Evaluation of protein and energy quality of rendered spent hen meals

This study evaluated three spent hen meals (SHM) that were produced in commercial rendering plants. The levels (percentage) of selected nutrients (mean and range) in the meals were: CP, 64 (56 to 71); ash, 16 (12 to 18); lysine, 4.0 (3.6 to 4.3); methionine, 1.3 (1.2 to 1.4); cystine, 1.1 (0.8 to 1.5). Protein efficiency ratios (PER; weight gain per unit of protein intake) were determined in chicks fed 10% CP diets containing a SHM as the only source of dietary protein. The PER values for the SHM averaged 1.6 but varied from 1.1 to 2.2. An experiment was conducted using New Hampshire x Columbian chicks during the 7 to 20 d age period to determine the effect of substitution with either 7.5 or 15% of a SHM to a 21.5% CP corn-soybean meal diet. When substituted at 7.5%, growth performance was not affected by two of the SHM but was depressed by the other one. Growth performance was decreased by all SHM when substituted at 15% of the diet. True amino acid digestibility and TMEn of the SHM were determined using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay in which four roosters were crop-intubated with 30 g of a SHM and excreta were collected for 48 h. True amino acid digestibility varied among SHM (P < or = 0.05) and digestibility of cystine was substantially lower than digestibility of the other amino acids. Mean TMEn (kilocalories per gram of DM) of the SHM was 3.003 but varied by 44% among samples. The results of this study indicated that SHM has substantial nutritional value for poultry but the nutritional quality may vary greatly among samples.