Growth performance of male broilers fed ExPress® soybean meal and high-shear dry extruded corn

Soybean meal (SBM), a co-product of soybean oil obtained via solvent or mechanical extrusion, is the key protein source in broiler diet formulations. Mechanical extrusion, or high-temperature processing with high-shear dry extrusion, has demonstrated 1 to 2% increased amino acid digestibility in broilers versus solvent-extracted SBM through reduction of antinutritional factors (ANF). High-shear dry extrusion followed by mechanical pressing using a screw press (extruding-pressing) produces soy oil and partially de-oiled soymeal (ExPress). The extruding-pressing process has been growing in popularity due to improved cost and material efficiency by eliminating the need for solvents or steam dryers in the production of animal feed ingredients. Corn extrusion is likewise linked with increased nutritive value through improved palatability and approximately 20% increased starch gelatinization, resulting in superior growth performance and in one reported case, reduced mortality in broilers. In the present study, high-shear dry extruded corn and ExPress SBM were formulated in combination with conventional corn and solvent-extracted SBM to determine impact on growth performance in male broilers. Extruded corn increased feed intake and ExPress SBM increased weight gain. The diet containing dry extruded corn and ExPress SBM outperformed all other diet combinations, including unprocessed, ground corn and conventional, solvent-extracted SBM variations. The diet containing unprocessed, ground corn and ExPress SBM had the most efficient overall feed conversion ratio (FCR). The combination of lower feed intake observed with the ground corn ingredient and the improved protein digestibility reflected by superior growth in ExPress SBM made this the ideal formulation, out of the 4 diets examined, in terms of feed efficiency.