Growth performance and carcass composition of turkey hens fed corn gluten feed

Female poults were fed diets containing 0, 10, or 20% corn gluten feed (CGF) from 0 to 16 wk of age or no CGF from 0 to 9 wk and 20% CGF from 9 to 16 wk of age. All diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric, within each age interval. Diets containing CGF had no significant effect on body weight gain, feed efficiency, yield of carcass parts, or carcass composition, as compared with effects of feeding a corn-soybean meal control diet. However, age of slaughter, 14 vs. 16 wk, had a significant effect on the proportion of breast meat, breast bone, thigh skin, thigh bone, and drums. Carcasses were significantly higher in protein and lower in fat at 14 wk than at 16 wk of age. Results suggest CGF can successfully constitute up to 10% of the diet of growing turkey hens. The use of CGF in turkey diets up to this level would be governed by the economics of the nutrient supply. At 20% of the diet, the tendency for CGF to induce moist droppings may impose a restriction on its use, and the degree of restriction would depend on the housing-management situation.