomas et al., 1994). Wool fiber diameter and sulfur content of wool didn’t differ in lambs fed feather meal (Thomas et al., 1994).
Pigs
Swine feeding trials found that when feather meal replaced soybean meal that ADG and FC declined (Duangsmorn Sinchermsiri et al., 1989). High levels (5 and 7.5 %) of dietary feather meal decreased digestibility of DM and CP, decreased loin eye area, decreased FC and decreased feed intake in swine (Rachan Buaban, 1988). Feather meal when fed up to 10% of diet didn’t was not found to affect DDM or DCP of the diet in swine (Rachan Buaban et al., 1989). In growing-finishing swine rations feather meal could provide up to 25 % of the dietary protein with significantly affecting performance (Khajarern et al., 1982b). No difference in performance was observed when up to 4 % feather meal was fed to swine 0-4 weeks of age and up to 8 % could be fed to the 4 to 8 week old age group (Khajarern et al., 1982b). Levels up to 10 % of feather meal in the diets of swine didn’t affect total diet DM or CP digestibility, but as feather meal increased the Biological Value of the dietary CP decreased (Rachan Buaban et al., 1989).
Poultry
Broilers and laying hens
Pullets fed feather meal was found to grow satisfactorily, the addition of methionine was found to improve performance (Khajarern et al., 1982a). The effect of supplementing feather meal with 0.2 to 0.5 % methionine was found to increase carcass quality in broilers and egg weight and shell thickness in layers (Miranda et al., 1981)
Ducks
Feather meal can provide up to 50 % of the supplemental protein for young growing duckling, 100 % for older growing ducks and 50 % in ducks that are laying (Sucheep Suksupath, 1980).
Fish
In carps, feather meal was found to between poultry by-product meal and blood meal in its feeding value (Trzebiatowski et al., 1982).
Feed categories
Citation
DATASHEET UNDER CONSTRUCTION. DO NOT QUOTE. http://www.feedipedia.org/node/213 Last updated on October 9, 2011, 15:22
Tables
Tables of chemical composition and nutritional value
| IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This datasheet is pending revision and updating; its contents are currently derived from FAO’s Animal Feed Resources Information System (1991-2002) and from Bo Göhl’s Tropical Feeds (1976-1982). |
Feather meal
| Main analysis | Unit | Avg | SD | Min | Max | Nb | |
| Dry matter | % as fed | 92.1 | 1.9 | 88.3 | 95.7 | 107 | |
| Crude protein | % DM | 85.7 | 5.0 | 73.8 | 96.5 | 118 | |
| Crude fibre | % DM | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 18 | |
| NDF | % DM | 55.8 | 1.9 | 53.8 | 57.5 | 3 | |
| ADF | % DM | 6.5 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 11.7 | 10 | |
| Lignin | % DM | 5.5 | 2.2 | 4.1 | 8.0 | 3 | |
| Ether extract | % DM | 6.7 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 13.6 | 46 | |
| Ether extract, HCl hydrolysis | % DM | 9.5 | 1.8 | 4.8 | 12.9 | 57 | |
| Ash | % DM | 5.5 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 16.0 | 115 | |
| Total sugars | % DM | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 4 | |
| Gross energy | MJ/kg DM | 23.5 | 0.4 | 22.7 | 24.0 | 18 | * |
| Minerals | Unit | Avg | SD | Min | Max | Nb | |
| Calcium | g/kg DM | 12.7 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 16.8 | 22 | * |
| Phosphorus | g/kg DM | 8.2 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 8.8 | 22 | * |
| Potassium | g/kg DM | 1.3 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 10 | |
| Sodium | g/kg DM | 1.3 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 10 | |
| Magnesium | g/kg DM | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 4.5 | 10 | |
| Manganese | mg/kg DM | 16 | 6 | 7 | 21 | 7 | |
