The replacement of skim milk in the diet of young pigs with an extremely short suckling period. 3. Report. Use of liquid substitute feed on the basis of skim milk, fish meal and wheat under production conditions]

A trial was performed in which 273 piglets received a liquid milk diet between the 12th and 30th day of age. This was compared with a liquid experimental diet, in which 60% of the milk was replaced by fish meal and wheat. Both diets were given as sole feed under practical feeding conditions. The experimental diet produced a weight increase of 81,9% relative to that of the milk diet; milk consumption was 53.7% the required amount of dry matter 117.4%, milk consumption per kg of weight gain 61.5% and expenditure on feed per kg of weight gain 78%. The general growth development of the piglets was quite good irrespective of the different rates of weight increase. The weight gains after 30 days were 6.6 kg+/-1.5 kg for the experimental diet and 7.0 kg+/-1.2 kg for the milk diet. Losses among the piglets amounted to 0.7% and 2.9%. On the basis of the results of the present trial and of previous experiments the authors believe that under practical conditions of feeding 50% of the milk contained in a liquid milk diet fed to piglets that are 12 to 30 days of age could be replaced by wheat and fish meal.     

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.     

Studies on the effect of raw protein supply on the lysine requirements in young pigs of living weight of 12-40 kg. 2. Report. Feeding studies with wheat-soy bean extraction residues]

A feeding trial was conducted on a total of 96 pigs to investigate the effect of lysine supplements added to rations of wheat+extracted soya bean meal and rations of wheat+extracted gound nut meal. Significant differences in the daily weight gains were noted (up to the 4th week of experiment) between the groups fed the soya bean meal ration and those fed the ground nut meal ration and between the soya bean meal groups receiving rations supplemented with 0,71% lysine or 0.79% lysine. At the termination of the trial (8th week) these differences were no longer significant statistically although the soya bean meal group fed rations supplemented with 0.79% lysine yielded clearly the best results.     

Protein utilization of mixed feed rations in lactating pigs with reference to the essential amino acid content of the feed proteins. 2. Report. Utilization of the feed proteins in the use of soy bean extraction residue, waste liquor yeast, horse bean meal fish meal and maize gluten for a basic ration]

Nitrogen trials were performed on lactating pigs to investigate the utilization of protein from some feeding rations. The basal ration fed to the sows consisted of ground barley+oats+flaked potatoes or ground barley+sugar beet chips. The basal ration was supplemented with a protein source. The protein feeds used were extracted soya bean meal, horse bean meal, fish meal, maize gluten and waste liquor yeast. Data for the average biological value of the dietary proteins were as follows (in the given order of protein feeds): 61%, 59%, 54%, 58% and 37%. PPV data were: 44%, 43%, 39%, 44% and 28%. The proteins of nearly all rations were deficient in lysine when compared with the range of amino acids present in the proteins of sow milk.     

Protein utilization of mixed feed rations in the lactating pig with reference to the essential amino acid content of the feed proteins. 1. Report. Description of the study methods for protein utilization in the use of peanut extraction residues and dry skim milk in the ration]

A method is discussed which has been used to investigate protein utilization in lactating sows. Two N balance trials were carried out to establish the degree of protein utilization of mixed feed rations. The rations contained barley, oats and flaked potatoes. Extracted pea nut meal or, for comparison, dried skim milk, were added as protein sources. The average biological value achieved was 42% if extracted pea nut meal was fed and 59% if dried skim milk was added. The corresponding PPV data were 33% for the rations containing extracted pea nut meal and 49% for the dried skim milk rations. Balances made for the rate of dietary amino acid intake and amino acid excretion in the milk showed that lysine deficiency occurred when rations were fed containing the extracted pea nut meal.     

