Factors Affecting Pelleting Response: 1. Influence of Dietary Energy in Broiler Starter Diets

Abstract

Commercial day-old broiler cockerels were fed to 28 days of age to study the influence of dietary energy level on the effectiveness of the pelletized-crumbled process. Corn-soybean meal-meat protein diets were formulated to contain calculated levels of either 3100, 3150, or 3200 kcal metabolizable energy (ME)/kg of diet and fed in mash or crumbled form in three separate experiments. Dietary energy fed at 3100 to 3200 kcal ME/kg of diet, irrespective of feed form, resulted in no differences in mean body weight and feed consumption. Heavier body weights resulted from feeding a crumbled diet compared to an all-mash diet when the dietary energy level was 3150 kcal ME/kg of diet. Body weights were similar among feed forms when dietary energy levels were 3100 and 3200 kcal ME/kg of diet.The feed:gain was reduced .088, .078, and .042 in diets that contained 3100, 3150, and 3200 kcal ME/kg of diet, respectively, by feeding crumbled pellets as compared to all-mash diets. Toxic factors, such as soybean meal trypsin inhibitor, were not excessive.