Abstract
Two experiments were carried out (pre-starter and starter phases) to evaluate the effect of feather and blood meal on performance, organ development and digestibility and retention of nutrients in broilers. In the first experiment, it was used 280 birds and in experiment 2, it was used 240 birds. The experimental diets were formulated with four levels of feather and blood meal (0%, 2%, 4% and 6%) all of them isonutritive and isoenergetic. A metabolic assay was developed on the 4th and 7th days of age in experiment 1 and on the 14th and 17th days of age in experiment 2. In these periods, one bird per experimental unit was sacrificed for determination of morphometry of the digestive organs. In experiment 1, in which it was evaluated the pre-starter phase, there was a negative linear effect of the levels of feather and blood meal on weight gain and intake in 1-21 day of age period. By using feather and blood meal in the diet, it was observed a linear effect on digestibility coefficient of dry matter, nitrogen and ether extract; there was a quadratic effect on retention of dry matter and nitrogen and linear effect on the retention of ether extract. However, performance of birds in the starter phase (experiment 2) was not affected by levels of feather and blood meal used in the diet. Coefficient of digestibility of dry matter and ether extract and retention of ether extract were affected. In both phases, mortality and morphometric data of digestive organs were not influenced by the levels of meal in the diet. Formulation of diets with up to 6% feather and blood meal for chickens in the pre-starter phase (from 1 to 7 days) is not a good alternative because it worsens performance of birds. However, from the initial phase (from 8 to 21 days), the use of feather and blood meal in the diet is viable. Feather and blood meal can be used at levels 3.0 or 4.0% for broilers in the pre-starter and starter phase.
Highlights
Animal by-products supply nutrients with economic advantage for poultry diet formulation
By using feather and blood meal in the diet, it was observed a linear effect on digestibility coefficient of dry matter, nitrogen and ether extract; there was a quadratic effect on retention of dry matter and nitrogen and linear effect on the retention of ether extract
Afterwards, the processed excreta and experimental feeds were submitted to laboratory analysis in the Laboratório de Nutrição Animal at the EVZ/UFG to determine dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and ether extract (EE), according to the methodology described by Silva & Queiroz (2002)
Summary
Suzany Aparecida Gomes Xavier, José Henrique Stringhini, Alexandre Barbosa de Brito, Maria Auxiliadora Andrade, Marcos Barcellos Café, Nadja Susana Mogyca Leandro. In the experiments performed by Longo et al (2005), performance of chicks in pre-starter ration was not affected by the protein source fed, but this effect did not persist in the subsequent raising period Rations containing these ingredients, when formulated based on ideal protein concept, result in better broiler performance (Cancherini et al, 2004; Bellaver et al, 2005). The objectives of these experiments were to evaluate the performance of broilers fed pre-starter rations (1 to 7 days of age) and starter (8 to 21 days of age) formulated with different levels of feather and blood meal and their effects on nutrient digestibility and organ dimensions
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