2005 Poultry Science Association, Inc.
Effects of Dietary Spray-Dried Bovine
Plasma Protein on Broiler Growth
Performance and Breast-Meat Yield
K. Bregendahl,*,1 D. U. Ahn,* D. W. Trampel,† and J. M. Campbell‡
*Department of Animal Science and †Department of Veterinary Diagnostic
and Production Animal Medicine, Iowa State University,
Ames, Iowa 50011; and ‡APC, Inc., Ankeny, Iowa 50021
Primary Audience: Nutritionists, Commercial Poultry Producers, Veterinarians
SUMMARY
Dietary spray-dried plasma protein (SDPP) is effective in improving growth performance of
pigs raised in unsanitary conditions. However, little is known about the efficacy of SDPP in
improving growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. In the present
study, graded levels of bovine SDPP (0 to 2% of the diet) were fed to male broiler chickens (Ross
308) from 1 to 42 d of age. The study was divided into 2 experiments, each with 480 chickens,
with identical experimental designs. Broilers in the second experiment were raised on the soiled
litter from the first experiment, thereby creating 2 environments with different levels of sanitation.
Broilers fed the control diet in experiment 2 had higher mortality, lower rate of body weight gain,
and were less uniform than broilers fed the control diet in experiment 1, suggesting that reusing
the soiled litter in experiment 2 resulted in a relatively more unsanitary environment. Dietary
bovine SDPP did not affect growth performance or carcass characteristics in the first experiment,
but improved growth rate, feed conversion, breast-meat yield (as a percentage of carcass weight),
and flock uniformity of the broilers in the second, more unsanitary, experiment. In conclusion,
dietary SDPP, fed throughout the growth period, improved growth performance and breast-meat
yield of broilers raised in an unsanitary environment.
Key words: broiler, bovine spray-dried plasma protein, growth performance, breast-meat yield,
flock uniformity
2005 J. Appl. Poult. Res. 14:560–568
DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM
In the United States, commercial broiler
chickens are raised in floor pens and the litter
commonly reused between flocks after the wet
or crusty top layer has been removed. This management practice has economic benefits, but exposes the chickens to bacteria and parasites in
the litter from the previous flock [1, 2, 3], in
1
turn creating an unsanitary environment. Dietary
spray-dried plasma protein (SDPP) has been
shown to improve the growth performance of
pigs when raised in an unsanitary environment
[4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. In contrast, little information
is available on the effects of SDPP on growth
performance when fed to broilers [9, 10, 11].
Recently, Campbell et al. [11, 12] showed that
spray-dried serum proteins [13], delivered
through the water, improved growth perfor-
To whom correspondence should be addressed: kristjan@iastate.edu.
1
—
37.500
54.265
3.830
1.750
1.340
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.190
0.075
A
0.500
36.370
55.135
3.600
1.750
1.340
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.180
0.075
B
1.000
35.230
56.005
3.370
1.750
1.340
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.180
0.075
C
1.500
34.070
56.915
3.130
1.750
1.340
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.170
0.075
D
Starter diets (0–2 wk of age
2.000
32.930
57.785
2.900
1.750
1.340
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.170
0.075
E
—
33.900
56.755
5.130
1.620
1.310
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.160
0.075
A
0.250
33.330
57.185
5.020
1.620
1.310
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.160
0.075
B
0.500
32.770
57.625
4.900
1.620
1.310
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.150
0.075
C
0.750
32.200
58.065
4.780
1.620
1.310
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.150
0.075
D
Grower diets (2–4 wk of age)
1.000
31.630
58.495
4.670
1.620
1.310
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.150
0.075
E
—
28.300
62.975
4.890
1.450
1.160
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.100
0.075
A
0.125
28.000
63.210
4.830
1.450
1.160
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.100
0.075
B
0.250
27.730
63.405
4.780
1.450
1.160
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.100
0.075
C
0.375
27.430
63.650
4.710
1.450
1.160
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.100
0.075
D
Finisher diets (4–6 wk of age)
0.500
27.170
63.835
4.660
1.450
1.160
0.450
0.300
0.300
0.100
0.075
E
3
2
Bovine origin [16].
