Performance of broilers and production and egg quality parameters of laying hens fed 60% raw or treated common vetch (Vicia sativa) seeds.
Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of feeding 60% untreated (U) or coarsely ground treated vetch (V) seeds on performance of broilers and laying hens. In Experiment 1, the V seeds were soaked in 1% NaHCO3 (1:10) or in 1% acetic acid (1:5) at room temperature for 24 h (RTAA). Birds on the NaHCO3-treated V diet had 100% mortality rate but had significantly longer survival time than those on UV (14.9 vs 5.1 d). Birds on RTAA-V survived and had similar BW and feed conversion but greater kidney size than those of the controls at 7 wk of age (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, control, UV, V soaked in water at 40 C (40WV), RTAA-V, and V soaked in acetic acid at 40 C (40AAV) diets were fed to laying hens for 84 d. The ground seeds in RTAA-V and 40AAV were soaked in acetic acid (1:10) at room temperature or at 40 C, respectively, for 24 h. For 40WV, the seeds were soaked in water (1:10) at 40 C for 72 h with a water change every 12 h. The UV-fed hens ceased egg production within 14 d and had the highest BW loss and the lowest feed intake among all treatments (P < 0.05). The 40WV and 40AAV significantly improved these criteria. Moreover, the RTAA-V resulted in performance comparable to that of the controls. Eggs produced by hens on treated V diets had similar weight but higher Haugh unit score (11 points), thinner shell, and lower yolk color score than those of the controls (P < 0.05). Results indicated that RTAA-V at 60% dietary level was not detrimental to broilers and laying hens.
Farran
M T
MT
Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, Lebanon. mf02@aub.edu.lb
Dakessian
P B
PB
Darwish
A H
AH
Uwayjan
M G
MG
Dbouk
H K
HK
Sleiman
F T
FT
Ashkarian
V M
VM
D019342:Acetic Acid; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002254:Carbonates; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D004531:Eggs / Q000592:standards; D002149:Energy Intake; D007887:Fabaceae; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling; D007668:Kidney / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010058:Oviposition; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012639:Seeds; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014118:Toxins, Biological / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000302:isolation & purification
D002254:Carbonates; D014118:Toxins, Biological; C005686:sodium carbonate; D019342:Acetic Acid