Effects of exogenous enzymes in corn-based and Canadian pearl millet-based diets with reduced soybean meal on growth performance, intestinal nutrient digestibility, villus development, and selected microbial populations in broiler chickens

An experiment was conducted to compare a commercial corn-soybean meal diet with a pearl millet diet containing less soybean meal (-27%), alone or in combination with exogenous enzymes, on growth performance, jejunal villus development, ileal CP, and AA digestibility, and cecal microbial populations in broilers. One hundred sixty 1-d-old male Ross 508 broilers (5/cage) were randomly allocated to one of the following dietary treatments: 1) a standard corn-soybean meal control diet (CTL); 2) a pearl millet-soybean meal diet (PM); 3) CTL + exogenous enzymes (CE); and 4) PM + exogenous enzymes (PE) with 8 replicate cages/treatment. The PM and PE diets contained less soybean meal because of greater CP and AA contents of pearl millet. All diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly over 35 d. At d 21 and 35, 8 broilers per treatment were euthanized for sample collection and analyses. Gain-to-feed was greater (P < 0.01) for pearl millet- than corn-based diets. Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of CP and most AA was similar between corn-based and pearl millet-based diets, and enzyme supplementation improved AID of CP (P < 0.01) and most AA at both d 21 and 35. However, for AID of some AA at d 21, the response to enzyme supplementation was less pronounced in broilers fed pearl millet-based diets than those fed corn-based diets (grain × enzyme, P ≤ 0.05). The villus was longer (P < 0.01) in broilers fed PM and PE than CTL and CE at d 35. Similarly, at d 35, lactobacilli loads were greater (P < 0.01) in broilers fed PM and PE than CTL and CE. It is concluded that, in comparison with corn, broiler diets formulated with pearl millet require less soybean meal and can be used to improve growth performance traits, intestinal lactobacilli populations, and villus development, whereas enzyme supplementation increases AID of CP and AA.     

Effect of raw soya bean particle size on productive performance and digestion of dairy cows

Differing soya bean particle sizes may affect productive performance and ruminal fermentation due to the level of fatty acid (FA) exposure of the cotyledon in soya bean grain and because the protein in small particles is more rapidly degraded than the protein in large particles, which influence ruminal fibre digestion and the amounts of ruminally undegradable nutrients. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of raw soya bean particle size on productive performance, digestion and milk FA profile of dairy cows. Twelve Holstein cows were assigned to three 4 × 4 Latin squares with 21‐day periods. At the start of the experiment, cows were 121 days in milk (DIM) and yielded 30.2 kg/day of milk. Cows were fed 4 diets: (i) control diet (CO), without raw soya bean; (ii) whole raw soya bean (WRS); (iii) cracked raw soya bean in Wiley mill 4‐mm screen (CS4); and (iv) cracked raw soya bean in Wiley mill 2‐mm screen (CS2). The inclusion of soya beans (whole or cracked) was 200 g/kg on dry matter (DM) basis and partially replaced ground corn and soya bean meal. Uncorrected milk yield and composition were not influenced by experimental diets; however, fat‐corrected milk (FCM) decreased when cows were fed soya bean treatments. Soya bean diets increased the intake of ether extract (EE) and net energy of lactation (NE_L), and decreased the intake of DM and non‐fibre carbohydrate (NFC). Ruminal propionate concentration was lower in cows fed WRS than cows fed CS2 or CS4. Cows fed cracked raw soya bean presented lower nitrogen in faeces than cows fed WRS. The milk of cows fed WRS, CS2 and CS4 presented higher unsaturated FA than cows fed CO. The addition of raw soya bean in cow diets, regardless of the particle size, did not impair uncorrected milk yield and nutrient digestion, and increased the concentration of unsaturated FA in milk. Cows fed cracked raw soya bean presented similar productive performance to cows fed whole raw soya bean.     