Provided per kilogram of diet: manganese, 70 mg; zinc, 90 mg; iron (ferrous sulfate), 60 mg; copper, 12 mg; selenium (sodium selenite), 0.15 mg; sodium chloride, 2.5 g.
Provided per kilogram of diet: vitamin A (retinyl acetate), 8,065 IU; cholecalciferol, 1,580 IU; vitamin E (DL-α-tocopheryl acetate), 15 IU; vitamin B12, 16 ␮g; vitamin K (menadione
sodium bisulfite), 4 mg; riboflavin, 7.8 mg; pantothenic acid, 12.8 mg; niacin, 75 mg; choline, 509 mg; folic acid, 1.62 mg; biotin, 270 ␮g.
d
Provided 90 g of Monensin/907 kg of diet.
1
Spray-dried plasma protein
Soybean meal, 48%
Corn
Animal-vegetable fat
Dicalcium phosphate
Limestone
Salt, iodized
Trace mineral premix2
Vitamin premix3
DL-Methionine
Monensin sodium4
Ingredient
TABLE 1. Diet compositions (%)
BREGENDAHL ET AL.: SPRAY-DRIED PLASMA PROTEIN
561
22.5
3050
1.01
0.46
0.89
0.21
0.32
229
0.90
0.52
1.25
0.86
0.31
1.50
0.61
1.95
0.94
2.03
1.97
1.05
0.90
0.54
1.25
0.86
0.31
1.51
0.60
1.95
0.95
2.08
1.98
1.05
B
22.5
3050
1.01
0.45
0.91
0.20
0.31
230
A
0.90
0.52
1.26
0.87
0.31
1.48
0.61
1.95
0.94
1.99
1.97
1.06
22.4
3050
1.00
0.47
0.87
0.23
0.33
229
C
0.90
0.51
1.26
0.87
0.31
1.47
0.61
1.96
0.93
1.94
1.97
1.06
22.3
3050
1.00
0.47
0.85
0.24
0.33
229
D
0.90
0.51
1.26
0.88
0.31
1.46
0.61
1.96
0.92
1.90
1.96
1.06
22.2
3050
1.00
0.48
0.83
0.26
0.34
228
E
0.83
0.49
1.15
0.80
0.28
1.40
0.56
1.84
0.88
1.93
1.84
0.98
21.0
3150
0.96
0.42
0.84
0.20
0.31
213
A
0.83
0.48
1.15
0.80
0.28
1.39
0.56
1.84
0.88
1.91
1.84
0.98
21.0
3150
0.96
0.43
0.83
0.20
0.31
213
B
0.83
0.47
1.15
0.80
0.28
1.38
0.56
1.84
0.88
1.89
1.84
0.98
20.9
3150
0.96
0.43
0.83
0.21
0.32
213
C
0.83
0.47
1.16
0.81
0.28
1.38
0.56
1.84
0.87
1.87
1.84
0.98
20.9
3150
0.96
0.43
0.82
0.22
0.32
213
D
Grower diets (2–4 wk of age)
0.83
0.47
1.16
0.81
0.28
1.37
0.56
1.84
0.87
1.84
1.83
0.99
20.9
3150
0.95
0.44
0.81
0.23
0.32
213
E
0.72
0.40
1.00
0.71
0.25
1.22
0.51
1.69
0.78
1.72
1.64
0.88
18.9
3200
0.85
0.38
0.75
0.20
0.31
190
A
0.72
0.40
1.00
0.71
0.25
1.22
0.51
1.69
0.78
1.71
1.64
0.88
18.8
3200
0.85
0.39
0.75
0.20
0.31
190
B
0.72
0.40
1.00
0.71
0.25
1.22
0.51
1.69
0.78
1.70
1.64
0.88
18.8
3200
0.85
0.39
0.74
0.20
0.31
190
C
0.72
0.40
1.00
0.72
0.25
1.21
0.51
1.69
0.78
1.69
1.64
0.88
18.8
3200
0.85
0.39
0.74
0.21
0.32
190
D
Finisher diets (4–6 wk of age)
0.72
0.40
1.00
0.72
0.25
1.21
0.51
1.69
0.77
1.68
1.64
0.88
18.8
3200
0.85
0.39
0.73
0.21
0.32
190
E
Diets A, B, C, D, and E contained 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively, during the starter phase (wk 1 and 2); 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00%
bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively, during the grower phase (wk 3 and 4); and 0.0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.375, and 0.50% bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively, during the
finisher phase (wk 5 and 6).
