Amino Acid Digestibilities of Feedstuffs in Female Turkeys

Abstract

Amino acid (AA) digestibilities of a variety of feedstuffs were determined in adult female turkeys using a standard digestibility assay. Digestibilities of these feedstuffs were also determined in roosters. Fish meal, alfalfa meal, barley, blood meal, oats, poultry by-product meal, wheat shorts, and wheat showed few differences between female turkeys and roosters. Digestibility values for corn and milo were significantly lower in turkeys than in roosters. This was true for most AAs and for overall digestibility. Wheat by-products (bran and middlings) were significantly more digestible by female turkeys than by roosters. Feather meal digestibility was also higher in turkeys than in roosters, although lysine and methionine values did not differ significantly. Corn gluten meal was slightly less digestible in female turkeys than in roosters, however, the rooster data was somewhat higher than literature values indicate. Corn gluten feed was somewhat more digestible in roosters than in female turkeys, but overall digestibility did not differ significantly. The data indicate that AA digestibilities of individual feedstuffs differ between female turkeys and roosters. © 1993 Applied Poultry Science, Inc.