Abstract
Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate bromatological composition and metabolizable energy values of cottonseed meal, rice meal, and wheat bran when provided to slow growth rate broilers at different ages. Energy values of 15- to 25- and 35- to 45-day-old broilers were determined by the total feces collection method using two digestibility bioassays. The birds were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design to evaluate the age effect, with six replicates of 10 chickens each, for each ingredient. Values of apparent metabolizable energy adjusted by nitrogen balance (kcal/kg), for the first and second ages were: 1,255 and 1,564 for cottonseed meal, 3,124 and 3,301 for rice meal, and, 2,211 and 2,383 for wheat bran, respectively. The ingredients showed some variations regarding chemical composition and energy values, which were higher (P < 0.05) in older broiler chickens.
Highlights
Food energy content is one of the important components of poultry diets as energy is required from maintenance to maximizing poultry productive potential
Peculiarities exist regarding the development of the digestive system organs and the serum biochemical parameters, no differences were found in the activity of the pancreatic enzymes lipase and amylase, indicating similar capacity of nutrients digestion among lineages[3]
For chemical composition the following analyses were performed according to the Association of Official Analytical Chemistry[13]: dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), and ash
Summary
Food energy content is one of the important components of poultry diets as energy is required from maintenance to maximizing poultry productive potential. The energy content present in feed can be expressed by several methods in which metabolizable energy is the most usual tool used in poultry nutrition[1]. Rice and wheat have higher protein content than corn with the lowest inclusion being possibly of soybean meal in the diets. Soybean meal is the most important source of protein in poultry nutrition worldwide, but the increasing demand has increased the price, sometimes requiring the use of other protein sources. Cottonseed meal is a by-product of the cotton oil industry, a rich source of protein, but higher in fiber and antinutritional factors, being used as a partial replacement of soybean meal in poultry diets
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