Macadamia nut cake as an alternative feedstuff for broilers: Effect on growth performance

Corn, wheat, and soybean meal (SBM) have been primarily used as feedstuffs in animal feeding programs. However, it is necessary to explore and evaluate alternative feedstuffs to deal with variable costs and the supply of these conventional feedstuffs. This study determined the nutrient composition of macadamia nut cake (MNC) and its effect on the growth performance of broiler chickens fed at graded levels. A total of 180 d-old chicks were randomly and equally assigned to one of the treatment diets: 0 g/kg (control), 50, 100, 150, and 200 g/kg MNC included in cornsoybean meal-based diets. Body weight (BW) and feed intake were recorded to calculate average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion rate (FCR). Dietary inclusion of different levels of MNC during both starter (0?21 days) and finisher (22?42 days) period had similar average BW and ADG to control diet (P 0.05). ADFI and FCR increased linearly with increasing concentration of MNC with significance at 200 g/kg during starter, and 150 g/kg MNC during finisher and overall study period compared to control (P < 0.05). Although MNC is high in fiber content, there was no retardation in growth. It could be due to the richness of essential nutrients, high lipid residue, and the beneficial role of fiber on gut health. Thus, MNC can be included up to 150 g/kg in broilers diets without compromising the growth performance and can serve as a potential alternative feedstuff to partially replace corn and SBM.