Semina: Ciências Agrárias (Jun 2015)

Replacement of corn with babassu mesocarp flour in balanced rations for broilers in the period from 1 to 21 days

  • Flávia Luzia Rodrigues Fonseca ,
  • Jefferson Costa de Siqueira ,
  • Roberta Gomes Marçal Vieira Vaz ,
  • Kênia Ferreira Rodrigues ,
  • Gerson Fausto da Silva ,
  • Ana Cláudia Gomes Rodrigues Neiva ,
  • Mônica Calixto da Silva,
  • Joana Patrícia Lira de Sousa ,
  • Iberê Pereira Parente ,
  • Carla Fonseca Alves ,
  • Rosiane Aires Luz

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2015v36n3p1745
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 36, no. 3
pp. 1745 – 1754

Abstract

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The objective of this study was to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of partial replacement of corn with babassu mesocarp flour in diets for broilers from one to 21 days of age. Two hundred male day-old chicks, from the Cobb 500® line, were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments (0%, 10%, 20% and 30% replacement of maize flour with the babassu mesocarp) and five replicates were used comprising ten birds. Were evaluated performance (weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion and water intake), organ biometrics, metabolizability coefficients of dry matter (MCDM), crude protein (MCCP) and gross energy (MCGE) and cost of feeding diets containing babassu mesocarp flour (BMF). It was observed that the substitution of corn with BMF negatively influenced (P 0.05) the relative weights of the carcass, bursa, spleen, heart, gizzard or liver, nor the relative weight or length of the small intestine. The lower cost of feed per kg of weight gain was obtained with the diet containing 10% corn replacement with BMF, which resulted in a higher gross margin in relation to food. The replacement of corn with BMF in diets for broilers from one to 21 days of age proved to be technically feasible in 10%.

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