Balloun et al., 1974. Poult. Sci., 53 (3):1084-1095

At 4% of diets, dried whey (when added to a 28% protein corn-soybean meal diet) caused increases in weight gain, nitrogen retention, protein digestibility and fat digestibility and improved feed conversion of poults to 4 weeks of age. From 4 to 8 weeks of age, poults gained weight and utilized feed similarly, regardless of the presence or absence of dried whey in the diets. Dried brewers’ yeast did not affect weight gain, feed efficiency, nitrogen retention or protein digestibility. Feather meal, replacing a portion of the soybean meal in a 28% corn-soybean meal diet supplemented with methionine and lysine, was a good protein source for turkey poults between 4 and 8 weeks of age. In this period, diets with up to 10% feather meal promoted as good weight gain, feed conversion, nitrogen retention, protein digestibility and fat digestibility as did the corn-soybean meal diets. Additions of dried whey or dried brewers’ yeast to the diets during this period did not alter these responses. For poults between 1 and 4 weeks of age, feather meal in the diet at 5% was used efficiently in the presence of 4 to 5% of whey. Feather meal caused reduced weight, poor feed conversion, decreased nitrogen retention, and reduced protein and fat digestibility when included in the diet at more than 5%.