Influence of Dietary Protein Level on Chick Growth Depression by Raw Soybean Meal

Abstract

Significant growth inhibition, pancreatic hypertrophy and reduced feed efficiency resulted when diets containing hexane-extracted raw soybean meal or ground soybeans were fed to chicks. Three levels of protein, 15, 20 and 25%, were fed in which the soybean meal of the diet was varied from all raw-to-heated meal in ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100. All diets contained adequate amounts of supplemental DL-methionine. Improvement of chick growth as a result of heat treatment of raw soybean meal was obtained at all levels of protein. Adding isolated autoclaved soybean protein to a raw soybean meal diet containing 25% of protein to provide up a 45% of dietary protein did not improve growth rate of chicks. Feed consumption for chicks fed raw meal was about the same as that for chicks fed autoclaved meal.