Poultry feed containing plasma

1. A method for preparing a pelleted poultry feed, comprising:

a) heating a mixture comprising a growth promoting amount of powdered animal plasma and poultry feed to a temperature of at least 85° C.; and

b) pelleting the mixture to provide the pelleted poultry feed, wherein the pelleted poultry feed is pelleted chicken feed or pelleted turkey feed, and wherein the pelleted poultry feed comprises a growth-promoting amount of powdered animal plasma that promotes poultry growth to a greater extent than does a pelleted poultry feed that does not contain plasma.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the animal plasma is spray-dried, freeze-dried, and/or paddle-dried animal plasma.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the animal plasma is from a bovine, porcine, or avian source.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the animal plasma in the mixture is in the form of unseparated whole blood.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the poultry feed is turkey feed.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the poultry feed is chicken feed.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the chicken feed is feed for layers.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the chicken feed is feed for broilers.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture comprising the plasma and the poultry feed is heated to a temperature of at least 90° C.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the mixture comprising the plasma and the poultry feed is heated to a temperature of at least 95° C.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pelleted poultry feed comprises about 1% plasma.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pelleted poultry feed comprises about 0.5% plasma.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pelleted poultry feed comprises about 0.25% plasma.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pelleted poultry feed comprises about 0.1% to about 5% plasma.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the pelleted poultry feed comprises about 0.25% to about 1% plasma.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising processing the mixture with an expander prior to pelleting.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising crumbling the pelleted poultry feed.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the growth-promoting amount of powdered animal plasma that promotes poultry growth is an amount that increases the average daily gain (ADG) of the poultry to a greater extent than does a pelleted poultry feed that does not contain plasma.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the growth-promoting amount of animal plasma in a form that promotes poultry growth is an amount that increases the average daily feed intake (ADFI) of the poultry to a greater extent than does a pelleted poultry feed that does not contain plasma.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the growth-promoting amount of animal plasma in a form that promotes poultry growth is an amount that increases the body weight (BW) of the poultry to a greater extent than does a pelleted poultry feed that does not contain plasma.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the growth-promoting amount of animal plasma in a form that promotes poultry growth is an amount that increases the feed efficiency (gain:feed) of the poultry to a greater extent than does a pelleted poultry feed that does not contain plasma.

22. A pelleted poultry feed prepared according to the method of claim 1 .

23. A method for enhancing the growth of poultry, comprising feeding to poultry an effective amount of the pelleted poultry feed of claim 22 .

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the poultry are turkeys.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the poultry are chickens.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the chickens are layers.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the chickens are broilers.