Description

PKC is widely used as the main ingredient in rations for feedlot cattle and buffaloes. In Malaysia, feedlot cattle are normally fed up to *0% PKC with live weight gain (LWG) of 0.**0.8 kg day*1 and *1.2 kg day*1 for local (KedahKelantan) and crossbred cattle respectively. PKC at almost **0% has been fed to feedlot cattle with no negative effect provided that the supply of Ca and vitamins (in particular, A, D and E) is sufficient to meet their requirements. Many studies have shown that supplementing the traditional rations of beef cattle with *0%*0% PKC gave improved
performance and increased LWG. It is a common practice in Malaysia to produce complete feeds based on PKC, either as pellets, cubes or total mixed ration (TMR). Apart from PKC, other common ingredients are rice bran, brewers grain, palm oil mill effluent (POME), tapioca waste, urea, salt and minerals (Wan Zahari et al., ***0; ***3). Carcass analysis indicated that the beef cuts were of superior quality when compared to those for cattle fed on grass or pasture. An example formulation for beef cattle is PKC: *0%, grass/hay: *7.5%, limestone: 1.5% and mineral premix: 1.0%.

Owing to its high fibre content, the use of PKC in poultry rations is very limited. There exist wide variations in the optimum inclusion level of PKC in poultry rations. The main reasons are due to the origin and variations in the oil and shell content of the PKC used. Broilers can tolerate up to *0% PKC in their diets without affecting their growth performance and feed efficiency (Yeong, ***0). A feed conversion ratio of 1:0.*8 was reported for broilers fed palm kernel expeller (PKE) at *5 days of age (Onifade and Babatunde, ***9). In layer rations. PKC can be included up to *5% without any deleterious effects on egg production and quality (Radim et al., ***9). Inclusion of PKC at levels >*0% was reported to reduce egg production and egg quality (Yeong et al., ***1) but in another study, reduced egg production was observed only at levels >*0% (Onwudike, ***8). Muscovy ducks can be fed PKE at *0% level without any deleterious effects on their performance (Mustafa et al., ***2). Apart from PKC, the locally available raw materials normally used in mixing feed for poultry are rice bran, wheat pollard, sago, tapioca and broken rice. Examples of poultry formulations are as follows: (i) for broilers (finisher diet): PKC: *0%, palm oil: 6%, maize: *9.8%, soyabean meal: *5%, fish meal: 5%, lucerne leaf meal: 2%, dicalcium phosphate: 1.5%, salt: 0.*5%, vitamin-mineral premix: 0.*0 and DL-methionine: 0.*5%. (ii) for layers: PKC: *0%, palm oil: 2%, maize: *5.4%, soyabean meal: *4.5%, fish meal: 7.0%, lucerne leaf meal: *0%, dicalcium phosphate: 1.5%, limestone: 3%, oyster shell: 4.0%, vitamin-mineral premix: 0.3% and salt: 0.3% and (iii) for meat ducks: PKC: *5%,
palm oil: 5.3%, maize: *5.1%, soyabean meal: *7.3%, fish meal: 3%, salt: 0.*5%, dicalcium phosphate: 1.*6%, limestone: 0.*2, DL-methionine: 0.*6% and lysine: 0.*6%.