The use of corn gluten meal instead of herring and meat meal in broiler diets and its effect on performance, carcass fatty acid composition and other carcass characteristics

Corn gluten meal (CGM), a by-product from the manufacture of corn starch and corn syrup, was used in a trial with broiler chickens in replacement of animal derived by-products. Sixty day-old chickens were randomly allocated into two groups (C = control group, G1 = gluten group) with three sub-groups each. Throughout the experiment that lasted 42 days, the chickens in group C were fed on a regular, commercial diet, whereas those in group G1 were given a similar diet in which all animal protein sources were replaced by CGM. The results showed that the feeding of the chickens with CGM had no effect (P > 0.05) on body weight, daily feed consumption and feed conversion ratio during the experimental period. Carcass characteristics of chickens carcass weight and yield, breast and thigh muscle composition (crude protein, fat and ash) - were, also, not affected (P > 0.05) by the diet for both sexes. While some differences (P less than or equal to 0.05) in the lipids of thigh muscles and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue were observed, the fatty acid profiles in the total lipids of breast of the birds at the 42 ad day of age were not significantly different (P > 0.05). No or marginal differences were detected in the proportions of total saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.