Effect of Feeding a Dry-Heat-Processed Sweet Potato Waste on the Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Broilers

Abstract

Dry-heat-processed sweet potato waste (D-SPW) was evaluated as a broiler feed. Sixteen 14-day old broiler chicks were divided into control and D-SPW groups and received starter diet (14 to 28 d; CP, 20%; ME, 13.0 MJ/kg) and grower-finisher diet (29 to 42 d; CP, 18%; ME, 13.0 MJ/kg). The D-SPW group fed on the starter diet containing 28.4% D-SPW and the grower-finisher diet containing 25.5% D-SPW. Except for lipids, the nutrient metabolizabilities of the D-SPW group were lower than those of the control group. There were no significant differences in growth performance between the two groups. The pH values of breast and leg muscles were higher in the D-SPW group than those in the control group at 1 and 48 h postmortem. Color values of yellowness of the muscles and abdominal fat tissues were lower in the D-SPW group than in the control group, indicating that meat yellowness was most susceptible to D-SPW. On the other hand, the effect of D-SPW on lightness and redness were limited. The lipid contents of the muscles were higher in the D-SPW group than in the control group. Therefore, a feed incorporating D-SPW is available for broilers instead of using corn.