Using locally produced millet as a feed ingredient for poultry production in Sub-Saharan Africa

Using locally produced feedstuffs for poultry production in developing countries can greatly lower production costs. Pearl millet is a drought-resistant plant that produces a nutritious grain. Its cultivation in Mali spans thousands of years, but the suitability of the millet grain currently produced in Mali for poultry production is unknown. Therefore, the nutrient composition of 7 different, widely available varieties of pearl millet grown in Mali was assessed before completing experiments in which laying hens or broilers were fed diets containing 0, 14, 28, or 43% whole pearl millet. The 7 varieties of pearl millet grown in different regions of Mali all had protein concentrations that were better than corn and had apparent digestible amino acid coefficients similar to corn. The nitrogen-corrected true metabolizable energy values ranged from 3,395 to 3,738 Kcal/kg on an as-is basis. Egg production and egg weight did not differ between the hens fed the different levels of millet through out a 16-wk experiment. Broilers fed the highest level of pearl millet from 1 to 42 d of age gained less (3.088 versus 2.949 kg) body weight than those fed the control diet. However, body weight gains did not differ between the broilers fed the control diet and the diets containing 14 or 28% whole millet. The results indicate that Malian-grown pearl millet would be an effective feed ingredient for poultry production and that this small seed could be added in whole form into laying hen and broiler diets.     

Regulation of hepatic peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor α expression but not adiponectin by dietary protein in finishing pigs

Soy protein regulates adiponectin and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor α (PPARα) in some species, but the effect of dietary soy protein on adiponectin and PPARα in the pig has not been studied. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether soya bean meal reduction or replacement influences serum adiponectin, adiponectin mRNA, serum metabolites and the expression of PPARα and other genes involved in lipid deposition. Thirty‐three pigs (11 pigs per treatment) were subjected to one of three dietary treatments: (i) reduced crude protein (CP) diet containing soya bean meal (RCP‐Soy), (ii) high CP diet containing soya bean meal (HCP‐Soy) or (iii) high CP diet with corn gluten meal replacing soya bean meal (HCP‐CGM) for 35 days. Dietary treatment had no effect on overall growth performance, feed intake or measures of body composition. There was no effect of dietary treatment on serum adiponectin or leptin. Dietary treatment did not affect the abundance of the mRNAs for adiponectin, PPARα, PPARγ2, lipoprotein lipase or fatty acid synthase in adipose tissue. The mRNA expression of PPARα, PPARγ2, lipoprotein lipase or fatty acid synthetase in loin muscle was not affected by dietary treatment. In liver tissue, the relative abundance of PPARα mRNA was greater (p < 0.05) in pigs fed the HCP‐Soy diets when compared to pigs fed RCP‐Soy or HCP‐CGM diets. Hepatic mRNA expression of acyl‐CoA oxidase or fatty acid synthase was not affected by dietary treatment. Western blot analysis indicated that hepatic PPARα protein levels were decreased (p < 0.05) in pigs fed the RCP‐Soy diets when compared to pigs fed the HCP‐Soy diets. These data suggest that increasing the soy protein content of swine diets increases hepatic expression of PPARα without associated changes in body composition.     

Nutritive characteristics of pearl millet grain in beef cattle diets

Two trials were conducted to compare pearl millet grain with corn and grain sorghum in cattle diets. Grain portions of diets in metabolism and feedlot experiments contained 73% corn and 6% soybean meal (C); 76.2% grain sorghum and 2.8% soybean meal (GS); and 79% pearl millet (PM). In the metabolism trial (replicated 3 x 3 latin squares; six steers), apparent digestibilities of DM and OM were higher (P less than .05) for C than for GS or PM diets. Ether extract and CP digestibilities were higher (P less than .05) for C and PM than GS. Dietary TDN was higher (P less than .05) for C compared with GS or PM diets. Fecal N was higher (P less than .05) for GS than for C or PM, urinary N was higher (P less than .05) for PM than C or GS, but retained N was similar (P greater than .05) for C, GS and PM diets. In a 90-d feedlot trial (18 individually fed heifers), a trend was observed for higher (P less than .20) ADG on C compared with PM; however, feed/gain was similar for C, GS and PM diets (8.2, 9.1 and 8.5 kg feed/kg gain, respectively). Ruminal fluid acetate:propionate ratios were lower (P less than .05) at 3.5 and 7 h postfeeding for PM compared with C or GS diets on d 83. Pearl millet grain may be used as a feed grain for beef cattle, but diets should be formulated to efficiently utilize the high quantity of protein (about 14% of DM) in this grain as a substitute for supplemental protein.     

