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Feed Intake Responses of Mature White Leghorn Chickens to Changes in Feed Density
Feed Intake Responses of Mature White Leghorn Chickens to Changes in Feed Density J. A. CHERRY, D. E. JONES, D. F. CALABOTTA, and D. J. ZELENKA Poultry Science Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 (Received for publication February 14, 1983)
INTRODUCTION A period of adaptation is required for the domestic fowl to adjust its voluntary feed consumption in response to changes in the caloric density of the diet. Prior to adjusting caloric intake, birds fed diets containing higher concentrations of metabolizable energy (ME) initially increased their feed consumption while those given lower energy diets initially decreased their feed consumption (Van Hemel and Myer, 1969; Ivy and Nesheim, 1973; Cherry, 1979; Cherry et al, 1980; Savory, 1980). These observations suggested that the physical form of the diet exerted considerable influence on feed intake during periods of adaptation to changes in diet composition; such an influence was apparently independent of ME concentrations of the diet. The purpose of the present study was to examine further the immediate effects of feed density on the voluntary feed consumption of chickens. Feed intake responses to the dilution of diets with cellulose (wood pulp), which decreased feed density, and sand, which increased feed density, were compared. MATERIALS AND METHODS Single Comb White Leghorn chicks of a noncommercial strain were hatched in March
and vaccinated for Marek's disease. The chicks were reared on litter floors under the natural photoperiod until 130 days of age, at which time 210 pullets were transferred to a lightcontrolled, mechanically ventilated room and assigned to individual wire cages in groups of five sharing common feeders and waterers. A photoperiod of 14 hr was provided, and ambient temperatures were maintained within the range of 21 to 29 C throughout the experiment. The pullets were fed, ad libitum, a corn-soybean meal-based laying mash upon caging. At 160 days of age, each of the three mash diets presented in Table 1 was randomly assigned to 14 groups of pullets. Cellulose and sand were used to vary density and caloric content while maintaining an isonitrogenous state. The density of each diet was determined by filling a 250-ml graduated cylinder with the feed and weighing the contents. Protein and ME concentrations reported are calculated values. The feed consumption for each group of five pullets was measured daily for 49 consecutive days. Body weights were measured to the nearest gram at 0 and 49 days of the experiment. Hen-day egg production was determined daily. At 215 days of age, the pullets receiving the cellulose-supplemented (CS) and sand-supple-
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Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraka-Lincoln Libraries on April 13, 2015
ABSTRACT We compared feed intake responses of White Leghorn pullets to the dilution of corn-soybean meal, mash diets with cellulose (20%) to decrease feed density and with sand (20%) to increase feed density. Although isocaloric, the intakes of the cellulose-supplemented (CS) and sand-supplemented (SS) diets differed significantly. During the initial period of 24 hr after the diets were assigned, pullets fed the CS diet consumed significantly less feed than controls while those fed the SS diet ate about the same amount as the controls. These differences in feed consumption did not appear to correspond to differences in feed density. Over a period of 49 days, the pullets fed the CS diet consumed significantly more feed but fewer calories, exhibited decreased egg production, and gained less weight than the controls. The caloric intake, egg production, and body weight gain of the pullets fed the SS diet did not significantly differ from control values during this 49-day period. When the pullets fed the CS and SS diets were switched to the basal diet, those previously fed the CS diet initially increased both feed and caloric intakes while those previously fed the SS diet increased caloric intakes. About 10 days were required to compensate to the change in diet. (Key words: appetite, caloric intake, diet-dilution, feed density) 1983 Poultry Science 62:1846-1849
FEED INTAKE WITH CHANGES IN FEED DENSITY TABLE 1. Composition and nutrient content of the diets
Basal
Basal + cellulose
Basal + sand
(g/kg)
Content Protein, % 18.00 Metabolizable 2920 energy, kcal/kg Volume, cm 3 /g 1.44
437.40
437.40
230.70
230.70
200.00
50.00
200.00 50.00
62.50 11.00
62.50 11.00
.40 3.00 5.00
.40 3.00 5.00
18.00 2212
18.00 2212
1.78
1.27
1 The premix supplied per kilogram of diet: 4400 IU vitamin A, 1100 IU vitamin D 3 , 4.4 IU vitamin E, 7.0 mg menadione sodium bisulfite, 8.8 mg riboflavin, 22 mg d-calcium pantothenate, 66 mg niacin, 500 mg choline chloride, 13.2 Mg vitamin B 1 2 , 1.2 mg folic acid, 250 mg ethoxyquin, 80 mg manganese, 112 mg zinc, 62 mg iron, 16 mg copper, and 1 mg iodine.