Relation of soya bean meal level to the concentration of plasma free amino acids and body growth in white rats

Amino acid (AA) levels in plasma and body growth were determined in rats (n20) fed diets with different soya bean meal levels. Free AA in plasma was determined by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. We have used four levels of protein diets like 8%, 15%, 23% and 35% in this trial. Rats which were fed the low-protein (8%) diet with low percentage of soya bean meal were found to be growth-retarded. The body weight gain of high protein group (35%) was lower than that of the 23% groups. In the rats fed with the low-soya bean meal diet, some nonessential AA (NEAA) in plasma like asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid and serine increased, whereas the essential AA (EAA), with the exception of arginine, methionine and valine decreased. Here, plasma EAA-to-NEAA ratios were not correlated to growth and experimental diet. We hypothesize that AA metabolism is associated to changes in growth in rats on different protein intake. This study has showed the sensitivity of body mass gain, feed intake, feed conversion rate of rats to four levels of protein in the diet under controlled experimental conditions.     

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.     

Effect of various technological processes on the feeding properties of extracted sunflower meal]

The extracted sunflower meal with low cellulose content that was obtained by a new technological procedure exhibited better feeding properties than the sunflower meal produced by the old procedure. This is due to reduced protein denaturation and restricted deterioration of lysine but other biological factors may also be involved in this. The extracted sunflower meal with low cellulose content produced nearly identical results compared with those of extracted soya bean meal, and even a somewhat more efficient rate of gain. This is probably due to the higher methionine content of the meal, a fact which was also pointed out by other authors doing experimental work with extracted meals. It is a matter of great economic importance that the expensive soya bean meal which has to be, for the most part, imported to Bulgaria, can be replaced by this type of extracted sunflower meal. On the basis of the new technological procedure it has become possible to produce an extracted meal with low cellulose content from an ordinary extracted meal by using a fairly simple procedure (removal of seed husks).     

Dried skim milk as a replacement for soybean meal in growing-finishing diets: effects on growth performance, apparent total-tract nitrogen digestibility, urinary and fecal nitrogen excretion, and carcass traits in pigs

Two trials were conducted to determine the replacement nutritive value of dried skim milk for growing-finishing pigs. In a three-phase feeding trial, 180 growing composite barrows (40.8 +/- 2.9 kg BW) were allotted to three dietary treatments. Each phase lasted 28 d. Treatment 1 comprised a basal corn-soybean meal diet supplemented with crystalline AA to contain true ileal digestible concentrations (as-fed basis) of 0.83, 0.66, and 0.52% Lys; 0.53, 0.45, and 0.40% Thr; and 0.51, 0.45, and 0.42% sulfur amino acids (SAA; Met + Cys) in Phases 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Treatments 2 and 3 were the basal diets with 5 and 10% (as-fed basis) dried skim milk added. The three diets at each phase were formulated to have the same quantities of DE, true ileal digestible Lys, Thr, Trp, SAA, Ca, and available P. Pigs were housed 10 per pen (six pens/treatment), allowed ad libitum access to feed, and slaughtered at 121.6 +/- 9.3 kg BW. No differences were detected between pigs fed the basal diet and the dried skim milk diets or between pigs fed the 5 and 10% dried skim milk diets, respectively, in 84-d ADG (P = 0.84 or P = 0.71), ADFI (P = 0.54 or P = 0.91), and G:F (P = 0.80 or P = 0.97), in hot carcass weight (P = 0.66 or P = 0.74), 45-min postmortem LM pH (P = 0.90 or P = 0.53), 10th-rib backfat thickness (P = 0.24 or P = 0.77), LM area (P = 0.13 or P = 0.63), weights of belly (P = 0.43 or P = 0.70), trimmed wholesale cuts (P = 0.18 to 0.85 or P = 0.06 to 0.53), and ham components (P = 0.25 to 0.98 or P = 0.32 to 0.63). In the N balance trial, four littermate pairs of finishing gilts (82.9 +/- 2.0 kg BW) were assigned within pair to the basal or the 10% dried skim milk (as-fed basis) finishing diet. Daily feed allowance was 2.6x maintenance DE requirement and was given in two equal meals. Total fecal collection from eight meals and a 96-h urine collection began on d 14 when gilts weighed 92.1 +/- 2.2 kg BW. No differences were found between dietary treatments in gilt's daily N intake (P = 0.33) and the daily output of urinary urea (P = 0.88), urinary N (P = 0.97), fecal N (P = 0.69), and total manure (P = 0.62), as well as apparent total-tract N digestibility (P = 0.84) and N retention (P = 0.84). It is concluded that growing-finishing pigs fed diets containing 10% dried skim milk would have growth performance, carcass traits, and N digestibility and use similar to those fed typical corn-soybean meal diets.     