Yeast cell wall and live yeast products and their combination in broiler diets formulated with weekly ingredient variations

A 6‐week broiler study was conducted to evaluate whether subjecting the intestinal microflora of broilers to the effect of weekly variations in feed ingredients could be ameliorated by the inclusion of yeast‐derived feed additives: a yeast cell wall extract (YCW), live yeast culture (LY) or their combination (YCW + LY). Recent changes in ingredient prices have motivated producers to formulate diets not necessarily based primarily on corn and soya bean meal. Intestinal microflora in birds can vary significantly based on the ingredient composition of their diet, and the make‐up of the flora can influence overall bird performance. Within the three nutrient phases of this study, birds were fed either a traditional corn–soya ingredient profile or a variable‐ingredient regimen, which had weekly changes in the ingredient composition. There were consistent ameliorative effects of the yeast treatments in both the corn–soya and the variable‐ingredient groups throughout all 6 weeks, with the YCW + LY combination showing a reduced effect when compared to either product fed alone. The effectiveness of YCW and LY on ameliorating the effects of weekly ingredient variations appeared most effective during the starter and grower phases, but was less significant during the sixth week.     

Evaluating the nutritional value of date pits and demonstrating their application in laying hen diets

This experiment was carried out to study the feeding value of ground date pits (DP) (Phoenix dactylifera L.) with and without enzyme supplementation on laying hens’ performance. Apparent metabolizable energy value of DP was determined by the total collection method using 10 adult Leghorn cockerels. After that, a total number of 144 Lohmann 50‐week‐old LSL‐Lite hens were randomly allocated into six groups consisting of four replicates of six birds, based on a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of the treatments. Six iso‐caloric and iso‐nitrogenous experimental diets including I‐corn–soya bean meal‐based control, II‐corn–soya bean meal oil‐based control and III‐ corn–soya bean meal‐based diet (180 g/kg DP) were formulated. Each of the diets was supplemented with two levels of an enzyme (0.0 and 0.07 g/kg Natozim Plus). The experiment lasted 10 weeks after 7 days of adaptation. The results revealed that there was no significant difference in feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg production, egg mass, eggshell weight, eggshell thickness and Haugh unit among the treatments. Dietary inclusion of DP significantly decreased body weight gain (BWG), egg weight and yolk colour score. On the other hand, corn–soya bean meal‐based control diet with vegetable oil significantly increased egg weight and BWG of birds in comparison with other treatments. The serum biochemical metabolites were not affected by DP and enzyme supplementation. Thus, DP can be used as alternative feedstuff in laying hen diets, up to 18% of the diet with little effect on the performance of hens, including egg weight, and also, it had an adverse effect on yolk colour. Eventually, in terms of performance, the results failed to demonstrate any positive effect of Natozim Plus on either the controls or 18% DP diets.     

Estimate of choline nutritional requirements for chicks from 1 to 21 days of age

Choline is an essential nutrient in poultry diets because it performs various important metabolic functions. The objective of this study was to re‐evaluate the choline requirements of male broiler chickens from 1 to 21 days of age at two levels of methionine. Two assays using 2,160 Cobb^® chickens (1,080 in each assay) were conducted. The study design was completely randomized and consisted of six treatments and six replicates, with 30 animals per experimental unit. The semipurified basal diet was formulated with corn, soya bean meal, soya protein concentrate, starch and sugar, providing 390 mg/kg choline and 0.593% digestible methionine (requirement level) in Assay 1 and a reduction of about one‐quarter in the requirement level of digestible methionine (0.440%) in Assay 2. Choline chloride (62.5%) was added by a supplementation technique to both basal diets to compose crescent levels of choline supplementation (715, 1,040, 1,365, 1,690 and 2,015 mg/kg). The weight gain responses were fitted using quadratic polynomial (QP) and broken‐line (BL) models. The ideal intake of choline (mg/bird.day) was estimated from the first intercept of the QP with the BL plateau (BL + QP). The results showed that the diet with the 25% reduction in digestible methionine limited the maximum weight gain by approximately 10%. The choline requirements of broilers from 1 to 7, 1 to 14 and 1 to 21 days of age were 27,013, 44,458 and 62,535 mg/bird.day, respectively, for the requirement level of digestible methionine and 26,796, 41,820 and 56,578 mg/bird.day for the broilers receiving the diet with the 25% reduction in digestible methionine.     