mented (SS) diets were given the basal diet, and residual effects on feed consumption were investigated. Egg production was monitored daily and body weights were obtained after 21 days. Group means, summarized by periods, for each trait examined were subjected to analyses of variance and Duncan's (1955) multiple range test. Egg production data were transformed to arc sin J% prior to analyses. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The principal objective of this study was to examine short-term effects of feed density on feed and caloric intake. Our premise was that an initial increase in the consumption of both the CS and SS diets, which were isocaloric but differed considerably in density, would indicate
that the pullets initially responded primarily to dietary energy. However, an initial increase in the intake of the SS diet and a decreased intake of the CS diet would be indicative' of an immediate response to feed volume. Results for the initial period of 24 hr after the pullets were given the CS and SS diets are presented in Table 2. Although isocaloric, the intakes of the CS and SS diets differed substantially. The pullets fed the CS diet consumed significantly less feed than the controls, while those fed the SS diet ate about the same amount of feed as the controls. Because egg production and body weight did not differ significantly among treatments, the results indicated that these immediate responses were not associated with caloric needs. Neither did the observed responses appear to be associated with differences in feed volume. In comparison to the controls fed the basal diet, a significant
TABLE 2. Means for feed consumption, caloric intake, egg production, body weight, and the volume of feed consumed for the periods of 0 to 1 and 0 to 49 days after the pullets were assigned the experimental diets Diets Trait
Basal
0 to 1 day 84b Feed intake, g/hen Caloric intake, 245 c kcal/hen Egg production, 24 a % hen-day Body weight, g1 1420 a Volume intake, 1 2 1 b cm 3 /hen 0 to 49 days Feed intake, g/hen/day Caloric intake, kcal/hen/day Egg production, % hen-day Body weight gain, g Volume intake, cm 3 /hen/day
+ Cellulose
+ Sand
55 a
82b
122 a
181b
25a
26 a
1425 a 98 a
1440 a 104 a
89a
103 b
110 b
260°
228 a
243ab
61°
54a
64b
128 b
106 a
124 b
128 a
183 b
140 a
' ' c Means within a row having the same superscript were not significantly different (P>.05). 1 Body weights were obtained on the day the diets were assigned.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraka-Lincoln Libraries on April 13, 2015
Ingredient Corn (ground 680.85 yellow) Soybean meal 187.40 (49%) Wood pulp (Solka-Floc) Sand Fish meal 50.00 (Menhaden) Ground limestone 62.50 Defluorinated 11.00 phosphate DL-Methionine .25 Salt 3.00 Vitamin and trace 5.00 mineral mix 1
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CHERRY ET AL.
TABLE 3\ Means for feed consumption, caloric intake, egg production, and body weight gain for the periods of 0 to I and 0 to 21 days after pullets previously fed the cellulose-supplemented and sandsupplemented diets were fed the basal diet
Trait
102*
144b
116a
298 a
420 b
339a
79 b
65 a
77 b
98 a
105a
104a
286a
306a
304a
77 b
67 a
80 b
49 a
63 b
53 a b
' Means within a row having the same superscript were not significantly different (P>.05).
