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Feather Meal and Hair Meal as Protein Sources for Steer Calves¹

Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907

Abstract

The effect of feather and hair meal protein supplements on dry matter, energy and nitrogen utilization was evaluated with steer calves fed high-concentrate diets. A replicated switchback experimental design was conducted with two blocks of three Hereford steers each. Feather meal or hair meal was substituted for soybean meal in a 32% pelleted protein supplement and fed in a corn-ground cob diet (12% crude protein). Two weeks after the end of the metabolism study, blood and rumen samples were collected from each animal at 1, 2, 4 and 6 hr post-feeding to determine the effect of supplemental protein source on plasma urea nitrogen and ruminal ammonia concentrations.

Supplemental protein source had no effect (P>.05) on dry matter or gross energy digestibility. Fecal N excretion levels tended to be higher for animals fed hair and feather meal supplemented diets. This resulted in a greater (P<.05) apparent N digestibility for animals fed soybean meal. Animals fed soybean meal excreted more (P<.05) urinary N than those fed the feather or hair meal supplemented diets. Protein source had no effect on nitrogen retention, but steers fed the hair and feather meal protein supplements retained a higher (P<.05) percentage of absorbed nitrogen than those fed soybean meal. Cattle fed the soybean meal supplemented diets had higher (P<.05) rumen ammonia levels at 1, 2 and 4 hr after feeding and higher (P<.01) plasma urea nitrogen levels at 2, 4 and 6 hr post-feeding than cattle fed either the feather meal or hair meal supplemented diets. Lower levels of rumen ammonia and plasma urea nitrogen in animals fed feather meal and hair meal at each sampling time indicate possibly lower protein solubility in the rumen, which may have had a depressing effect on dry matter and gross energy digestibility.

¹ Journal Paper No. 6349 of the Purdue Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Animal Sciences.

² Present address: Department of Animal Industries, University of Idaho, Moscow 83843.