Skeletal response to diet with soya bean seeds used as primary source of protein in growing broiler chickens

The study was conducted using 120 commercial broiler chicks (Ross 308) randomly allocated to two experimental groups. The experimental diets, differing only in protein source, either solvent‐extracted soya bean meal (SBM) or traditional (non‐genetically modified) full‐fat soya bean seeds (FFS), were prepared using practical corn‐based formulation designed to meet nutritional requirements of broilers. Performance parameters were monitored weekly. Also, the subjects were evaluated daily for overt changes in skeletal anatomy and gait physiology. Randomly selected chickens from each group (seven males and seven females) were euthanized at 2, 3, 4 and 6 weeks of age, and bone specimens were collected for further study. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were determined in tibiotarsal bones. Broilers fed FFS diet showed retarded growth rate and decreased feed intake (both p < 0.001). Both BMD and BMC parameters were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in bones of chickens from the FFS group in comparison with the SBM group. The chickens fed the FFS diet showed higher incidence of skeletal pathology including angular deformities and torticollis (both p < 0.01). Of note, cases of torticollis were observed only in FFS group. In many cases, skeletal abnormalities resulted in considerable changes in gait pattern, and in some instances, the pathology of leg bones was so advanced that the affected individuals were unable to walk, but this deformity was not seen in SBM group. From this study, it can be inferred that raw soya beans contain factors that have some specific detrimental effects on skeletal system of chickens.     

Replacing maize with pearl millet in laying hens’ diets

Pearl millet grain could be considered as an alternative feed ingredient for poultry. In a 12 wks experiment, the performance of laying hens fed diets containing pearl millet were compared with those fed diets containing corn. Maize grain was replaced by pearl millet on an equal-weight at either 0, 25, 50, 75 or 100%. Results showed that use of 25, 50 and 75% of pearl millet in place of maize in the diet resulted in similar (P > 0.05) hen-day egg production, egg mass, egg weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio to those of control group. Totally replacement of maize grain with pearl millet significantly (P < 0.05) reduced all production parameters. Egg quality parameters did not affect by using pearl millet in the diet. These results showed that maize grain can be replaced by pearl millet up to 75% in the diets of laying hens without any adverse effect on hen performance or egg quality.     

Marginality and Needs of Dietary Valine for Broilers Fed Certain All-Vegetable Diets

Valine is likely the fourth limiting amino acid in most diets based on corn and soybean meal (C/SBM). However, the exact needs for Val are not well known, and information regarding it is sparse. A series of studies was conducted to validate the limitation of Val in all-vegetable diets fed to broilers, and subsequently to quantify an adequate ratio to Lys in high-yield late-developing broilers (Ross × Ross 708) from 21 to 42 d. A preliminary study was designed to evaluate the supplementation of different amino acids likely to be fourth limiting on a C/SBM-based diet, where Lys, TSAA, and Thr were supplemented but no other critical amino acids were given minimums in the formulation. Results obtained for BW gain, abdominal fat weight, and abdominal fat percentage showed that birds were more responsive (P < 0.05) to l-Val supplementation. A follow-up study using a corn-peanut meal (C/PM)-based diet formulated to be deficient in Val validated (P < 0.05) a Val deficiency based on poor growth performance and resulted in an immediate return to good performance when this amino acid was supplemented. Furthermore, the C/PM diet was compared with a nutritionally similar C/SBM diet, and no difference was observed in the performance of broilers fed these diets, thus validating the ability of the C/PM-based diet to support adequate growth of these broilers. This C/PM-based diet was used to feed gradual concentrations of Val, from levels that would be considered deficient (0.59% digestible) up to adequate (0.84% digestible Val). Results indicate that a ratio of Val to Lys of 78, or a minimum dietary value of 0.74% digestible Val (0.82% total Val), should be adequate for this high-yield broiler grown from 21 to 42 d of age.     