decrease in the volume of feed consumed was observed for both the CS and SS diets. Over a period of 49 days, the mean feed intakes of the pullets fed the CS and SS diets were significantly greater when compared to the intake of the pullets fed the basal diet. The pullets fed the CS diets, although consuming a considerably greater volume of feed, consumed significantly fewer calories than the controls. This decreased caloric intake was associated with significant decreases in egg production and weight gain. It appeared, therefore, that these pullets failed to ingest sufficient quantities of the CS diet to meet their caloric needs. The caloric intake of those fed the SS diet, in contrast, did not differ significantly from control values. Neither did body weight gain nor egg production differ significantly from control values. After 49 days, the birds fed the CS and SS diets were fed the basal diet. Although changed to higher energy diets, the pullets previously fed the CS diet initially consumed significantly more feed (Table 3). There are two plausible explanations for this response. Because the volume of feed consumed did not change
A variety of metabolic and sensory stimuli undoubtedly contributes to the overall regulation of feed intake on both a short- and long-term basis. Results reported here indicate that initial feed intake responses to changes in the constituents of the diet cannot be completely attributed to either caloric concentrations or feed volume. REFERENCES Cherry, J. A., 1979. Adaptation in food intake after changes in dietary energy. Pages 77—86 in Food Intake Regulation in Poultry. K. N. Boorman and B. M. Freeman, ed. Br. Poult. Sci. Ltd., Edinburgh. Cherry, J. A., 1982. Noncaloric effects of dietary fat and cellulose on the voluntary feed consumption of White Leghorn chickens. Poultry Sci. 61: 345-350. Cherry, J. A., W. L. Beane, and G. F. Barbato, 1980. Temporal compensation of Japanese quail to changes in dietary energy. Nutr. Rep. Int. 22: 253-261.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraka-Lincoln Libraries on April 13, 2015
0 to 1 day Feed intake, g/hen Caloric intake, kcal/hen Egg production, % hen-day 0 to 21 days Feed intake, g/hen/day Caloric intake, g/hen/day Egg production, % hen-day Body weight gain, g
Basal
Previous diet Basal + celluBasal lose + sand
significantly, the pullets previously fed the CS diet may have displayed a habituation to increased feed volumes. This explanation would be in accord with evidence that crop distention is involved in food intake regulation in the domestic fowl (Richardson, 1970) but would be inconsistent with other results discussed in this paper (Table 2). Previously, it was concluded that chickens exhibited an aversion to dietary cellulose and tended to overconsume feed when cellulose was removed from the diet (Cherry, 1982). The present results were consistent with that conclusion. The results of changing pullets from the SS diet to the basal diet were also of interest. These pullets resembled those previously fed the CS diet in that the change to the basal diet, which was higher in ME, did not result in an immediate decline in feed intake (Table 3). As a result, these pullets apparently overconsumed calories on a short-term basis. Residual effects of this diet on other traits were not significant. Following the initial failure to adjust their feed intake in accordance with dietary energy, the pullets previously fed the CS and SS diets reduced their voluntary feed intake to control levels (Table 3). On a temporal basis, this adjustment was similar to previous observations (Cherry, 1979; 1982). The depression in egg production due to feeding the CS diet (Table 2) was not alleviated by feeding these pullets the basal diet (Table 3). These pullets did, however, apparently exhibit compensatory weight gains.
FEED INTAKE WITH CHANGES IN FEED DENSITY Duncan, D. B., 1955. Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics 11:1-42. Ivy, C. A., and M. C. Nesheim, 1973. Factors influencing the liver fat content of laying hens. Poultry Sci. 5 2 : 2 8 1 - 2 9 1 . Richardson, A. J., 1970. The role of the crop in the feeding behavior of the domestic chicken. Anim.
