IMPACT OF PELLET BINDER ON BROILER PERFORMANCE AND FEED PROCESSING ECONOMICS

Abstract

Total number of 216 one-day-old, unsexed Hubbard broiler chicks were used to study effects of pellet binder level together with pelleting diameter on growth performance, carcass measurements, and economic efficiency. Experimental birds were distributed over 6 groups, each group comprised of 36 chicks in 6 replicates of 6 chicks each. The experimental dietary treatments were as follows: control (T1) basal diet (BD) that is pelleted in standard diameter (SD) with addition of calcium lignosulfonate (CL) 2 Kg/ Ton; (T2) BD pelleted in SD with CL 4 Kg/ Ton; (T3) BD pelleted in SD with CL 8 Kg/ Ton; (T4) BD pelleted in a diameter thicker that SD by 1.0 mm (SD+1) with CL 2 Kg/ Ton; (T5) BD pelleted in SD+1 with CL 4 Kg/ Ton; and (T6) BD pelleted in SD+1 with CL 8 Kg/ Ton. Obtained results showed that all parameters of growth performance; live body weight (LBW), daily weight gain (DWG), daily feed consumption (DFC), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were not significantly affected (P>0.05) by dietary treatments. Also, values of growth efficiency; relative growth rate (RGR),performance index (PI), production efficiency factor (PEF), protein conversion ratio (PCR), and energy conversion ratio (ECR) indicated no significant differences (P>0.05) within all tested groups. Moreover, data of carcass traits; dressed carcass, abdominal fat, giblets, total edible parts appeared significantly similar (P>0.05) among all treatments. Additionally, data of economic evaluation showed better economic efficiency with T2, T5, or T6 groups when compared to other groups. It could be concluded that using CL as a pellet binder in SD conditions, could be more beneficial with inclusion level of 4 Kg/Ton. Moreover, it might be advised to include CL at 8 Kg/ Ton in diets only when pelleting feedatSD+1 as these conditions positively maintained performance and carcass of birds.