The Effect of Free Choice Whole Grain Wheat on Turkey Performance, Caecal Health and Foot Pad Dermatitis

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effect of inclusion of whole grain wheat by a free choice method in the diet of turkey poults on bird performance, caecal health and foot pad dermatitis. A total of 192, four week old, as hatched, commercial line turkeys. Birds were blocked by live weight and then randomly allocated to one of two dietary treatments or whole grain wheat with starter pellet control (CON) treatment. Turkeys were offered their respective treatments for the duration of the study. Feed offered and refused and body weights were determined weekly. Turkeys were fed whole grain wheat (WGW) as free choice, it was observed that intake of WGW was much more variable in birds offered free choice WGW, although mean intake of WGW was greater. Bird performance was better if WGW was not fed. The weight of the (crop, gizzard, liver, pancreas and caecum) were not effect by treatment. Digesta pH was affected by treatment (P=0.045) gizzard digesta pH being lower when birds were offered WGW at 28-48 d old. Cecal content pH, cecal visual appearance scores, cecal content visual appearance scores, foot pad dermatitis were not affected by the WGW to the diet.