Palm kernel meal (PKM) which is a by-product of palm oil extraction is
abundant in many tropical regions. The earliest studies on the feeding of
poultry on PKM were recorded by Temperton and Dudley (1940}. They
reported that PKM was palatable and that birds fed on PKM showed satisfactory
egg production over a period of nine months. Generally, studies on
the use of PKM by poultry are very few and PKM is therefore seldom used
in poultry diets. Pigs have been used for investigations in Nigeria on the use
of PKM by non-ruminant animals (Oyenuga, 1968; Babatunde et al., 1975).
These early studies reported PKM to be unacceptable to pigs and cast doubt
on its acceptibility by other non-ruminant animals. These views were based
on the high fibre level of PKM and its gritty nature, which were reported to
reduce digestibility and possibly the availability of nutrients, especially
amino acids. The use of PKM in poultry feeding has therefore not been
very much encouraged. Values reported for the composition of PKM have
shown wide variations.