Replacing corn with pearl millet (raw and sprouted) with and without enzyme in chickens' diet

An experiment was conducted to compare a commercial corn–soya bean meal diet with a pearl millet (raw and sprouted) diet containing less soya bean meal, alone or in combination with exogenous enzyme, on growth performance and ileal villus development of chicks. Two‐hundred‐and‐forty‐one‐day‐old male broilers (10/pen) were randomly allocated to one of the following dietary treatments: (i) a standard corn–soya bean meal control diet (CTL); (ii) a raw pearl millet‐soya bean meal diet (PM); (iii) a sprouted pearl millet‐soya bean meal diet (SPM); (iv) CTL + exogenous enzymes (CE); (v) PM + exogenous enzymes (PE); and (vi) SPM + exogenous enzymes (SPE) with four replicate pens/treatment. Body weight of birds at day 21 did not differ between those fed the CTL, and SPM and PE diets. In comparison with feeding broilers the CTL diet, feeding the PE and SPM diets caused significant decrease in feed intake, but with equivalent growth and feed efficiency. However, at day 21, feed conversion ratio did not differ between birds fed the CTL diet and those fed the PM, PE and SPM diets. At day 21, broilers fed the PM and PE diets had longer villi (p < 0.05) than those fed the CTL diet. At day 21, villi width was reduced (p < 0.05) by raw pearl millet supplementation than CTL diet. It is concluded that, in comparison with corn, broiler diets formulated with sprouted pearl millet or pearl millet with enzyme require less soya bean meal and can be used to improve growth performance traits and villus development.     

Ergosterol as a measure for fungal growth in feed. 2. Ergosterol content of mixed feed components and mixed feed

Ergosterol was determined as a chemical indicator of fungal biomass in commodities which were used for the production of mixed feeds. It was found in all samples of each of the following components (content in mg/kg DM): Wheat (2.6 +/- 1.0), low grade wheat flour (fibre less than or equal to 3.5%) (17.3 +/- 9.1), wheat semolina bran (fibre less than or equal to 10%) (29.4 +/- 16.8), wheat bran (35.2 +/- 9.4), grain corn (1.0 +/- 0.6), corn gluten feed (7.8 +/- 3.0), corn gluten (10.3 +/- 5.0), maize germ meal (8.0 +/- 2.0), barley (3.1 +/- 1.1), malt sprouts (40.6 +/- 15.9), broad beans (0.6 +/- 0.3), peas (summer varieties, white flowering) (2.2 +/- 1.0), soya flakes (2.2 +/- 0.9), soya meal (1.1 +/- 0.7), sunflower meal (5.0 +/- 2.4), copra meal/expeller (9.1 +/- 1.6), palm kernel meal (12.6 +/- 11.0), rapeseed meal (2.6 +/- 0.8), linseed meal (3.2 +/- 1.6), manioc meal (8.3 +/- 2.7), beet pulp, dried (1.6 +/- 0.3), beet pulp with molasses (2.2 +/- 0.9), alfalfa meal (37.8 +/- 10.4), grass meal (62.4 +/- 37.0). Ergosterol was not found in molasses, citrus pulp, carcass meal, meat-and-bone-meal, skim milk powder, whey powder, fish meal (2 of 3 samples), mineral components, vitamin mixtures and other additives. Differences in ergosterol contents are discussed. With four mixed feeds it was demonstrated that the ergosterol content determined chemically in the mixture is in good accordance with the value calculated from the ergosterol content of the components and their percentage in the mixture.     