| Zinc | mg/kg DM | 142 | 20 | 106 | 157 | 7 | |
| Copper | mg/kg DM | 10 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 6 | |
| Iron | mg/kg DM | 625 | 213 | 246 | 833 | 6 | |
| Amino acids | Unit | Avg | SD | Min | Max | Nb | |
| Alanine | % protein | 4.6 | 0.3 | 4.1 | 5.3 | 19 | |
| Arginine | % protein | 6.7 | 0.4 | 5.6 | 7.4 | 24 | |
| Aspartic acid | % protein | 6.7 | 0.2 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 19 | |
| Cystine | % protein | 4.3 | 0.3 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 23 | |
| Glutamic acid | % protein | 10.6 | 0.9 | 8.6 | 11.6 | 19 | |
| Glycine | % protein | 7.3 | 0.5 | 6.1 | 8.3 | 21 | |
| Histidine | % protein | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 24 | |
| Isoleucine | % protein | 4.9 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 5.3 | 25 | |
| Leucine | % protein | 8.0 | 0.5 | 7.3 | 9.2 | 26 | |
| Lysine | % protein | 2.1 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 27 | |
| Methionine | % protein | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 26 | |
| Phenylalanine | % protein | 4.7 | 0.4 | 3.9 | 5.4 | 25 | |
| Proline | % protein | 9.4 | 0.3 | 8.8 | 10.0 | 17 | |
| Serine | % protein | 11.4 | 0.9 | 8.5 | 12.0 | 19 | |
| Threonine | % protein | 4.6 | 0.4 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 26 | |
| Tryptophan | % protein | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 7 | |
| Tyrosine | % protein | 2.5 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 18 | |
| Valine | % protein | 7.2 | 1.1 | 5.1 | 8.1 | 25 | |
| Ruminant nutritive values | Unit | Avg | SD | Min | Max | Nb | |
| OM digestibility, Ruminant | % | 76.8 | 4.1 | 72.0 | 82.7 | 6 | |
| Energy digestibility, ruminants | % | 82.6 | 1.0 | 71.0 | 82.6 | 4 | * |
| DE ruminants | MJ/kg DM | 19.4 | 0.5 | 15.9 | 19.4 | 4 | * |
| ME ruminants | MJ/kg DM | 13.3 | 0.5 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 4 | * |
| Nitrogen digestibility, ruminants | % | 74.1 | 5.9 | 69.0 | 85.2 | 6 | |
| a (N) | % | 15.8 | 1 | ||||
| b (N) | % | 48.3 | 1 | ||||
| c (N) | h-1 | 0.055 | 1 | ||||
| Nitrogen degradability (effective, k=4%) | % | 44 | * | ||||
| Nitrogen degradability (effective, k=6%) | % | 39 | 28 | 39 | 2 | * | |
| Pig nutritive values | Unit | Avg | SD | Min | Max | Nb | |
| Energy digestibility, growing pig | % | 88.7 | * | ||||
| DE growing pig | MJ/kg DM | 20.8 | * | ||||
| MEn growing pig | MJ/kg DM | 18.9 | * | ||||
| NE growing pig | MJ/kg DM | 11.6 | * | ||||
| Nitrogen digestibility, growing pig | % | 72.1 | 71.1 | 73.0 | 2 | ||
| Poultry nutritive values | Unit | Avg | SD | Min | Max | Nb | |
| AMEn cockerel | MJ/kg DM | 12.5 | 0.5 | 12.5 | 14.4 | 5 | * |
| AMEn broiler | MJ/kg DM | 11.7 | * | ||||
| Fish nutritive values | Unit | Avg | SD | Min | Max | Nb | |
| Energy digestibility, salmonids | % | 63.7 | 57.4 | 70.1 | 2 | ||
| Nitrogen digestibility, salmonids | % | 64.4 | 58.0 | 70.8 | 2 |
The asterisk * indicates that the average value was obtained by an equation.
References
ADAS, 1988; ADAS, 1990; Aderibigbe et al., 1983; AFZ, 2011; Church et al., 1982; Dewar, 1967; Fialho et al., 1995; Furuya et al., 1988; Hajen et al., 1993; Hegedüs et al., 1990; Howie et al., 1996; Huston et al., 1971; Jongbloed et al., 1990; Kamalak et al., 2005; Kellems et al., 1998; Knabe et al., 1989; Knaus et al., 1998; Latshaw et al., 1994; McDowell et al., 1974; Munguti et al., 2009; Nengas et al., 1995; NRC, 1994; Pansri et al., 1987; Papadopoulos et al., 1986; Papadopoulos, 1986; Petit, 1992; Quilici, 1967; Schang et al., 1982; Swanek et al., 2001
Last updated on 24/10/2012 00:43:31
TABLE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. DO NOT QUOTE.
