Nutritional value of white lupins (Lupinus albus) for broilers: apparent metabolisable energy, apparent ileal amino acid digestibility and production performance

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of three cultivars (Promore, Kiev mutant and Ultra) of white lupins (Lupinus albus L.) for broilers. In experiment 1, the apparent metabolisable energy (AME) and ileal amino acid digestibility coefficients of the three cultivars were determined. The cultivar effects were significant (P 0.05) between cultivars. The AME value of Ultra cultivar was lower (P 0.05) to those fed the maize–soybean meal diet. The performance of birds fed diets containing different cultivars of white lupins was similar (P > 0.05). Several digestive tract parameters were influenced by the dietary inclusion of white lupins. In particular, the relative liver weight and the relative empty weights of small intestine and caeca in birds fed diets containing white lupins were higher (P 0.05) were observed in the excreta quality scores between the birds fed the maize–soybean meal diet and those fed diets containing white lupins.

Keywords

• white lupins
• apparent metabolisable energy
• amino acids
• ileal digestibility
• broilers