Factors affecting skim milk progesterone assay results.

Five studies were performed to determine factors affecting progesterone concentration in skim milk. Results of the first study indicated that progesterone concentration was higher in skim milk of samples kept 16 hours in an ice bath (0 C) than of those left at room temperature (21 C). In the second study, this temperature effect was found to be reversible, with skim milk progesterone concentration increasing when whole milk samples were cooled prior to centrifugation. In the third study, [3H]-labeled progesterone was used to determine the relationship between fat content of foremilk (the first milk obtained from the teats), midmilk (milk obtained midway through milking), and strippings (milk obtained immediately after milking machines have been removed) samples and temperature (4 C and 21 C) on the percentage of progesterone in the skim milk fraction. The relationship between percentage of butterfat and percentage of progesterone in skim milk was linear when the log of these variables was used for calculations. In the fourth study, assayable progesterone in the skim milk fraction of foremilk, midmilk, and strippings was affected by temperature. In the fifth study, a multiple-regression procedure was used to determine the amount of variation in percentage of radioactive progesterone in the skim milk fraction. Independent variables (whole milk butterfat and temperature of incubation [1, 3, 13, 22, 37, and 50 C]) and the natural log of each variable, were entered into a stepwise multiple-regression analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Occurrence of some mycotoxins (aflatoxin, ochratoxin A, citrinin, zearalenone and vomitoxin) in various Egyptian feeds

Ninety five samples of various Egyptian feedstuffs were investigated for the aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, and G2 means thin layer chromatography (TLC). Out of these samples 44.2% were positive (maize, rice crack, rice germ, rice germ cake, rice bran, wheat bran, cotton seed, cotton seed cake, peanut, and mixed feed for broilers, egg production, calf fattening and milk production). High percentage (90.5%) of the positive samples were contaminated with less than 100 ppb total aflatoxins. Peanut from "Ismailia" showed the highest contamination-mean of 400 ppb aflatoxin B1. The contamination relationship between kernels and shell of the same pods of the peanut was 1:7. The lowest contamination-mean was 5 ppb B1 in soya bean samples. All samples of horse bean and fish meal were negative. Aflatoxin B1 was present alone so frequently (in 76.2% of the positive samples). The relationship between the concentrations of aflatoxins B2:G1:B1 was 1:2.3:22.4. 51 different samples of foods and feeds from various Egyptian regions were collected and investigated for the nephrotoxic mycotoxin ochratoxin A means TLC. Twelve samples (23.5%) from them were designated as positive samples. The positive samples belonged to white maize, wheat, wheat bran, beans, rice germ, rice germ cake, broilers feed, egg production feed, and milk production feed; whereas the yellow maize (hybrid), soya beans, wheat soya meal, rice crack, cotton seed, cotton seed cake, and fish meal samples were negative. The contamination range was from 4 ppb to 577 ppb with an average of 58.2 +/- 22.9 ppb. Half of the positive samples was contaminated with 10-100 ppb whereas 41.7% from the positive samples had less than 10 ppb and 8.3% only had more than 100 ppb. Citrinin is existing in Egyptian food and feedstuffs. Out of 52 different samples--from various Egyptian regions-15.4% were positive. These were rice bran, rice germ, maize (white), wheat bran, cotton seed cake and fish meal. The highest contamination was in fish meal (40-70 ppb) whereas the lowest was in wheat bran (3 ppb). Mean of the contamination level was 25.9 +/- 3.4 ppb with a range of 3-70 ppb. For the first time in the Egyptian foods and feeds will be informed about the presence of the mycotoxin zearalenone with a high concentration. From several Egyptian places, 64 samples were collected (4 samples for each food or feed stuff).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Replacement of soybean meal with levels of inclusion of soya waste in the diet of growing goats

