Performance of Broilers Fed Finishing Diets with Fermented Cotton Seed Meal as Partial Replacement for Soybean Meal

This study assessed effects of replacing soybean meal with graded levels of fermented cotton seed meal (FCSM) in broiler finishing diets on their growth. Cotton seed meal (CSM) was mixed with sodium carbonate (10g/kg CSM) and incubated in sealed bags for 14 days. It was thereafter sun-dried and incorporated in broiler finisher diets at 0, 15, and 20% as replacement for soybean meal. Unfermented CSM was also incorporated in other two diets at 15% and 20%. 100-three weeks-old broiler chicks were divided into five groups, randomly assigned to 0, 15 and 20% FCSM and 15 and 20% CSC diets, and fed ad libitum until 42 days of age. Feed consumption, body weight, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were assesed. Also, economic benefit of using FCSM, compared to CSM was evaluated. Replacing soybean meal with 15 and 20% FCSM and 15% CSM in broiler finishing diets had no significant effect on the parameters assessed. However, broilers fed diets with 20% CSM had lower (p < 0.05) final weights compared to birds in other treatments. Inclusion of FCSM in the diets at 20% yielded the highest gross profit margin compared to other treatments. Thus, replacing soybean meal with FCSM had no deleterious effects on growth performance of broilers, and yielded better economic returns on investment at 20%.