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Cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata, Walp) as Potential Substitute for Soybean Oil Meal in Broiler Diet
Dissertation Abstract:
Two feeding experiments and two metabolism trails were undertaken to evaluate the chemical and biological values of cowpea and determine its potential as substitute for soybean oil meal in broiler diet.
Matured cowpea seeds, either cooked or raw, had about the same values for proximate composition, amino acid spectrum, calcium, and phosphorus, trace elements (copper. iron, manganese, and zinc), urease activity, and metabolism energy. Cowpea had higher metabolizable energy than soybean oil meal, but the latter had higher crude protein, amino acids, and mineral content. Urease content was low in cowpea and cooking was unnecessary for it to be used.
The coefficients of apparent metabolized energy and crude protein were generally improved when cowpea was combined with other feed ingredients or with the complete broiler diet.
The general performance of broilers in terms of feed consumption, body weight, feed, and protein efficiencies fed with the cowpea substituted diet was about the same, if not better, than those fed with a diet without cowpea or all soybean oil meal protein diet (control). The values obtained for these parameters were very much better as compared with the performance of the same strain of commercial broiler hybrids fed with commercial broiler starter mash. There were no significant differences observed among treatment means on these parameters at five percent level of probability. Similarly, no significant interactions were observed between processing methods (raw + cooked), or among substitution levels of cowpea (0-49 or 15-49 days). There were no significant differences in the dressing percentages and weights of gizzard, liver, and pancreas of broilers fed with the cowpea diets. Under the conditions of the present study, cowpea either cooked or raw, can substitute for soybean oil meal up to 100 percent in broiler diet.