Abstract

 
 
 The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of various geometric mean diameters (GMDs) of particles of corn, pelleted soybean meal and a corn-soy mixture in the proportion of 70% and 30%, respectively, on the nutritional value of the feeds. The study evaluated energy consumption, the contents of apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and AME corrected for nitrogen balance (AMEn) and the metabolizability coefficients for broiler chickens at various ages. A total of 540 Cobb 500 male broilers were housed in metabolic cages (experimental units). Trials were performed separately with each feed. A completely randomized design was used with four treatments, namely corn with 573, 636, 851, and 1012 μm GMDs; pelleted soybean meal with 538, 550, 665, and 741 μm GMDs; and the corn-soy mixture with 627, 658, 893, and 1040 μm GMDs. Birds were evaluated on days 1 - 10, 11 - 20, 21 - 30, and 31 - 40. Larger GMDs resulted in lower energy consumption. From 1 to 10 days, birds consumed less metabolizable energy than older birds. Birds fed corn from days 1 to 10 had higher metabolizable energy (P <0.05) with increasing GMD up to 1042 μm. However, the results varied, depending on the feed and its combinations. The use of coarse particles could reduce the costs of grinding, and would have few effects on the metabolizable energy of broiler chickens.
 
 
Highlights
The metabolizable energy content of feedstuffs is important in meeting the nutritional requirements of broiler chickens
A diet based on corn and soybean meal probably increased apparent metabolizable energy (AME) with age owing to the enhanced utilization of starch, fat and protein
Because a coarser particle size could reduce grinding costs and might increase the AME and AME corrected for nitrogen balance (AMEn) values for broiler chickens, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of various particle sizes of corn, pelleted soybean meal, and a mixture of these ingredients for broiler chickens of different ages
Summary
The metabolizable energy content of feedstuffs is important in meeting the nutritional requirements of broiler chickens. This content can be determined with various methods. It can be influenced by factors such as age, sex, the amount of feed provided, and the methodology used in the metabolism trials (Kunrath et al, 2010). Apparent metabolizable energy increases from 0 to 14 days old, and remains constant (Batal & Parsons, 2002). A diet based on corn and soybean meal probably increased AME with age owing to the enhanced utilization of starch, fat and protein. The absorptive capacity of the birds could have been affected by the feed ingredients and the age of the birds (Adeola et al, 2018)
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