Protein from preprocessed waste activated sludge as a nutritional supplement in chicken feed.
Five groups of broiler chickens were raised on feed containing varying substitutions of single cell protein from preprocessed waste activated sludge (pWAS) in varying compositions of 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0 pWAS: fishmeal by mass. Forty chickens per batch were evaluated for growth rate, mortality rate, and feed conversion efficiency (ηє). The initial mass gain rate, mortality rate, initial and operational cost analyses showed that protein from pWAS could successfully replace the commercial feed supplements with a significant cost saving without adversely affecting the health of the birds. The chickens raised on preprocessed WAS weighed 19% more than those raised on fishmeal protein supplement over a 45 day test period. Growing chickens on pWAS translated into a 46% cost saving due to the fast growth rate and minimal death losses before maturity.
Environmental Engineering Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa E-mail: Evans.Chirwa@up.ac.za.
Evans M N
EM
Chirwa
Environmental Engineering Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa E-mail: Evans.Chirwa@up.ac.za.
Moses T
MT
Lebitso
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis
D000596:Amino Acids; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D008670:Metals; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D012722:Sewage