1849
Behav. 18:633-639. Savory, C. J., 1980. Meal occurrence in Japanese quail in relation to particle size and nutrient density. Anim. Behav. 28:160-171. Van Hemel, J. B., and J. S. Myer, 1969. Feeding patterns and response to caloric dilution in the Japanese quail. Physiol. Behav. 4: 339—344.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraka-Lincoln Libraries on April 13, 2015
INTRODUCTION A period of adaptation is required for the domestic fowl to adjust its voluntary feed consumption in response to changes in the caloric density of the diet. Prior to adjusting caloric intake, birds fed diets containing higher concentrations of metabolizable energy (ME) initially increased their feed consumption while those given lower energy diets initially decreased their feed consumption (Van Hemel and Myer, 1969; Ivy and Nesheim, 1973; Cherry, 1979; Cherry et al, 1980; Savory, 1980). These observations suggested that the physical form of the diet exerted considerable influence on feed intake during periods of adaptation to changes in diet composition; such an influence was apparently independent of ME concentrations of the diet. The purpose of the present study was to examine further the immediate effects of feed density on the voluntary feed consumption of chickens. Feed intake responses to the dilution of diets with cellulose (wood pulp), which decreased feed density, and sand, which increased feed density, were compared. MATERIALS AND METHODS Single Comb White Leghorn chicks of a noncommercial strain were hatched in March
and vaccinated for Marek's disease. The chicks were reared on litter floors under the natural photoperiod until 130 days of age, at which time 210 pullets were transferred to a lightcontrolled, mechanically ventilated room and assigned to individual wire cages in groups of five sharing common feeders and waterers. A photoperiod of 14 hr was provided, and ambient temperatures were maintained within the range of 21 to 29 C throughout the experiment. The pullets were fed, ad libitum, a corn-soybean meal-based laying mash upon caging. At 160 days of age, each of the three mash diets presented in Table 1 was randomly assigned to 14 groups of pullets. Cellulose and sand were used to vary density and caloric content while maintaining an isonitrogenous state. The density of each diet was determined by filling a 250-ml graduated cylinder with the feed and weighing the contents. Protein and ME concentrations reported are calculated values. The feed consumption for each group of five pullets was measured daily for 49 consecutive days. Body weights were measured to the nearest gram at 0 and 49 days of the experiment. Hen-day egg production was determined daily. At 215 days of age, the pullets receiving the cellulose-supplemented (CS) and sand-supple-
1846
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraka-Lincoln Libraries on April 13, 2015
ABSTRACT We compared feed intake responses of White Leghorn pullets to the dilution of corn-soybean meal, mash diets with cellulose (20%) to decrease feed density and with sand (20%) to increase feed density. Although isocaloric, the intakes of the cellulose-supplemented (CS) and sand-supplemented (SS) diets differed significantly. During the initial period of 24 hr after the diets were assigned, pullets fed the CS diet consumed significantly less feed than controls while those fed the SS diet ate about the same amount as the controls. These differences in feed consumption did not appear to correspond to differences in feed density. Over a period of 49 days, the pullets fed the CS diet consumed significantly more feed but fewer calories, exhibited decreased egg production, and gained less weight than the controls. The caloric intake, egg production, and body weight gain of the pullets fed the SS diet did not significantly differ from control values during this 49-day period. When the pullets fed the CS and SS diets were switched to the basal diet, those previously fed the CS diet initially increased both feed and caloric intakes while those previously fed the SS diet increased caloric intakes. About 10 days were required to compensate to the change in diet. (Key words: appetite, caloric intake, diet-dilution, feed density) 1983 Poultry Science 62:1846-1849
FEED INTAKE WITH CHANGES IN FEED DENSITY TABLE 1. Composition and nutrient content of the diets
Basal
Basal + cellulose
Basal + sand
(g/kg)
Content Protein, % 18.00 Metabolizable 2920 energy, kcal/kg Volume, cm 3 /g 1.44
437.40
437.40
230.70
230.70
200.00
50.00
200.00 50.00
62.50 11.00
62.50 11.00
.40 3.00 5.00
.40 3.00 5.00
18.00 2212
18.00 2212
1.78
1.27
1 The premix supplied per kilogram of diet: 4400 IU vitamin A, 1100 IU vitamin D 3 , 4.4 IU vitamin E, 7.0 mg menadione sodium bisulfite, 8.8 mg riboflavin, 22 mg d-calcium pantothenate, 66 mg niacin, 500 mg choline chloride, 13.2 Mg vitamin B 1 2 , 1.2 mg folic acid, 250 mg ethoxyquin, 80 mg manganese, 112 mg zinc, 62 mg iron, 16 mg copper, and 1 mg iodine.