1
Crude protein (%)
MEn, (kcal/kg)
Calcium (%)
Phosphorus, nonphytate (%)
Potassium (%)
Sodium (%)
Chloride (%)
Dietary electrolyte balance,
K+Na–Cl (mEq)
Methionine + cystine (%)
Methionine (%)
Lysine (%)
Threonine (%)
Tryptophan (%)
Arginine (%)
Histidine (%)
Leucine (%)
Isoleucine (%)
Glycine + serine (%)
Phenylalanine + tyrosine (%)
Valine (%)
Item
Starter diets (0–2 wk of age)
TABLE 2. Calculated nutritional composition of the treatment diets1
562
JAPR: Research Report
BREGENDAHL ET AL.: SPRAY-DRIED PLASMA PROTEIN
TABLE 3. Growth performance of broilers fed bovine
spray-dried plasma protein (experiment 1)
Growth
phase
and dietary
treatment1
Starter
A
B
C
D
E
Standard error
Significance2
Grower
A
B
C
D
E
Standard erorr
Significance2
Finisher
A
B
C
D
E
Standard error
Significance2
Overall
A
B
C
D
E
Standard error
Significance2
Feed
Body
Feed
conversion
weight
consumption (kg of feed/kg
gain (kg)
(kg)
of gain)
0.410
0.395
0.406
0.408
0.401
0.007
NS
0.511
0.501
0.514
0.514
0.501
0.007
NS
1.249
1.272
1.267
1.258
1.253
0.015
NS
1.179
1.171
1.194
1.173
1.163
0.011
NS
1.666
1.644
1.698
1.691
1.635
0.014
Q, C
1.403
1.403
1.429
1.442
1.407
0.009
Q, C
1.359
1.362
1.371
1.362
1.358
0.022
NS
2.458
2.450
2.451
2.444
2.467
0.027
NS
1.681
1.672
1.660
1.667
1.668
0.018
NS
2.957
2.928
2.971
2.943
2.922
0.027
NS
4.621
4.554
4.641
4.631
4.562
0.036
NS
1.526
1.529
1.548
1.537
1.524
0.009
NS
1
Diets A, B, C, D, and E contained 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and
2.0% bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively, during
the starter phase (wk 1 and 2); 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and
1.00% bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively,
during the grower phase (wk 3 and 4); and 0.0, 0.125, 0.25,
0.375, and 0.50% bovine spray-dried plasma protein,
respectively, during the finisher phase (wk 5 and 6).
2
NS at P > 0.05; Q = quadratic effect (P < 0.05); C = cubic
effect (P < 0.05).
mance of broilers and turkeys raised in an unsanitary environment. Administering SDPP through
automatic drinking systems is beneficial for
short-term administration as well as during stress
periods or disease outbreaks when feed consumption may be low, but has the disadvantage
of requiring daily cleaning of the drinker system
to avoid bacterial buildup. Including SDPP in
the diet offers the convenience of incorporating
563
functional proteins into the broiler management
program on a more long-term basis. The objectives of this study were to determine the growthperformance and carcass-quality responses of
growing broiler chickens to graded levels of dietary bovine SDPP when raised in an unsanitary
environment simulating common production
practices. All procedures were approved by the
Iowa State University Committee on Animal
Care.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In experiment 1, the unsanitary environment
was created by mixing 50% clean pine shavings
with 50% soiled litter from an on-site turkey
barn. The litter was reused in experiment 2,
which was performed 2 wk after the conclusion
of experiment 1. During the 2-wk down period,
the building remained heated (minimum 15°C),
while the litter was blended with an additional
25% soiled turkey litter and kept moist to facilitate bacterial growth.
