Evaluation of biological efficiency of animal protein sources in the starter rations for broilers.

Abstract

A study with the objective to determine the protein quality through the "Protein Efficiency Ratio" (PER) was carried out at the Poulty Section of the Animal Science Department of the 'Universidade Federal de Santa Maria", Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. The sources of protein were: meat meal, egg meal, fish meal, viscera meal and casein. The experimental diets were calculated to have 22% protein and 3.000 Kcal ME/kg. The protein sources were added in amounts to reach 20% of the total protein of the diet. Two-hundred day old chicks, from COBB line, were set in a completely randomized experimental design, with four replicates in a factorial structure 5 x 2 (5 treatments x 2 sexes). It was concluded, after 21 days of experiment, that chicks led egg meal had significantly higher body weight and better feed conversion and protein efficiency ratio (P < 0.01) than all the other groups, included the treatment with casein. The use of egg meal as a patlem of digestive efficiency for poutry in further studies is suggested.