EFFECT OF PELLETING SIZE AND PELLET BINDER LEVEL ON BROILER CHICKEN PERFORMANCE.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

This study aimed to examine effects of pellet size and binder (calcium lignosulfonate, CLS) levels on performance and carcass during finisher period. About 180 one-day old Arbo Acres chicks were allocated on 6 groups of 30 birds each. Birds of all groups were offered the same starter and grower diets and then the experimental finisher diets were presented to birds. Starting from 29 days, finisher diets were offered in a (2*3) factorial design. (T1) diet was pelleted 3.5 mm with CLS 0.2% as control diet, (T2): 3.5 mm with CLS 0.4%, (T3): 3.5 mm with CLS 0.8%, (T4): 4.5 mm with CLS 0.2%, (T5): 4.5 mm with CLS 0.4%, (T6): 4.5 mm with CLS 0.8%. Results showed that live body weight (LBW), daily weight gain (DWG), daily feed intake (DFI) or feed conversion ratio (FCR), was insignificantly affected by treatments. Additionally, carcass traits; dressing percentage, gizzard, heart percentages, were insignificantly affected by neither pelleting size nor CLS levels. Also, performance index (PI), production efficiency factor (PEF), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and efficiency of energy utilization (EEU) were insignificantly affected by treatments. While relative economic efficiency (REE) recorded higher value with 4.5 mm pellets with CLS 0.2%. It could be concluded that using finisher diet pelleted in 4.5 mm is favorable for productive performance of birds and feed pelleting quality especially when CLS was added at level of 0.2%.

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