N. M. Dale

Sunflower meal in poultry diets: a review

Sunflower meal (SFM) has the potential to be a major feed ingredient for poultry in many countries not suitable for extensive soyabean cultivation. SFM is a good source of protein with amino acid a...

Effect of Pelleted Feed on the Incidence of Ascites in Broilers Reared at Low Altitudes

A study was conducted to investigate whether the use of pelleted feeds might influence the incidence of ascites in broilers reared at low altitudes (730 meters above sea level). In two trials carried out under commercial conditions, broilers were fed practical-type rations from 1 day to 7 weeks of age, in either mash or pellet form. In both trials, low incidences of ascites (less than 5%) were recorded for broilers receiving feed as pellets. No cases of the syndrome were observed in birds fed mash, either in the field or at the processing plant. These data suggest that the positive relationship between pelleted feeds and incidence of ascites observed at high altitudes also exists at lower elevations.

Variation in feed ingredient quality: oilseed meals

Oilseed meals frequently constitute between 20 and 30% of poultry and livestock diets and contribute more than half of total protein. Thus, factors relating to protein quality and amino acid composition are of prime concern in assessing oilseed meal quality. Total protein content can be affected by factors such as cultivar, growing conditions, and levels of fiber and moisture. Of equal concern is the quality of protein in oilseed meals as influenced by degree of processing. Overheating during the drying/desolventizing phase can impair lysine digestibility. An overall quality control program for oilseeds must be based on the measurement of variations in protein content and, in addition, degree of processing.

Relationship of Two-Week Body Weight to the Incidence of Ascites in Broilers

Two experiments were conducted to investigate whether a positive relationship exists between individual capacity for rapid growth and the subsequent development of ascites lesions in broilers. Chicks were wingbanded at 1 day of age and reared to 7 weeks on high-energy rations designed to promote rapid growth and ascites. All chicks dying during the experimental period were necropsied to determine the presence or absence of ascites lesions. In neither experiment was there any indication that the individual capacity for rapid growth, as reflected in relative 2-week body weights, was associated with an increased propensity to develop ascites.

Effect of feeding low-oil distillers dried grains with solubles on the performance of broilers

Manufacturers of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are changing practices to extract corn oil from DDGS in the process of ethanol production. The resulting product is called low-oil DDGS (LO-DDGS) and may be included in broiler diets. Two LO-DDGS and one unextracted DDGS were used in a broiler performance trial to determine maximum levels of inclusion without detrimental effects. Corn- and soybean meal-based mash diets were used with different DDGS samples included at 10 or 20%. Six hundred thirty Cobb 500 male by-product chicks were randomly assigned to 6 replicate pens containing 15 chicks each and fed diets from 0 to 18 d of age. There was a significant interaction between source and level on BW at d 11 and 18 when 10 and 20% of LO-DDGS was included compared with the control group. There was also a significant effect of source and level interaction on BW at d 18 (P < 0.05). Feed efficiency from d 0 to 18 was improved when 10% LO-DDGS was used compared with 20% inclusion. Abdominal fat pad weights were higher when LO-DDGS samples were included at 10 or 20% compared with the control group. There was a significant effect of DDGS source and level on fat pad weights (P < 0.05). Producers may achieve an increase in performance when including 10% LO-DDGS in broiler diets. Up to 20% inclusion levels may have no detrimental effects on performance parameters compared with a standard corn-soybean diet.

In vitro and in vivo procedures in quality control programmes

As is the case with any industrial process, the manufacture of poultry feeds is subject to considerable sources of variation. If requirements for key nutrients are not met, bird performance in the field will likely be negatively affected. As a result, most poultry companies and feed manufacturers establish quality control programmes as a means of reducing risk. Such programmes must be viewed as an integral part of the business structure of any organization. While they may not be considered “profit centers” per se, expenses incurred by a quality control programme must be considered investments, and investments are understood to produce economic returns. Procedures to be incorporated in quality control programmes must be selected based on the economic consequences of uncontrolled variation in given parameters, and the cost of monitoring each. Depending on the size and volume of a given feed manufacturing facility, many evaluations will be conducted on the premises, while others (including most in vivo procedures) will be sent to outside specialized testing facilities. Once a budget has been established for a quality control programme, resources should be shifted as needed to address those sources of variation of most immediate concern to the production of high quality feeds.

