Effect of broiler chicken age on ileal digestibility of corn germ meal - doi: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v34i2.11812

Michele Bernardino Lima,Luiz Fernando Teixeira Albino,Carlos Bôa-Viagem Rabello,Rodrigo Barbosa Lima,Emmanuele Maria Florêncio De Arruda,Edney Pereira Da Silva

doi:10.4025/actascianimsci.v34i2.11812

Abstract

The objective of this research study was to evaluate the effect of age on the apparent ileal digestibility coefficient of nutrients, gross energy and digestible energy of corn germ meal for broilers. Four digestibility trials were conducted using 280 broilers (Cobb 500) distributed in a completely randomized design with two treatments and five replications, repeated at four ages (10, 20, 30 and 40 days). The number of birds used in the tests was 10, 8, 6 and 4 birds per experimental unit at the different ages. The results were analyzed considering as dependent variable the apparent ileal digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, ether extract and gross energy, digestible dry matter, digestible crude protein, lipid and digestible energy; and ages (10, 20, 30 and 40 days) as the independent variable. The results for the variables showed that bird age exerted influence only in the ileal digestibility of dry matter and gross energy. The digestible energy of corn germ meal increased by about 13 kcal kg -1 day -1 up to the evaluated age (40 days).

Highlights

Corn stands out among the most frequently used energy-rich foods in the diets of non-ruminants for its energy content and amino acid profile
In Brazil, Abimilho (2010) estimates that corn intake from wet processing nears 1,500,000 tons, assuming that 13% of that total is corn germ (EMBRAPA, 1991); nearly 195,000 tons of corn germ meal have been produced from processing, which could be another alternative to minimize the inclusion of traditional energy sources such in feeds for non-ruminants, as corn, oil or fat, justified by the crude protein and fat content - 8.96 to 10.9% of protein (BRITO et al, 2005; RODRIGUES et al, 2001; ROSTAGNO et al, 2005) and 3 to 19.37% of fat (BRITO et al, 2005; ROSTAGNO, 2001, ROSTAGNO et al, 2005)
One trial was conducted at each age, using two feeds: one reference feed (Table 1) made with corn and soybean meal, with composition and nutritional requirements obtained from Rostagno et al (2005); and a test feed, obtained from 60% reference feed + 40% corn germ meal, containing 95.42% of requirements for dry matter, 10.38% of crude protein, 56.48% of ether extract, 5.35% of crude fiber and 5.00% of mineral matter, and 7,039 kcal kg-1 of gross energy

Summary

Introduction

Corn stands out among the most frequently used energy-rich foods in the diets of non-ruminants for its energy content and amino acid profile. This research study had as purpose to evaluate the effect of age in the apparent ileal digestibility coefficient of nutrients, crude energy and digestible energy of corn germ meal for broilers.

Results

Conclusion