In each experiment, 480 unvaccinated 1-dold male broiler chicks (Ross × Ross 308) were
purchased from a commercial hatchery [14] and
transported to the Iowa State University Poultry
Science Center outside Ames, IA. Upon arrival,
the chicks were wing banded and randomly allotted to 40 floor pens [15], after which each pen
was assigned 1 of the 5 dietary treatments (Tables 1 and 2) according to a randomized complete block design. Spray-dried plasma protein
[16] of bovine origin replaced soybean meal in
the control diet on a lysine basis. When necessary, contents of DL-methionine and fat were
adjusted to maintain equal dietary contents of
energy and methionine + cysteine. All diets were
formulated to meet or exceed the National Research Council’s [17] nutrient recommendations
for broiler chickens using the feed-ingredient
nutrient profiles reported by the National Research Council [17]. The nutrient profile reported by the National Research Council [18]
and an estimated nitrogen-corrected metabolizable energy content of 3500 kcal/kg were used
for SDPP. The diets were pelleted after which
portions of the animal–vegetable blend and all
of the SDPP were added; the starter diet was
crumbled following pelleting.
Feed consumption was determined weekly
and broilers were weighed every 7 d as pen
JAPR: Research Report
564
TABLE 4. Mortality and flock uniformity after 6 wk of feeding bovine spray-dried plasma protein.
Experiment 1
Dietary treatment1
A
B
C
D
E
Standard error
Significance2
Experiment 2
Overall
mortality (%)
Live
weight
coefficient
of variation (%)
Broilers
within ± 10%
of the
pen mean (%)
2.1
7.3
4.2
3.1
6.3
—3
NS3
9.0
8.7
8.7
8.4
8.1
0.7
NS
77.6
77.5
81.4
77.7
81.9
4.5
NS
Overall
mortality (%)
Live
weight
coefficient
of variation (%)
Broilers
within ± 10%
of the
pen mean (%)
10.4
13.5
8.3
12.5
15.6
—3
NS3
12.6
10.8
8.4
8.7
11.5
1.1
Q
56.6
75.7
78.9
80.7
69.2
5.5
Q
1
Diets A, B, C, D, and E contained 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively, during the
starter phase (wk 1 and 2); 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00% bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively, during the
grower phase (wk 3 and 4); and 0.0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.375, and 0.50% bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively, during
the finisher phase (wk 5 and 6).
2
NS at P > 0.05; Q = quadratic effect (P < 0.05).
3
Mortality percentages were transformed to arcsine square root percentages before statistical analysis.
weights until d 41 of age, when individual body
weights were recorded in the late afternoon. In
the morning of d 42 posthatching, after an overnight fast, broilers were transported to the Iowa
State University Meat Laboratory for slaughter
and chilling according to USDA guidelines [19].
Chilled carcass weights were recorded for all
broilers, and carcasses were subsequently cut
into breast, leg, wings (including wing tips), and
remainder of carcass (including the neck). The
weights of all parts were recorded; for breast,
the skin + bones and meat were weighed separately. All processing and carcass measurements
were performed in pen order, thereby randomizing the order in which broilers on different treatments were processed. In experiment 1, the cutup procedure, performed on only 5 carcasses per
pen, resulted in high person-to-person variability
and the data were deemed unreliable and not
included in this report. The cut-up procedures
were consequently changed for experiment 2,
such that measurements (still performed in pen
order) were made on all carcasses and specific
cuts were assigned to specific persons in an attempt to minimize person-to-person variability.
Data were subjected to analysis of variance procedures appropriate for a randomized complete
block design with the pen locations within the
barn as blocking criterion. Mortality percentages
were transformed to arcsine square root percentages before statistical analysis to ensure a normal
distribution [20]. Individual pens served as ex-
perimental units and effects of bovine SDPP
were evaluated using linear, quadratic, and cubic
contrasts with P < 0.05 considered significant.
