Influence of Feed Particle Size on the Efficiency of Broiler Chickens Fed Wheat-Based Diets

Abstract

In this study, we examined production efficiency in broiler chickens fed diets based on three wheat cultivars (Equinox, Regency and Claire) that resulted in different particle spectra (P<0.05) on hammer milling to 4mm, yet did not differ significantly in nutrient composition or non-starch polysaccharide content. The parameters evaluated in this 21-day feeding trial included weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, apparent metabolisable energy, transit time and relative losses of particle sizes of various classes during transit through the digestive tract. Weight gain, feed intake and apparent metabolisable energy were not (P>0.05) influenced by the treatments. The mean transit time also did not differ significantly (P>0.05) between diets, but the diet with the higher (P<0.05) relative proportion of coarser particles and giving greatest (P<0.05) reduction in the number of larger particles following digestion, resulted in the best (P<0.05) feed conversion ratio in broiler chickens. The present data suggest that coarse feed particle size is advantageous in terms of feed efficiency in broilers fed wheat-based diets.

Keywords

• particle size distribution
• wheat
• feed conversion ratio
• broiler chickens