The Impact of Partial and Total Replacement of Soybean with Peanut Meal on Broilers Performance

Abstract

An experiment was performed to show the Impact of replacing soybean meal with peanut meal on broiler growth performance. Three hundred lohman broiler males were obtained and reared for 42 days in an environmentally controlled poultry house. Birds were divided into three groups, each group assigned to 20 experimental units and allocated to 5 identical pens (20 birds / 1m²). Birds were offered ad libitum feed and water throughout the experimental period. Three different experimental diets were formulated as follows: T₀; 0% peanut meal, T₅₀; 50% soybean meal, and 50% peanut meal, and T_100; 100% peanut meal. Birds body weight was measured every two weeks at the same time.  Feed intake, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio was calculated at the end of the experiment. The body weight was greater (p < 0.05) for birds that received peanut meal at 100% level (T₁₀₀) more than birds consumed T₀ and T₅₀ diets at 14-28 days and at days 28-42. At day 28 - 42, feed intake was greater (p < 0.05) for broilers that had T₁₀₀ diet than broilers which consumed T₀ and T₅₀. Average daily gain (ADG) and FCR was not affected (p > 0.05) by the different experimental diets. Therefore, feeding peanut meal had a positive effect on broiler growth performance and might be considered as an excellent protein source in broiler rations.

Keywords: broiler, growth performance, peanut meal, soybean meal