Results are expressed as means of 8 pens per
dietary treatment ± pooled standard error.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In experiment 1, dietary bovine SDPP did
not (P > 0.05) affect growth performance in
the starter phase, but increased (P < 0.05) feed
consumption in the grower phase, leading to a
significantly poorer feed conversion in this phase
(Table 3). However, neither the rate of body
weight gain nor feed conversion was affected
by SDPP in the finisher or overall growth phases
(P > 0.05), which disagreed with observations
from previous reports of broilers and turkeys fed
bovine SDPP [9, 11, 12, 21]. The final body
weight (3.14 ± 0.03 kg), mortality, and flock
uniformity (Table 4) were not affected (P > 0.05)
by the dietary treatments in experiment 1. The
low mortality of the control-fed birds (diet A)
coupled with a growth performance surpassing
that expected from the Ross-308 performance
objectives [22] suggested that the environment
in experiment 1 was not sufficiently unsanitary
to elicit clear SDPP responses. Indeed, a lack of
growth performance responses to dietary SDPP
is observed in broilers and pigs when the controlfed animals are performing above expectations
[7, 11]. Experiment 1 was therefore repeated,
with the anticipation that reusing the soiled litter
BREGENDAHL ET AL.: SPRAY-DRIED PLASMA PROTEIN
TABLE 5. Growth performance of broilers fed bovine
spray-dried plasma protein (experiment 2)
Growth
phase
and dietary
treatment1
Starter
A
B
C
D
E
Standard error
Significance2
Grower
A
B
C
D
E
Standard error
Significance2
Finisher
A
B
C
D
E
Standard error
Significance2
Overall
A
B
C
D
E
Standard error
Significance2
Body
weight
gain
(kg)
Feed
consumption
(kg)
Feed
conversion
(kg of feed/kg
of gain)
0.389
0.396
0.379
0.396
0.388
0.004
NS
0.534
0.543
0.543
0.540
0.509
0.010
Q
1.375
1.374
1.434
1.366
1.314
0.026
Q
1.053
1.095
1.075
1.121
1.071
0.015
Q
1.579
1.600
1.588
1.625
1.553
0.018
NS
1.500
1.462
1.478
1.449
1.450
0.010
L
1.325
1.340
1.350
1.352
1.309
0.020
NS
2.390
2.465
2.450
2.476
2.405
0.029
Q
1.806
1.840
1.817
1.832
1.841
0.022
NS
2.767
2.831
2.803
2.869
2.767
0.028
Q
4.424
4.509
4.544
4.574
4.357
0.050
Q
1.599
1.594
1.622
1.595
1.575
0.014
NS
1
Diets A, B, C, D, and E contained 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and
2.0% bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively, during
the starter phase (wk 1 and 2); 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and
1.00% bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively,
during the grower phase (wk 3 and 4); and 0.0, 0.125, 0.25,
0.375, and 0.50% bovine spray-dried plasma protein,
respectively, during the finisher phase (wk 5 and 6).
2
NS at P > 0.05; L = linear effect (P < 0.05); Q = quadratic
effect (P < 0.05).
would result in an environment that was more
unsanitary than that achieved in experiment 1.
The rate of body weight gain of the controlfed broilers (diet A) from 0 to 6 wk of age
observed in experiment 2 (67.5 ± 0.7 g/d) was
lower than that observed in experiment 1 (72.1
± 0.7 g/d) and the body weights less uniform at
slaughter (57% of the control-fed broilers were
within 10% of the mean pen body weight in
565
experiment 2 compared with 78% of broilers in
experiment 1; Table 4). In addition, the mortality
of control-fed broilers in experiment 2 was appreciably higher than that observed in experiment 1 (Table 4). These observations suggest
that the reuse of the litter and the lack of cleaning
and disinfection of the barn between the experiments resulted in a relatively more unsanitary
environment in experiment 2 in which the bovine
SDPP would exert its effects.
