Effects of prepelleting whole corn inclusion on feed particle size, pellet quality, growth performance, carcass yield, and digestive organ development and intestinal microbiome of broilers between 14 and 42 d of age

Abstract

Summary: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of prepelleting whole corn (WC) inclusion on body weight (BW), feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), processing yield, organ development, and gut microbiome of broilers from 14 to 42 d of age. One thousand male Ross × Ross 708 broilers were randomly distributed among 4 treatments with 10 replicate pens per treatment and 25 broilers per pen (0.12 m2/chick). A common starter was fed from 1 to 14 d of age. At 14 d, 4 experimental treatments containing 0, 3, 6, and 9% WC prepelleting were provided. Feed consumption and BW were determined at 14, 28, and 42 d of age and FCR was calculated including the weights of the mortality. On day 28, 2 birds per pen were selected to evaluate the ileal and cecal microbiota. At 43 d, 10 birds/pen were processed for yield determination. Data were statistically evaluated using ANOVA procedure and means were separated by Tukey HSD test. The inclusion of WC did not influence growth performance from 14 to 42 d of age (P > 0.05), but 9% WC increased the carcass yield (P 0.05). Inclusion of 9% WC reduced the relative proventriculus weight (P < 0.05). Romboutsia spp. and ileal anaerobes increased when the level of WC exceeded 6% (P < 0.05). These data demonstrate that as much as 9% WC can be incorporated in broiler diets before pelleting from 14 to 42 d without negative effects on broiler performance and processing yield.

Keywords

• whole corn
• feed conversion ratio
• carcass yield
• microbiome