Apparent digestibility of rendered animal protein ingredients for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The apparent digestibility of 20 rendered animal protein ingredients from various origins was determined in three digestibility trials. The ingredients consisted of eight blood meals, four feather meals, six meat and bone meals and two poultry by-product meals. Within each type of ingredient, a relatively large range of raw materials, processing conditions and equipment were represented. In each of three trials, a reference diet was mixed with test ingredients in a 70:30 ratio to produce a series of test diets. The reference and test diets were fed to rainbow trout reared at 15°C and fecal samples were collected using the “Guelph system”. Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) for protein and energy of the four feather meals varied between 81 and 87% and 76 and 80%. Significant differences in the ADC for protein of feather meal were observed and may be related to the drying equipment. The ADC for protein of the two poultry by-product meals was 87 and 91% and that of energy 77 and 87%. The ADC for protein and energy of the six meat and bone meals varied between 83 and 89% and 68 and 83%, respectively. Treatment of one of the meat and bone meals by air-classification to reduce its ash content resulted in a significant increase in the ADC for protein and lipid. ADC for protein of the blood meals varied between 82 and 99% whereas ADC for energy varied between 79 and 99%. Spray-dried blood products (whole blood, blood cells, blood plasma) were highly digestible (ADC protein=96-99%). Rotoplate-, steam-tube- and ring-dried blood meals had significantly lower ADC for protein and energy than spray-dried blood products.