The Effect of Cold Pelleting on the True Metabolizable Energy Values of Cereal Grains Fed to Adult Roosters and a Comparison of Observed with Predicted Metabolizable Energy Values

Abstract

Four samples of each of wheat, oats and barley were fed both as whole grain and as cold pellets to adult roosters. The true metabolizable energy (T.M.E.) values of the materials were measured. Pelleting increased the T.M.E. values of the wheats (3.5%) and barleys (0.9%) but decreased the values of the oats (3.5%); naked oats were affected less than were oats with hulls.The T.M.E. values were greater than the apparent metabolizable energy (A.M.E.) values but the differences were variable suggesting that some factor in addition to the correction for metabolic fecal plus endogenous urinary energy was involved. It is postulated that palatability affected feed intake and therefore reduced some of the A.M.E. values.The T.M.E. and A.M.E. values were compared with values predicted from chemical composition data. Predicted data showed less variation about the T.M.E. values than about the A.M.E. data.