Growth performance of broilers fed on sprouted-roasted guar bean (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyamopsis tetragonoloba</Emphasis>) based diets

In a completely randomized block design with 96 Cobb-500 broilers, a study was conducted to evaluate the potential of dietary inclusion of sprouted then roasted guar bean in broiler diets. The 96 male day-old broiler chicks, blocked by pen into equal weight groups of six chicks replicated four times per treatment, were randomly allocated to treatment diets containing graded levels of sprouted then roasted guar bean meal (GBM) at 0, 50, 100 and 150 g kg^?1 inclusion level. The guar bean was sprouted and roasted to reduce guar gum effect. Total feed intake decreased significantly as the guar bean meal content increased in the starter phase (P < 0.05), but no significant differences in intake of the finisher phase (P > 0.05) were observed. Diets containing 0 and 50 g kg^?1 GBM recorded significantly higher total feed intake compared to the diet containing 150 g kg^?1 GBM. Although average weight gain was not significantly different in birds fed 0 and 50 g kg^?1 GBM diets, it was significantly higher than in birds fed on 100 and 150 g kg^?1 GBM diets. Feed conversion ratio was not significantly different among treatment groups (P > 0.05) but showed a general decreasing trend with increasing guar bean meal inclusion level, the effect being more pronounced during the starter phase. In conclusion, the optimum inclusion level of sprouted then roasted guar bean meal in broiler diets is 50 g kg^?1.     

Effect of high moisture storage of pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides) with or without feed enzymes on growth and nutrient utilization in broiler chickens

Effect of reconstitution of pearl millet with or without enzymes on its utilization in broiler chickens was studied. The pearl millet grains were reconstituted by adding water to raise the moisture level to 30%, followed by storage in sealed plastic buckets with or without feed enzymes (0.5 g/kg) for 21 days at room temperature (25°C). Subsequently, the grains were sun-dried to reduce the moisture content up to 10% to avoid mould growth. Nine dietary treatments were formulated incorporating pearl millet either raw with or without enzymes or reconstituted with or without enzymes in maize-soya based control diet replacing maize at 50 and 75% levels. The birds fed on diets containing enzyme reconstituted pearl millet accrued higher body weight than maize based control diet. Addition of enzymes to raw pearl-millet based diet improved the body weight gain significantly. The reconstitution of pearl millet with or without enzymes increased ( P  < 0.01) the dietary nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) values and the highest improvement (6.11%) was recorded in diets containing pearl millet reconstituted with enzymes at 75% level of maize replacement. The percent nitrogen retention in pearl millet based diets was comparable to maize based control diet. It may be concluded that the supplementation of the feed enzymes or reconstitution of pearl millet may improve the utilization of pearl millet in broiler chickens.     

Responses of non-starch polysaccharide-degrading enzymes on digestibility and performance of growing pigs fed a diet based on corn, soya bean meal and Chinese double-low rapeseed meal

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of two distinct enzyme preparations on nutrients' digestibility and growth performance of growing pigs fed diets based on corn, soya bean meal and Chinese double-low rapeseed meal (DLRM). The two enzyme preparations were Enzyme R, a preparation extracted from fermentation of a non-GMO fungus Penicillum funiculosum, developed for multi-grain and multi-animal species; and Enzyme P, a xylanase preparation from Trichoderma longibrachiatum, for pigs fed corn-based diets only. Both enzymes were tested at 0, 0.25 and 0.50 g/kg feed using 70 crossbred male pigs (Large Yorkshire x Landrace) in five dietary treatments and seven replicates in each treatment, for growth period from 27 to 68 kg live weight in 49 days. Results showed that the supplementation of both enzymes (1) increased total-tract digestibility of dietary energy from 77.5% (control) to 81.4% (Enzyme R, p < 0.05) and 81.9% (Enzyme P, p < 0.05); of neutral detergent fibre from 41.0% (control) to 57.8% (Enzyme R, p < 0.05) and 60.0% (Enzyme P, p < 0.05); (2) improved average daily gain from 786 g (control) to 829 g (Enzyme R, p < 0.05) and 846 g (Enzyme P, p < 0.05); and numerical increases in feed intake from 1.96 kg/pig/day (control) to 2.01 (Enzyme R) and 2.00 (p > 0.05) and feed conversion ratio from 2.50 (control) to 2.42 (Enzyme R) and 2.36 (Enzyme P, p < 0.05); (3) there was a dose response but no significant differences were observed in enzyme efficacy between the two enzyme preparations. The present study demonstrated beneficial effects of applying xylanase-based enzymes to improve feeding values of pig diets based on corn, soya bean meal and DLRM.     