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of replacing soybean meal with soya waste at different levels on intake, digestibility and growth in goats. Eighteen male goat kids with initial body weight (BW) of 13.0 kg were distributed equally to three dietary groups. They were fed Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and concentrate mixture, and each goat was assigned to an individual pen. Soybean meal in the concentrate mixture was replaced with soya waste at 0% (T1), 50% (T2) and 100% (T3) levels in respective dietary groups. These diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous. Results showed that animals fed T3 diet exhibited higher Napier grass intake than those fed T1 or T2 diet. There was no influence on total intakes of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), metabolic BW, per cent BW and metabolisable energy by the dietary groups. However, there was an increasing trend on intake and digestibility of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) with increasing levels of soya waste in the diets. Animals fed T3 diet showed higher intake and digestibility of NDF than those fed T1 diet. There was no influence of the dietary groups on digestibilities of DM, OM and CP. Similarly, there was no effect of them on the final BW, total BW gain, daily BW gain, feed conversion ratio and feed cost. Soya waste can replace 100% soybean meal in diets for growing goats, because no change was observed in nutrient intake, digestibility and growth performance; inclusion of soya waste enhanced the intake and digestibility of NDF.

     

Effect of diets containing potato protein or soya bean meal on the incidence of spontaneously-occurring subclinical necrotic enteritis and the physiological response in broiler chickens

1. An experiment was conducted to compare and explain the incidence of spontaneously occurring subclinical necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens that were fed on two practical broiler diets that differed in the major protein concentrates (soya bean meal or potato protein concentrates) and examine the relationships between the severity of the disease and the growth performance and physiological responses of the chickens. 2. A total of 840, 20-d-old birds were randomly allocated to 12 pens. Two maize-based nutritionally complete diets that either contained some potato protein or soya bean meal as the major protein supplement were fed for 16 d. Twelve birds were randomly sampled from each pen at the end of the feeding period and their blood sampled and intestinal tracts and livers dissected. 3. The birds fed on the potato protein diet had a significantly 7·7% lower feed intake and a significantly 7·8% lower growth rate compared with the birds fed on the soya-based diet. There were no significant differences in feed conversion efficiency or mortality. There were no differences in the determined apparent metabolisable energy concentrations, however, the apparent dry matter digestibility of the potato protein diet was significantly higher than that of the soya based diet and the apparent crude protein digestibility of the potato protein diet was significantly lower. 4. A significantly higher alpha toxin antibody titre was found in the birds fed on the potato protein diet compared with those fed on the soya protein diet. There was a significantly increased incidence of hepatic lesions in the birds fed on the potato protein diet compared with the birds fed on the soya diet. The mean incidence of intestinal necroses tended to be greater in the birds fed on the potato protein diet (23·6%) compared with the birds fed on the soya-based diet (15·3%). 5. There was a significant linear relationship between ileal digesta sialic acid concentration and serum alpha toxin antibodies, although there were a considerable number of outliers to this relationship. Measurement of sialic acid concentration may be a useful variable to indicate the severity of necrotic enteritis in broiler flocks.     

Effects of nitrogen and energy source on nutrient digestibility in the young pig

Dried whole whey, lard or dried skim milk was added to a corn-soybean meal basal diet to determine the effect on apparent nitrogen (ND), energy (ED) and dry matter digestibility (DMD) in pigs weaned at 28 d. Four groups of four littermate barrows were allotted to the experimental diets and placed in individual metabolism pens for 12 d (3 d adjustment and three collection periods of 3 d each) after weaning. The study was a 4 X 3 factorial with diet and period as main effects. Addition of dried skim milk or dried whey to the diet resulted in higher values (P less than .05) for DMD and ED as compared with the basal or corn-soy and lard diet. Pigs fed added dried skim milk had improved (P less than .05) ND over pigs on other dietary treatments. All nutrient digestibility coefficients increased (P less than .05) from period 1 to period 2, and ND increased (P less than .05) from period 2 to 3. It was concluded that the young pig requires at least 6 to 9 d after weaning at 28 d to adjust to typical corn-soybean meal starter diets.     

