title: Influence of fibre on metabolisable energy of diet and performance of growing pullets in the Tropics.
abstract: 1. Diets in which maize and palm kernel meals were major ingredients and whose metabolisable energy values were varied by the inclusion of graded amounts of maize cob (50 to 200 g/kg diet) were fed to growing pullets for 9 to 21 weeks of age. 2. Apparent metabolisable energy decreased from 11.82 to 9.79 MJ/kg diet as neutral detergent fibre increased from 182 to 330 g/kg. 3. Metabolisable energy intake was significantly reduced when the maize cob content was above 100 g/kg diet. 4. Protein intake was unaffected by treatment but apparent nitrogen retention was significantly depressed for pullets receiving the diet with 200 g/kg maize cob. Birds on the diet did not come into lay during the study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Longe
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Ogedegbe
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D009549:Nigeria; D014329:Tropical Climate