title: Nutrient digestibility and energy utilisation of diets based on wheat, sorghum or maize by the newly hatched broiler chick.
abstract: 1. Two experiments were conducted to measure changes in nutrient utilisation in the newly hatched broiler chicken. The first experiment determined the nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolisable energy (AME(N)) and total tract digestibility of starch and fat in diets based on wheat, sorghum and maize during the first two weeks post-hatch. The second experiment was conducted to confirm the results of Experiment 1 using wheat- and maize-based diets and was of 21 d duration. 2. In both experiments, changes to AME(N) with age were similar irrespective of the diet type, declining from d 3 to d 5-9 and then increasing after d 9. 3. In Experiment 1, the total tract digestibility of starch and fat exhibited a pattern similar to that of AME(N). 4. In Experiment 1, cereal effects were significant, with maize- and sorghum-based diets having higher AME(N) values than the wheat-based diet. Total tract starch digestibility determined for d 5, 7 and 14 showed no cereal differences. Total tract fat digestibility on d 7 was significantly lower for the wheat- and sorghum-based diets than for the maize-based diet, but no cereal differences were observed on d 5 or 14. 5. In Experiment 2, cereal effects were significant, with the maize-based diet having a higher AME(N) than the wheat-based diet. 6. These results showed that nutrient utilisation is compromised during the first week of life of the broiler chick.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ravindran
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ravindran
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004063:Digestion / Q000502:physiology*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D045868:Sorghum; D014908:Triticum; D003313:Zea mays
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C072098:aginactin protein, Dictyostelium; D009584:Nitrogen