Effects of feeding expeller-extruded high oleic soybeans in broiler diets on growth performance, blood profile, and meat quality

Authors: ATOO, ASHIR - South Dakota State University; PEREZ-PALENCIA, JORGE - South Dakota State University; LEVESQUE, CRYSTAL - South Dakota State University; UNDERWOOD, KEITH - South Dakota State University; KOCH, KIM - Northern Crops Institute; MUELLER, SHANE - Northern Crops Institute; Krishnan, Hari; HONG, JINSU - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/27/2025
Publication Date: 3/7/2025
Citation: Atoo, A.F., Perez-Palencia, J.Y., Levesque, C.L., Underwood, K., Koch, K., Mueller, S., Krishnan, H.B., Hong, J. 2025. Effects of feeding expeller-extruded high oleic soybeans in broiler diets on growth performance, blood profile, and meat quality. Poultry Science. 104(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.104960.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.104960

Interpretive Summary: Soybeans are an important protein source in animal feed. Recently, a new line of soybeans, known as high oleic soybeans, has been developed. These soybeans contain low levels of saturated fat and three times the amount of beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids compared to conventional soybeans. High oleic soybeans have excellent potential as an organic protein ingredient in the diets for organic and alternative poultry production systems. However, only limited studies have been conducted to evaluate the benefits of feeding high oleic soybeans on poultry performance. In this study, we investigated the effects of feeding high oleic soybeans on poultry performance. We demonstrate that supplementing the poultry diet with high oleic soybeans promotes the health and immune status of the birds by improving antioxidant activity. This leads to improved growth performance and low mortality under antibiotic-free production systems. Additionally, we show that feeding high oleic soybeans to broilers also improves the fatty acid profile of chicken meat. The results of our study should aid US poultry producers in producing nutritious and healthy chicken meat, thereby increasing demand for both chicken meat and high oleic soybeans.

Technical Abstract: This study evaluated the effects of expeller-extruded high oleic soybeans (TruSoya) on growth performance, blood immune and antioxidant status, and meat quality of broilers compared with conventional soybean meal (SBM) and expeller-extruded conventional soybeans. A total of 288 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Cobb500; initial BW: 37.2 g) were allotted to one of 3 dietary treatments: 1) a corn basal diet with conventional SBM (CSBM); 2) a corn basal diet with expeller-extruded conventional soybeans (EECS); 3) a corn basal diet with expeller-extruded high oleic soybeans (EEHS) in a randomized complete block design. Diets were fed over 3 phases (starter phase 1: 0-1 weeks, grower phase 2: 1-3 weeks, and finisher phase 3: 3-6 weeks). At the end of each feeding phase, BW and feed consumption were measured to calculate average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). At the end of the feeding trial (d 42), one bird per pen was bled for blood profile analysis, and two birds per pen were euthanized for breast and thigh collection. Data were subjected to analysis of variance testing the main effect of diet with pen as the experimental unit. Broilers fed the CSBM diet had greater (P < 0.05) BW at the end of each phase and overall ADG than those fed EECS and EEHS. Broilers fed EEHS showed greater (P < 0.05) final BW and overall ADG than EECS by 10.6 % and 10.7 %, respectively. The EEHS significantly increased (P < 0.05) blood basophil proportion compared with CSBM (15.7 % vs. 7.6 %). However, dietary treatment did not affect other blood cell count parameters and blood antioxidant status. Oleic acid contents for breast and thigh meats from broilers fed EEHS were higher (P < 0.05) than those of broilers fed CSBM and EECS by 63 % and 53 %, respectively. In conclusion, EEHS improved meat fatty acid composition with higher oleic acid contents and improved growth performance compared with EECS, suggesting its potential as a protein source for high quality broiler meat production.