Use of Camelina sativa in the Diets of Young Turkeys

Camelina sativa is one of various oilseed crops being studied for its potential value in biofuel production. The resultant by-product of oil extraction, camelina meal (CM), could be marketable as a livestock feed. Our study evaluated the potential use of CM as a feed ingredient in turkey poult starter diets. This was a pilot study to determine whether further work investigating inclusion of CM as a potential feed ingredient in turkey diets might be of value if a least-cost formulation warranted its integration. Results indicate that CM may be a potentially useful minor ingredient in turkey diets if economically feasible, but caution should be exercised in using CM above 5% of finished feed in a poult starter diet. In an appended test, similar weight gain and feed conversion were attained with a diet containing camelina oil as a replacement for vegetable oil compared with the control diet.