Due to competition between humans, industry and
livestock for crop usage, there is need to identify
alternative plant protein sources readily available and
inexpensive. Beniseed (
Sesamum indicum L.) cake is
considered to replace soybean (
Glycine max
[L.] Merr.)
meal as plant protein source for animal feed. This study
was conducted to evaluate substitution effects of Nigerian
white beniseed cake (BSC) for soybean cake (SBM) in
diets of broilers, and determine optimum substitution
levels. Replacement levels of BSC for SBM in diets
were 0%, 25%, 75%, and 100%. A 56-d feeding trial was
conducted on 264-d old unsexed Cobb broilers, randomly
assigned to four treatment groups of 66 birds each,
with three replicates of 22 birds each in a completely
randomized design. A quadratic type optimization
function was used to determine optimum BSC levels
that significantly affected growth, carcass and blood
indices. Diets 100% BSC had the least body weight at 28
d, final body weight, average daily feed intake (ADFI),
and carcass weight (P < 0.05). Diets with 25%, 75% and
100% BSC had higher efficiency factor, abdominal fats
and white blood corpuscles than 0% substitution diet (P <
0.05). Diet 25% BSC showed significantly higher dressing
percentage (P < 0.05), and diet 0% BSC had higher
serum protein and urea compared to the other diets. The
quadratic function indicated that ADFI was significantly
optimized at 25% BSC+75% SBM, with R
2 = 0.992 and
P-value 0.051. The threshold of 25% to 75% substitution
levels of BSC can replace SBM in the diets of Cobb
broilers without detrimental effects.
