Sesame meal (SM, 47.1% CP) has an amino acid composition similar to that of soybean meal (SBM, 47.7% CP) with the exception of lower lysine and higher methionine, but has been relatively underutilized in poultry feeds. Two experiments (1 and 2) were conducted to measure laying performance and hatchability of White Leghorn hens fed practical diets (17% CP), and two additional experiments (3 and 4) examined the performance of broiler chicks fed practical diets (22% CP) with varying substitution levels of screw-pressed SM for solvent-extracted SBM. In Experiment 1, SM contributed 0, 12.6, 25.3, 38, or 50.6% of dietary CP, and each diet was fed to hens for 6 wk. In Experiment 2, SM contributed 0, 4.7, 9.4, 14.1, 18.8, or 23.6% of dietary CP, and each diet was fed for 4 wk. In Experiment 3, SM contributed 0, 15, 30, 45, or 60% of dietary CP, and in Experiment 4, SM contributed 0, 38, or 76% of dietary CP; in these experiments, diets were fed to broiler chicks for 3 wk. There were no differences in egg production, egg weight, egg mass, daily feed intake, or body weight measurements among control hens fed SBM and hens fed SM at 12.6% (Experiment 1) or 4.7 to 18.8% of dietary CP (Experiment 2). Hens consuming these diets were able to satisfy their daily requirements for essential amino acids. Egg quality measurements were similar among hens fed the control SBM diet and those fed SM at 12.6 or 25.3% of dietary CP in Experiment 1, and at 4.7 to 23.6% of dietary CP in Experiment 2. All production variables were significantly depressed in hens that were fed SM at 38 or 50.6% of dietary CP, but Haugh units increased. In Experiment 3, the performance of broiler chicks fed the diet containing SM at 15% of dietary CP was not different from that of the control chicks fed the SBM diet, and both diets contained essential amino acids at required levels. Feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion were consistently depressed with increased SM substitution at 30, 45, or 60% of dietary CP. In Experiment 4, feed intake was not different between the control chicks fed the SBM diet and those fed the diet containing SM at 38% of dietary CP. However, body weight gain and feed conversion of chicks fed diets containing SM at 38 or 76% of dietary CP were significantly lower than those of the control chicks fed the SBM diet.