Evaluation of Rapeseed Meal as a Protein Supplement for Laying Hen Diets

A SUBSTANTIAL amount of work has been reported regarding the use of rapeseed meal in poultry diets (O’Neil, 1957; MacGregor and Blakely, 1964; Bowland et al., 1965; Summers et al., 1967, 1969; Jackson, 1969; and others). Although the results, in general, indicate that poultry can utilize fairly high levels of rapeseed meal, this product has not been readily accepted by the feed industry. Inferior quality, as compared to soybean meal, and the presence of “toxic factors” are criticisms most commonly voiced against rapeseed meal. Since there is a limited amount of work reported on the feeding value of rapeseed meal to laying hens and one of the latter reports (Jackson, 1969) has indicated that there may be a difference in strain of bird with respect to “toxicity,” the present study was undertaken to gain additional information on the nutritive value of rapeseed meal for the laying hen. In view of…