Metabolisable energy values for growing chicks of some feedstuffs from Sri Lanka

Abstract

AbstractSeven chick bioassays were conducted with 600 one‐week‐old White Leghorn cockerels to determine the zero nitrogen‐corrected metabolisable energy (MEn) values of twenty‐three Sri Lankan‐produced feedstuffs. The MEn values (MJ kg−1 dry matter) of the feedstuffs were: maize 14.28, sorghum 14.42, broken rice 12.35, rough rice 9.21, rice bran grade I 14.28, rice bran grade II 9.30, wheat feed flour 9.31, wheat bran 7.66, undetoxified cassava root meal 13.38, detoxified cassava root meal 15.92, coconut oil meal 7.46, sesame oil meal 11.48, rubber seed meal 11.25, kapok seed meal 8.75, urd bean 12.68, cassava leaf meal 7.82, local fish meal 11.97, skim milk powder 10.41, meat and bone meal 8.02, sugar filter‐press mud 8.85, cocoa husk meal 7.46, Mango seed kernel meal 10.84, and tea refuse 6.02. The difference between the MEn values of undetoxified and detoxified cassava root meal indicate that hydrocyanic acid interferes with energy utilisation in poultry.