Isobutylene diurea as a new source of NPN for ruminants. 1. Nitrogen balance and plasma amino acid composition after feeding of isobutylene diurea to sheep]

The paper first presents a survey of the existing literature where studies on the effects of isobutylidene diurea (IBDH) as NPN source for ruminants are discussed. Following this the authors discuss their own experiments on IBDH turnover. IBDH showed no toxi cation when tested in toxicity studies with rats which were carried out under standardized conditions. Within the framework of metabolism trial 4 growing male sheep (average liveweight: 30 kg) were fed a semisynthetic diet containing IBDH as sole N source. Each animal received 60 g IBDH per day. The average value for the apparent N digestibility was found to be 77.6%, the percentage for the average N ballance was 27.6%. The blood of the sheep was investigated, on a comparative basis, for the behaviour of free amino acids after the administration of an experimental semisynthetic diet containing IBDH or extracted soya bean meal as sole N source. The use of IBDH produced a higher concentration of free amino acids and a five-fold increase if urea concentrations in the blood plasma but reduced the Asp, Cys and Tyr levels when compared with the feeding of extracted soya bean meal. Similarly, IBDH supplementation increased the relative proportions of Gly, Lys, and His in blood plasma but reduced those of Asp, Val and Tyr. A positive relationship between the rate of IBDH hydrolysis and the decrease in pH was found in experiments studying the hydrolysis behaviour of IBDH at pH values from 1-7.     

Evaluating the suitability of maggot meal as a partial substitute of soya bean on the productive traits,digestibility indices and organoleptic properties of broiler meat

This study was conducted to replace soya bean meal with maggot meal at difference percentages. A total of 120 one‐day‐old broiler chicks were divided into four groups. Four diets were formulated with maggot meal to replace soya bean meal at the rate of 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% designated as A, B, C and D respectively. Feed and water were offered ad libitum during the study which lasted for 28 days. Feed intake decreased significantly in treated groups while body weight, Feed conversion ratio and dressing percentage increased significantly in group D. Apparent metabolizable energy increased significantly in the group fed 30% maggot meal; however, no significant difference was found in dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, ash and nitrogen free extract between the control and treated groups. The result of sensory evaluation revealed that tenderness and juiciness increased significantly in group C and B respectively. The colour and flavour were most accepted in group B and C. The results indicate that replacement of soya bean meal at the rate of 30% in broiler feed produced most favourable results.     

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.     

Effect of a supplement of partly hydrolized straw meal to a diet of fish meal and horse beans on N balance and amino acid excretion in the feces of swine

2 test pigs each (male castrated pigs) of an average live weight of 51-71 kg received either a wheat/fish meal diet (Ia) or a wheat/horse bean diet (IIa). Due to a supplement of partly hydrolysed straw meal the crude fibre content was increased from 3.0% (= Ia) to 10.1% (= Ib) and from 5.2% (= IIa) to 12.1% (= IIb) in the dry matter. This straw meal supplement decreased the apparent digestibility of the crude protein in I from 92.5 to 85.7% and in II from 89.0 to 79.0%. N-excretion in faeces/100 g DM-intake followed the regression line: y = 228 + 31.2x(r = 0.98) y = mg N/100 g DM-intake x = % crude fibre in the DM of the diet The excretion in faeces/100 g DM-intake of 15 investigated amino acids, too, in each case showed a significant increase with the rising crude fibre content of the diet. The widest growth angle (tan alpha) of all the essential amino acids investigated was shown by lysine and those amino acids with branched chains. The conclusion is that in the presence of a fermentable crude fibre source and a good N-supply those 4 amino acids show a suitable bacterial synthesis rate and a low decomposition rate.