PMID- 35800152 OWN - NLM STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE LR - 20220716 IS - 2451-943X (Electronic) IS - 2451-943X (Linking) VI - 17 DP - 2022 Sep TI - Sclerocarya birrea caffra nut meal as a substitute to soyabean meal: Effects on growth performance, feed intake and utilisation and viscera macromorphometry of blue-helmeted guinea fowl. PG - 100254 LID - 10.1016/j.vas.2022.100254 [doi] LID - 100254 AB - Imported soyabean meal (SBM) is the major dietary protein (DP) source for the sub-Saharan African poultry industry making poultry production costly. Therefore, alternative locally available DP sources are required. We evaluated the potential of locally available Marula nut meal (MNM) to substitute SBM in Guinea fowl (GF) diets by determining its effects on growth, feed intake (FI) and utilisation and viscera macromorphometry. Five grower diets wherein, on a CP basis, MNM substituted SBM at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% were formulated. Thirty-eight 4-week-old keets (n = 7 - 8), each individually housed in a cage, were randomly assigned to grower diets, and fed for 5 weeks and then transferred to corresponding finisher diets and fed for 3 weeks. Induction and weekly body mass, daily FI, and terminal body mass (TBM), body mass gain (BMG), average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were determined. On slaughter, viscera masses, small and large intestines lengths, tibiae and femora indices were determined. In week 2 of the grower phase GF fed diet 3 (50% MNM CP) had the highest weekly BMG and ADG (P < 0.05) and in week 5 GF fed diet 5 (100% MNM CP) had the highest FI (P < 0.05). Dietary MNM did not affect the GF's BMG, ADG, FI and FCR during weeks 1, 3 and 4 of the grower phase. In week 3 of the finisher phase GF fed diet 3 (50% MNM CP) had the highest (P < 0.05) FCR. Dietary MNM had no effect (P > 0.05) on the trial BMG, ADG and FI of the GF but GF reared on grower and finisher diets 3 (50% substitution of SBM CP) had the highest (P < 0.05) FCR. MNM had no effect on tibiae and femora masses, lengths, and mass: length ratios and viscera macromorphometry of the GF. We conclude that MNM can, on a CP basis, substitute SBM, in GF grower and finisher diets at 25%, 75% and 100% without compromising growth, FI and utilization and viscera of GF. CI - (c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. FAU - Nkwanyana, Thandanani Z AU - Nkwanyana TZ AD - School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa. FAU - Lembede, Busisani AU - Lembede B AD - School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa. FAU - Chivandi, Eliton AU - Chivandi E AD - School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa. LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20220614 PL - Netherlands TA - Vet Anim Sci JT - Veterinary and animal science JID - 101694897 PMC - PMC9253647 OTO - NOTNLM OT - ADG, Average daily gain OT - BMG, Body mass gain OT - CP, Crude protein OT - DP, Dietary protein OT - FCR, Feed conversion ratio OT - FI, Feed intake OT - Feed utilization efficiency OT - GF, Guinea fowl OT - GIT, Gastrointestinal tract OT - Growth performance OT - MNM, Marula nut meal OT - Non-conventional feed ingredients OT - Numida meleagris OT - SBM, Soyabean meal OT - SSA, sub - Saharan Africa OT - Sclerocarya birrea OT - TBM, Terminal body mass OT - WRAF, Wits Research Animal Facility COIS- Thandanani Zola Nkwanyana reports financial support was provided by National Research Fund. EDAT- 2022/07/09 06:00 MHDA- 2022/07/09 06:01 PMCR- 2022/06/14 CRDT- 2022/07/08 02:45 PHST- 2022/07/08 02:45 [entrez] PHST- 2022/07/09 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2022/07/09 06:01 [medline] PHST- 2022/06/14 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - S2451-943X(22)00025-4 [pii] AID - 100254 [pii] AID - 10.1016/j.vas.2022.100254 [doi] PST - epublish SO - Vet Anim Sci. 2022 Jun 14;17:100254. doi: 10.1016/j.vas.2022.100254. eCollection 2022 Sep.