Non-toxic Jatropha curcas L. residual paste as a protein supplement in poultry diets

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the non-toxic residual meal from Mexican jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) aspart of a protein supplement in broiler chicken feed.Design/methodology/approach: An experimental diet was designed by incorporating meal obtained fromthe non-toxic residual jatropha paste, which was administered to a group of 20 one-day-old Cobb 550 chicks.The chicks were weighed every three days, and their feed was adjusted weekly according to their developmentover a 28-day period. Another group of chicks, with the same number of individuals, characteristics, andfollow-up, was fed a commercial diet for comparison purposes.Results: The inclusion of non-toxic residual jatropha paste in the broiler chickens’ diet produced similarperformance to that obtained with the commercial diet.Study limitations/implications: The scale of the experiment could affect the generalization of the results toa larger poultry population.Findings/conclusions: The non-toxic residual meal from Mexican jatropha could be a viable and sustainablealternative for enriching poultry diets.