Effect of trypsin inhibitor activity in soya bean on growth performance, protein digestibility and incidence of sub-clinical necrotic enteritis in broiler chicken flocks

1. The effect of three different levels of dietary trypsin inhibitor activity (achieved by varying the amount of non-toasted full fat soya bean in replacement for toasted full fat soya bean) on the incidence of spontaneously-occurring sub-clinical necrotic enteritis (NE) in broiler chickens was compared. A fourth dietary treatment compared the effect of a diet that used potato protein concentrate as the major protein source. The determined trypsin inhibitor activity increased with the increasing content of non-toasted soya bean: 1·90, 6·21, 8·46 and 3·72 mg/g for the three soya bean diets (0, 100 and 200 g of non-toasted soya bean/kg) and the potato protein diet respectively. 2. Although increasing amounts of the non-toasted full-fat soya bean increased the feed intakes of the birds, there was a marked reduction in protein digestibility, weight gain and feed conversion efficiency. 3. There was a linear increase in sub-clinical NE lesions in the duodenum, jejunum, mid small intestine and ileum with increasing non-toasted soya bean. Caecal Clostridium perfringens counts increased with the increasing dietary content of non-toasted soya bean. Serum α-toxin antibodies were higher in the birds fed the 200 g non-toasted soya bean/kg diet compared with the other diets. 4. The results demonstrated that variation in the amount of non-toasted dietary soya bean not only affects growth performance of broilers but also affects the incidence of sub-clinical necrotic enteritis in the flock. Ensuring the lowest possible trypsin-inhibitor activity in soya bean samples is a valuable tool to improve the health and welfare of birds and in reducing the financial losses from this disease.     

生物秸秆对肉鸡表观代谢能的影响及替代玉米适宜比例的研究

本试验旨在研究肉鸡对生物秸秆的表观代谢能及其替代玉米的适宜比例.生物秸秆代谢能的测定试验选择24只42日龄健康的爱拔益加(AA)肉鸡,随机分为3个处理,每个处理8只鸡.处理1饲喂含8％生物秸秆的基础饲粮,处理2饲喂以30％的生物秸秆代替基础饲粮中能量饲料和蛋白质饲料的饲粮,处理3采用强饲法进行测定.生物秸秆代替玉米的试验选择150只42日龄健康的AA肉鸡,随机分为5个处理,每个处理5个重复,每个重复6只鸡.对照组饲喂基础饲粮,试验组分别在基础饲粮中用4％、8％、12％生物秸秆代替玉米(代谢能按照差量法计算结果12.46 MJ/kg计)及8％生物秸秆代替玉米(代谢能按照强饲法计算结果5.30 MJ/kg计,添加豆油,使其代谢能水平与对照组相同).结果表明:1)基础饲粮的代谢能为12.63 MJ/kg,采用差量法推算出肉鸡对生物秸秆的表观代谢能为12.46 MJ/kg,而采用套算法和强饲法测定生物秸秆的表观代谢能分别为4.38和5.30 MJ/kg.2)与对照组相比,4％和8％的生物秸秆代替玉米组中性洗涤纤维和酸性洗涤纤维的代谢率显著升高(P＜0.05),而12％的生物秸秆代替玉米组表观能量的代谢率显著降低(P＜0.05).由此得出,套算法和强饲法低估了生物秸秆的表观代谢能,而差量法更能准确反映生物秸秆的表观代谢能;在肉鸡饲粮中生物秸秆可以替代4％ ～8％的玉米.     

