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This study evaluated the effects of dietary replacement of soyabean meal (SBM) with yellow lupine seed meal (YLM) in turkeys. A total of 1120 one-day-old Hybrid Converter female turkeys were fed diets containing 0%, 8%, 16% and 24% of YLM (LM 0 , LM 8 , LM 16 , LM 24 , respectively) in a 16-week experiment. In the first phase of feeding (weeks 0-4), an increase in the YLM content of diets caused a linear decrease in feed intake (FI) and body weight gain (BWG) and the noted differences were significant ( P < 0.001) in group LM 24 . In 16-week-old turkeys, dietary inclusion of lupine at up to 24% had no adverse effects on FI, BWG or feed conversion. Experimental diets had no influence on the analysed serum parameters or mortality of turkeys or on the incidence of footpad dermatitis. No significant changes in carcass and muscle yields were observed. Group LM 24 turkeys were characterized by significantly ( P = 0.033 vs LM 0 ) higher relative gizzard tissue weight. The abdominal fat content tended to increase (P = 0.055 vs LM 0 ) in birds fed lupine-based diets. A linear increase (P < 0.001) in the concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids was noted in meat from turkeys fed lupine-based diets; this did not change the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio, but improved the values of the atherogenic and thrombogenic indices. Diets containing YLM had no influence on the chemical composition, physicochemical properties or sensory attributes of turkey meat. In conclusion, starter diets containing 24% YLM could have an adverse influence on bird performance. Yellow lupine seeds can be added to diets for older turkeys at up to 24% as an effective substitute for SBM without affecting the key variables of performance and without negative effects on meat quality.

The objective of this study was to determine the physiological effect of supplementing turkey diets with different vegetable oils, i.e. soyabean (S) oil, rapeseed (R) oil and linseed (L) oil, which have different concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The total contents of n-6 PUFA and n-3 PUFA were as follows: diet S, 49.7 and 7.02%, diet R, 33.0 and 7.96%, and diet L, 30.3 and 30.6%; the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was 7.3, 4.4 and 1.0, respectively. The experimental materials comprised four groups of turkey hens (14 replications of fifteen birds each). The amount of dietary oil supplementation was increased from 2% in the first four weeks to 6% at the final stage of fattening (14-15 weeks). The apparent total tract digestibility of crude fat in 7-week-old turkeys (2.5% oil in diet) ranged from 89.9 to 91.1%, and showed no statistically significant differences. Dressing percentage, breast, thigh, and drumstick muscle contents did not differ among groups. Group L had a significantly higher intestinal fat weight (0.84% body weight (BW)) than the other groups (0.60-0.62%). In comparison with diet S, diets R and L contributed to a significant decrease in the levels of saturated fatty acids (from 32.9% to 30.3 and 30.2%) in breast meat lipids. In group L turkeys, the share of PUFA in total fatty acids in breast meat lipids was significantly higher (37.3%

(Received 6 October 2008; revised version 21 April 2009; accepted 6 November 2009)ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to examine the effect supplementation of diet with 20 mg Cu/kg from copper sulphate (Cu-SUL) and/or copper amino acid chelate (Cu-AA) on the copper balance, bone mineralization status and growth performance of turkeys. A total of 840 one-day-old heavy Large White BIG-6 turkey males were randomly assigned to 4 groups: Cu-0, Cu-SUL, Cu-SUL/Cu-AA and Cu-AA. The results of the present study confirm the Cu-requirements for growing/fattening turkeys given by scientific bodies (e.g., NRC, INRA, GfE). The Cu unsupplemented basal diet contained 11.3 mg Cu/kg is enough for turkeys and further Cu-supplementations are not necessary. Further supplementations from inorganic and/or organic sources did not significantly improve turkeys performance and health. Plasma superoxide dismutase activity, physico-chemical properties of bone and the concentrations of Ca and P in the tibial bone were generally not affected by dietary treatment. Further Cu supplementation from inorganic and/or organic sources increase the Cu-excretion (from 808 to 1915-2164 mg per animal) and may cause additional environmental problems. KEY WORDS: copper, chelate, bone mineralization, performance, turkeys