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Canola meal (CM) is a potential alternative dietary protein source for indigenous chickens but its utility may be limited by anti-nutrients such as fibre and phytochemical compounds. This study, therefore, explores the effects of replacing soy-based feedstuffs (SB) with graded levels of CM on apparent nutrient digestibility, growth performance and haemo-biochemical parameters in Potchefstroom koekoek (PK) cockerels. Five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated by replacing 0 (CM), 3.75 (CM1), 6.25 (CM2), 8.75 (CM3) and 17.5% (CM4) of SB with CM. One hundred and seventy-five cockerels (342.6 ± 15.2 g live weight, 5 weeks old) were evenly distributed into 25 replicate pens to which experimental diets were randomly allocated. Feed intake, apparent nutrient digestibility, weight gain, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio (PER) were determined. Blood was collected for serum and haematological analysis at 16 weeks of age. There was a significant quadratic trend [y = 2.56 (± 0.067) + 0.04 (± 0.019)x - 0.002 (± 0.0010)x 2 ] for average weight gain from which an optimum canola inclusion level was calculated to be 7.8%. Neutrophils linearly increased (P < 0.05) with CM levels, but there were no significant linear and quadratic trends for serum biochemical components with the exception of total calcium and triglycerides, which decreased linearly in response to incremental levels of CM. However, feed intake, feed utilisation efficiency, growth performance and serum biochemistry parameters were not affected by experimental diets. Based on weight gain response, it was concluded that replacing soy-based dietary ingredients with CM in poultry diets up to 7.8% does not result in adverse effects on diet utilisation, growth performance and health status of PK cockerels.

The effects of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with graded levels of morula kernel cake (MKC) on growth performance and haemo-biochemical parameters in broiler chickens were studied. Four isonitrogenous and iso-caloric diets were formulated by replacing the SBM component at 0, 40, 80 and 120 g/kg with MKC as protein source in grower and finisher diets. One hundred and sixty 2-week-old chicks were randomly allocated to the treatments, which were replicated five times (eight birds/pen). Growth performance and blood parameters were measured. Results showed that neither linear nor quadratic trends were observed for weekly feed intake (WFI), weekly weight gain (WWG), weekly feed conversion ratio (WFCR), and growth performance with MKC levels. However, packed cell volume (PCV) quadratically decreased (Y=37.4±1.2+1.4±0.5+0.13±0.03X²; R2=0.39; p=0.005) with MKC levels, heterophils increased (y=50.9±1.8+1.18±0.73x; R2=0.35, p=0.009) while lymphocytes decreased linearly (y=40.7±1.67-1.42±0.67x; R2=0.35, p=0.02) with MKC levels. There was a linear decrease (Y=0.81±0.02-0.01±0.01x; R2=0.2895; p=0.02) in magnesium while phosphorus increased quadratically with MKC levels. Quadratic trends (Y=17.2±0.6+0.7±0.2+0.04±0.02X²; R2=0.47; p=0.05) were also observed in iron as MKC levels increased. All the parameters of blood biochemistry fell within the normal range for birds. The present results indicate that inclusion of MKC up to 120 g/kg does not result in adverse effects on diet utilisation, growth performance, and health status of Ross 308 broiler chickens, indicating that MKC has the potential to be used as an alternative protein source to SBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]