EFFECTS OF HIGH-RATES OF INCLUSION OF PALM KERNEL MEAL IN BROILER CHICK DIETS

The effects of palm kernel meal (PKM) on broiler chicks at dietary inclusion rates above 300 g kg-1 were examined. In Experiment 1, a meal with 142 g crude fibre kg-1 from Sierra Leone (PKM1) was included at 0 (control) and 500 g kg-1 diet (5PKM1) on the basis that PKM1 provided 9.74 MJ metabolisable energy (ME) kg-1. In Experiment 2, a meal with 211 g crude fibre kg-1 from Malaysia (PKM2) was included at 0 (control), 300, 400 and 500 g kg-1 (5PKM2) diet on the basis that PKM2 provided 8.35 MJ ME kg-1. The 5PKM1 diet, containing 63 g supplemental maize oil kg-1 depressed the food intake, growth rate and efficiency of food utilisation of chicks, with 5 week food intakes and body weights being 19 and 22% lower, respectively, than in controls. The 5PKM2 diet, containing 114 g supplemental maize oil kg-1, produced a slightly higher food intake than controls, the body weights of chicks being 3.6% lower at 5 weeks, but similar to those of controls at 7 weeks. The results indicate that PKM is a useful ingredient for broiler chick diets, but at high inclusion rates the texture of PKM-based diets may need to be improved by additional fat to facilitate an adequate level of food intake.