In the unsanitary environment of experiment
2, dietary bovine SDPP increased feed consumption in all growth phases except the grower
phase, and increased the body weights in both
the grower and overall phases (P < 0.05; Table
5). The higher rate of body weight gain of SDPPfed broilers was accompanied by an improved
feed utilization in the starter and grower phases
(P < 0.05), an effect also observed by Campbell
et al. [11] when broilers were raised in an unsanitary environment. SDPP contains immunoglobulins that enhance the immune system and, at
least in part, explains the improved growth performance of antigen-exposed pigs [23]. Because
broilers have immature immune systems immediately following hatch, antibodies in the bovine
SDPP were expected to compensate for the immature status of the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and protect against pathogens that
may suppress feed consumption and growth rate
during this period [24, 25, 26]. However, bovine
SDPP did not significantly improve growth performance in the first 2 wk of age, but did improve
the overall rate of body weight gain and feed
consumption in experiment 2. Yi et al. [9] reported that SDPP improved rate of body weight
gain at 3 and 7 d of age and Campbell et al.
[11] showed that SDPP improved rate of body
weight gain, feed consumption rate, and feed
conversion of broilers up to 3 wk of age.
Mortality was not affected by the dietary
treatments (P > 0.05; Table 4), which is in
agreement with observations of pigs and broilers
raised in immune-challenging environments and
fed porcine SDPP or bovine spray-dried serum
proteins, respectively [7, 11]. However, bovine
SDPP administered through the water to turkeys
protected against mortality caused by a challenge with Pasteurella multocida, the causative
agent of fowl cholera [21]. In experiment 2 of
the present study, broilers under 2 wk of age,
JAPR: Research Report
566
TABLE 6. Carcass composition1 after 6 wk of feeding bovine spray-dried plasma protein (experiment 2)
Dietary
treatment2
A
B
C
D
E
Standard error
Significance3
Carcass composition
(% of carcass weight)
Live weight at
slaughter (kg)
Carcass
weight
(kg)
Dressing
percentage
Leg
Wing
Remainder
of carcass
2.80
2.87
2.84
2.90
2.80
0.03
Q
2.01
2.04
2.03
2.07
1.99
0.02
Q
71.4
71.2
71.4
71.2
71.1
0.3
NS
29.6
29.6
29.1
29.3
29.5
0.2
NS
10.5
10.6
10.5
10.5
10.2
0.1
L
24.8
24.8
24.6
24.5
24.7
0.2
NS
1
Skin-on, bone-in.
Diets A, B, C, D, and E contained 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively, during the
starter phase (wk1 and 2); 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00% bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively, during the
grower phase (wk 3 and 4); and 0.0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.375, and 0.50% bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively, during
the finisher phase (wk 5 and 6).
3
NS at P > 0.05; L = linear effect (P < 0.05); Q = quadratic effect (P < 0.05).
2
regardless of diet, generally died from causes
relating to E. coli and Streptococcus infections,
whereas broilers older than 2 wk of age died
from either ascites syndrome or pulmonary hemorrhage. The high incidence of mortality from
ascites syndrome across all dietary treatments
in experiment 2 was likely instigated by the
lighting program [27], which was intentionally
lengthened in an attempt to increase feed consumption and growth rate. The flock uniformity
(measured as coefficients of variation and proportion of birds within 10% of the mean body
weight) improved quadratically (P < 0.05) with
increasing dietary bovine SDPP (Table 4).
The broilers fed bovine SDPP were heavier
(P < 0.05) than control-fed broilers at slaughter
in experiment 2 and, because SDPP did not affect dressing percentage (P > 0.10), the SDPPfed birds also had a higher carcass weights (Table 6). Bovine SDPP increased (P < 0.05) breastmeat yield expressed as a percentage of carcass
weight cubically (Figure 1). No significant effects on the cut-up yields of legs or the remainder
of the carcass were observed; however, the
wings made up a slightly smaller, linearly decreasing (P < 0.05), percentage of the carcass
with increasing dietary bovine SDPP (Table 6).
