Influence of an increasing content of blue sweet lupines ( Lupinus angustifolius) in feed on the growth of broiler chickens

One-day old male 400 cockerels (ROSS) were randomly allocated into 5 treatment groups (8 pens/group) over a study period of 35 days. Feed and water were provided for ad libitum consumption. Live weight was recorded for each broiler individually whereas feed was weighed back weekly on a pen-basis. In the diets, soybean meal (32%) was gradually replaced by lupines (5/15%) as seeds or after toasting. The low-alkaloid lupine variety “Borlu” contained 297/317 g/kg crude protein (seed/after toasting). All diets contained a balanced concentration of 21 % crude protein and the essential amino acids. N-balance trial was carried out with 9 replicates per group 1, 3, 5 and broilers from the same hatch at the age of 3 weeks. Data were analyzed via ANOVA (SAS). The results of this study indicate that an inclusion rate up to a level of 15% blue sweet lupines or 15% toasted blue sweet lupines in broilers’ diets was without negative effects on feed intake (87.2/85.2 g/broiler/day), growth performance (2160/2100 g), percentage of carcass (n=8 per group) and protein utility (n=9 per group). The trial’s results allow the conclusion that a replacement of soybean meal with blue sweet lupines up to a level of 15 % does not affect the growing performance of broilers and toasting of lupines seed does not result in a better chicken performance.