Cotton Seed Meal as a Partial Replacement for Soybean Meal in Cobb 400 Broiler Rations

The effects of inclusion of cotton seed meal (CSM) at graded levels as a partial replacement of soybean meal (SBM) on performance and carcass traits of Cobb 400 broiler chicken were evaluated in a 35 d experiment. A flock of 2400 one day old Cobb 400 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 6 dietary treatments each replicated 4 times (n=100 birds). Inclusion levels of CSM in pre starter, starter and finisher diets were 5, 5 and 5% (T₁); 5, 7.5 and 7.5% (T₂); 5, 7.5 and 10% (T₃); 5, 10 and 10% (T₄) and 5, 15 and 15% (T₅), respectively against a control diet (C) without any CSM. Inclusion of 15% CSM in the starter and finisher diets adversely affected (P<0.05) live weight, FCR and performance index score (PIS) as compared with control group. Across the diets, the economic return score (ERS) was significantly higher in control and T₁ group (5% CSM) and increment of CSM beyond 5% level depressed the value. Breast meat yield was lower in control and T₅ group of birds as compared to all other treatments. It was concluded that inclusion of 5% CSM in prestarter (day 1–14) diet and 10% in starter (day 15–28) and finisher (day 29–35) diet may be safely used as a replacement of SBM in broiler feed without any adverse effect on performance of the birds.