Specific cuts were made by the same person and
carcasses were processed in pen order, so it is
unlikely that the larger breast-meat yield and
corresponding smaller wing weights were
caused by the processing procedure. Both nutrition and health status affect muscle development
and breast-meat yield [28, 29]. Furthermore, the
amount of feed consumed immediately posthatching affects body weight and breast-muscle
yield at 41 d of age [29]. In the present experiment, bovine SDPP tended to increase feed consumption quadratically during the first week
after hatch (P = 0.08; data not shown) and increased feed consumption quadratically (P <
0.05) in the starter phase. It is possible that the
effects of SDPP on feed consumption was manifested already at 3 d of age as indicated by Yi
et al. [9], in which case the increase in feed
consumption could account for the improvement
in breast-meat yield observed in experiment 2.
The results from this study show that bovine
SDPP had a positive effect on growth performance, breast-meat yield, and flock uniformity
of broilers raised in the relatively unsanitary
environment of experiment 2. The quadratic response to dietary bovine SDPP indicated that
the above-mentioned effects were realized at intermediate inclusion levels. Reasons for the decrease in growth performance and carcass characteristics of birds fed diet E with up to 2%
SDPP is unclear. Yi et al. [9] reported no adverse
effects of feeding diets containing up to 9%
SDPP to broilers, with the highest body weight
gain in broilers fed diets containing 3% SDPP.
In experiment 2 of the current study, broilers on
diet E had higher mortality rates, a higher live
weight coefficient of variation, fewer broilers
with a body weight within 10% of the pen mean,
lower rate of body weight gain, less feed con-
BREGENDAHL ET AL.: SPRAY-DRIED PLASMA PROTEIN
567
FIGURE 1. Breast-meat yield after 6 wk of feeding bovine spray-dried plasma protein (experiment 2). Values are
means ± standard error (n = 8). Diets A, B, C, D, and E contained 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% bovine spray-dried
plasma protein, respectively, during the starter phase (wk 1 and 2); 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00% bovine
spray-dried plasma protein, respectively, during the grower phase (wk 3 and 4); and 0.0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.375, and
0.50% bovine spray-dried plasma protein, respectively, during the finisher phase (wk 5 and 6).
sumption, and less carcass weight than chickens
fed diets B, C, and D, receiving lower levels of
bovine SDPP in the feed. Crude-protein analysis
of the diets did not reveal major differences
among diets (data not shown) that may otherwise
have explained the adverse effects. The diets
were not adjusted for the relatively high sodium
content of bovine SDPP (3.0%), which in the
starter phase increased the calculated dietary sodium content to as much as 0.26% (Table 2).
Although the dietary sodium (or salt) content
may influence feed intake, Murakami et al. [30]
did not find any adverse effects on growth performance or breast-meat yield of broilers fed
diets containing up to 0.30% sodium. The palatability of bovine SDPP has not been investigated
for chickens, but porcine SDPP is reported to
be highly palatable to weanling pigs [31]. The
performance of broilers on diet E was similar
to that of the control broilers, suggesting a low
consumption of SDPP by broilers fed diet E.
Because the SDPP was sprayed on the diets after
pelleting, it cannot be ruled out that there was
some separation of the SDPP from the pellets
during transport and storage of the feed. If so,
the lack of effect of SDPP in diet E may be
because of a lower intake of SDPP due to the
separation from the pellets.
CONCLUSIONS AND APPLICATIONS
1. Dietary bovine SDPP did not improve growth performance or breast-meat yield of broilers in
experiment 1.
2. Dietary bovine SDPP, fed at intermediate levels throughout the growth period, improved growth
performance, breast-meat yield, and flock uniformity of broilers in experiment 2.
3. Differences in the degree of sanitation and, therefore, pathogen exposure between experiments
1 and 2 may explain the effects of dietary bovine SDPP in experiment 2.
4. Further research is needed to determine the optimal inclusion level of bovine SDPP, to determine
if SDPP should be fed throughout the growth period or in early growth phases only, and to
determine how dietary SDPP improves breast-meat yield.
JAPR: Research Report
568
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by APC, Inc., Ankeny, IA, and
in part by the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment
Station, Iowa State University, Ames, IA. Our appreciation goes to P.
Dixon, Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, for statistical
advice and to the staff at the Iowa State University Poultry Science
Center for daily care of the chickens and help with the processing.