Total nutrient digestibility and small intestine starch digestion in Nellore and Angus young bulls fed a whole shelled corn diet

Eighteen Nellore and 18 Angus young bulls with BW of 381 ± 12 kg were randomly assigned into two feeding groups (whole shelled corn [WSC] or ground corn with silage [GC]) to evaluate the interaction of breed and diet on total nutrient digestibility, pancreatic α‐amylase, and maltase activity and SLC5A1expression in the small intestine. Experimental diets (DM basis) included (a) a diet containing 30% corn silage and 70% GC and soya bean meal‐based concentrate and (b) a diet containing 85% WSC and 15% of a soya bean meal‐ and mineral‐based pelleted supplement. The treatments were Nellore fed GC diet; Nellore fed WSC diet; Angus fed GC diet; and Angus fed WSC diet. Total faecal collection for the digestibility trial occurred from day 48 until day 50 of the experimental period. Feeding the WSC diet reduced DM and NDF intake (p < 0.01). Angus had greater DM and nutrient intake in kg/day (p < 0.01). However, there was no breed effect on DM and nutrient intakes based on percentage of BW (p > 0.19). Angus had greater starch digestibility (p = 0.03) than Nellore. Cattle fed the WSC diet had greater DM, NDF and starch digestibility (p < 0.01) compared with those fed the GC diet. The activity of pancreatic α‐amylase (U/g of protein) was greater in Nellore (p < 0.01) and was not affected by diet (p = 0.52). In duodenum, maltase activity (U/g of protein) was greater in bulls fed GC diet (p = 0.02). Expression of the gene SLC5A1was not affected by breed or diet (p > 0.05). In conclusion, Nellore had less capacity to digest starch. However, they did not have less pancreatic α‐amylase and duodenal maltase activity compared to Angus. The use of the WSC diet increases DM and total nutrient digestibility.     

Nutritional Value of electron beam irradiated cottonseed meal in broiler chickens

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of electron beam‐irradiated cottonseed meal on performance, carcass characteristics and some blood parameters of broiler chicks. Treatments were cottonseed meal (CSM) at levels of 12% and 24% (raw and irradiated at 30 kGy) and corn‐soya bean meal diet (as control, without CSM and without irradiation) that used with five dietary treatments, four replicates and 10 birds of each for 42 days in completely randomized design. Feed intake (FI) and body weight gain (BWG) were recorded weekly. At 42 days of age, two birds per pen were randomly selected for the determination of carcass characteristics and blood parameters. BWG decreased with increasing levels of dietary CSM during the experiment (p < 0.05). In addition, radiation had significant positive effect in broilers fed 12% compared with those fed 24% CSM. FI in chicks fed control and diet containing 24% CSM were increased significantly in starter period. But FI was significantly decreased in broilers consumed CSM compare to the control in grower and during the experiment. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) increased with increasing levels of CSM in the diets. Relative weights of liver, gastrointestinal tract (GI), pancreas, gizzard and abdominal fat were increased by increasing levels of CSM in the diet (p < 0.05). Glucose, cholesterol, HDL, triglyceride and phosphorous concentrations increased, and LDL concentration decreased as the dietary CSM levels increased (p < 0.05). But radiation had not significant effect on blood parameters. Electron irradiation seems to be a good procedure to improve the nutritional quality of CSM, but it seems higher dose of it was needed to improve performance of chickens.     

Studies on the use of wheat rich in crude protein in the feeding of broilers. 1. Experimental procedure, weight gains, food consumption and food efficiency]

A fattening trial was carried out with 8 groups of broilers each comprising 1225 birds. Within this trial tests were made to replace the protein feeds of newly hatched chicks over a period of up to 56 days of age, by wheat rich in crude protein. If wheat with a high crude protein content is fed supplementation with lysine and methionine will be necessary depending on the kind of protein feed used. No supplementation with amino acids is required if rations of fish meal + extracted soya bean meal are used despite their reduced content of these amino acids. The broilers consumed larger quantities of the wheat + extracted soya bean meal+fish meal ration than of the mixtures containing no fish meal. Food requirements per unit of weight gain were the same for the mixtures containing high-protein wheat and for the standard maize ration. The lowest food consumption per unit of weight gain was computed for the wheat + extracted soya bean meal diet supplemented with amino acids. The same quantities of lysine, thioamino acids and threonine were necessary for broilers receiving the wheat rations as for birds of the standard group. Protein feed may be saved by using high-protein wheat in the fattening of broilers. The rates of weight gain obtained with these rations are the same or even better than those achieved with rations of maize + fish meal+soya bean meal.