Impact of Extended Heat Treatment on the Amino Acid Digestibility and TMEn Content of a Formaldehyde-Treated Diet

SUMMARY Eliminating the contamination of broiler carcasses by pathogens such as Salmonella that can cause human illness continues to be a tremendous challenge and concern for the poultry industry and government regulatory agencies. One source for the introduction of these pathogens in poultry production can be the feed. Extended heat conditioning of diets prior to pelleting combined with the addition of preservatives such as formaldehyde has proven effective in reducing the risk of Salmonella in poultry diets. However, there has been a concern that the addition of some forms of formaldehyde to diets subjected to extended heat treatment could decrease the metabolizable energy and amino acid availability of the diet. To partially address this question, the TMEn and digestible amino acid coefficients of a broiler starter diet treated with 0 (control) or 0.3% formaldehyde solution prior to heat treatment at 82°C for 4.5 min were determined. Cecectomized and intact adult Single Comb White Leghorn roosters were used for determining amino acid digestibility and TMEn, respectively. The addition of the formaldehyde compound did not affect either the TMEn or the digestible amino acid content of the diet, except for a marginal (less than 1%) decrease in arginine digestibility. These results indicate that the supplementation of poultry diets with formaldehyde solution prior to extended heat treatment to eliminate Salmonella contamination did not impact the nutritional value of these diets for poultry.

Foot ash can replace tibia ash as a quantification method for bone mineralization in broilers at 21 and 42 days of age

&NA; Prior research indicated that foot ash determinations were as robust as tibia bone ash determinations in reflecting the degree of bone mineralization in chicks at 14 d of age. In the current research, the relative effectiveness of the 2 procedures was evaluated in 21‐ and 42‐day‐old broilers while also evaluating a new dietary phytase supplement. In experiment 1, broilers were fed until 21 d of age a negative control diet with 0.24% available phosphorus, a positive control diet with 0.48% available phosphorus, or the negative control diet supplemented with 300, 500, 1,000, or 2,500 phytase units/kg diet. In experiment 2, broilers were fed until 42 d of age negative control diets having 0.275, 0.250, and 0.225 percent available dietary phosphorus in the starter, grower, and finisher periods, respectively, positive control diets having 0.475, 0.450, and 0.425 percent available dietary phosphorus in the starter, grower, and finisher periods, respectively, or the negative control diets supplemented with 500, 1,000, or 2,500 phytase units/kg diet. At 21 and 42 d of age, broilers fed diets supplemented with the 2 highest doses of phytase had foot and tibia ash values equal to those fed the positive control diet and higher than those fed the negative control diet. At 42 d of age, feed conversion and total breast meat yield values for the broilers fed the highest dose of phytase were superior to the values of the birds fed the positive control diet or the diet containing the lowest dose of phytase. The results indicate that adding levels of this new dietary phytase beyond what is necessary for normal bone mineralization enhances feed conversion and that dried foot and tibia bone ash determinations are both reliable in detecting differences in bone mineralization in 21‐ and 42‐day‐old broilers.

Nutritional properties of dried salmon silage for broiler feeding

The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition, energy and amino acid profile of dried salmon silage (DSS) for broilers. The DSS was obtained by acid digestion of salmon mortalities and subsequently co-dried with wheat bran in a 70:30 ratio (70 parts silage and 30 parts wheat bran). Samples of DSS were evaluated for chemical composition, gross energy, nitrogen-corrected true metabolizable energy (TMEn ), mineral content, total and digestible amino acids for broilers, and amino acid score. The chemical composition of DSS was (mean ± SD): moisture (12.3 ± 0.8%), crude protein (44.0 ± 1.1%), ether extract (5.0 ± 2.4%), crude fiber (3.3 ± 0.4%) and ash (9.4 ± 0.6%). The gross energy and TMEn for broilers were 4 069 kcal/kg and 2 613 kcal/kg, respectively. The DSS mineral composition showed a high content of calcium (1.01%) and phosphorus (1.08%). The DSS had high levels of digestible methionine (0.74%), lysine (2.27%), and threonine (1.16%), and did not present limiting amino acids for broilers. Nutritional composition of DSS showed high protein content with an amino acid profile considered to be suitable as a protein source for broiler feeding.