mented (SS) diets were given the basal diet, and residual effects on feed consumption were investigated. Egg production was monitored daily and body weights were obtained after 21 days. Group means, summarized by periods, for each trait examined were subjected to analyses of variance and Duncan's (1955) multiple range test. Egg production data were transformed to arc sin J% prior to analyses. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The principal objective of this study was to examine short-term effects of feed density on feed and caloric intake. Our premise was that an initial increase in the consumption of both the CS and SS diets, which were isocaloric but differed considerably in density, would indicate
that the pullets initially responded primarily to dietary energy. However, an initial increase in the intake of the SS diet and a decreased intake of the CS diet would be indicative' of an immediate response to feed volume. Results for the initial period of 24 hr after the pullets were given the CS and SS diets are presented in Table 2. Although isocaloric, the intakes of the CS and SS diets differed substantially. The pullets fed the CS diet consumed significantly less feed than the controls, while those fed the SS diet ate about the same amount of feed as the controls. Because egg production and body weight did not differ significantly among treatments, the results indicated that these immediate responses were not associated with caloric needs. Neither did the observed responses appear to be associated with differences in feed volume. In comparison to the controls fed the basal diet, a significant
TABLE 2. Means for feed consumption, caloric intake, egg production, body weight, and the volume of feed consumed for the periods of 0 to 1 and 0 to 49 days after the pullets were assigned the experimental diets Diets Trait
Basal
0 to 1 day 84b Feed intake, g/hen Caloric intake, 245 c kcal/hen Egg production, 24 a % hen-day Body weight, g1 1420 a Volume intake, 1 2 1 b cm 3 /hen 0 to 49 days Feed intake, g/hen/day Caloric intake, kcal/hen/day Egg production, % hen-day Body weight gain, g Volume intake, cm 3 /hen/day
+ Cellulose
+ Sand
55 a
82b
122 a
181b
25a
26 a
1425 a 98 a
1440 a 104 a
89a
103 b
110 b
260°
228 a
243ab
61°
54a
64b
128 b
106 a
124 b
128 a
183 b
140 a
' ' c Means within a row having the same superscript were not significantly different (P>.05). 1 Body weights were obtained on the day the diets were assigned.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraka-Lincoln Libraries on April 13, 2015
Ingredient Corn (ground 680.85 yellow) Soybean meal 187.40 (49%) Wood pulp (Solka-Floc) Sand Fish meal 50.00 (Menhaden) Ground limestone 62.50 Defluorinated 11.00 phosphate DL-Methionine .25 Salt 3.00 Vitamin and trace 5.00 mineral mix 1
1847
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CHERRY ET AL.
TABLE 3\ Means for feed consumption, caloric intake, egg production, and body weight gain for the periods of 0 to I and 0 to 21 days after pullets previously fed the cellulose-supplemented and sandsupplemented diets were fed the basal diet
Trait
102*
144b
116a
298 a
420 b
339a
79 b
65 a
77 b
98 a
105a
104a
286a
306a
304a
77 b
67 a
80 b
49 a
63 b
53 a b
' Means within a row having the same superscript were not significantly different (P>.05).
decrease in the volume of feed consumed was observed for both the CS and SS diets. Over a period of 49 days, the mean feed intakes of the pullets fed the CS and SS diets were significantly greater when compared to the intake of the pullets fed the basal diet. The pullets fed the CS diets, although consuming a considerably greater volume of feed, consumed significantly fewer calories than the controls. This decreased caloric intake was associated with significant decreases in egg production and weight gain. It appeared, therefore, that these pullets failed to ingest sufficient quantities of the CS diet to meet their caloric needs. The caloric intake of those fed the SS diet, in contrast, did not differ significantly from control values. Neither did body weight gain nor egg production differ significantly from control values. After 49 days, the birds fed the CS and SS diets were fed the basal diet. Although changed to higher energy diets, the pullets previously fed the CS diet initially consumed significantly more feed (Table 3). There are two plausible explanations for this response. Because the volume of feed consumed did not change
A variety of metabolic and sensory stimuli undoubtedly contributes to the overall regulation of feed intake on both a short- and long-term basis. Results reported here indicate that initial feed intake responses to changes in the constituents of the diet cannot be completely attributed to either caloric concentrations or feed volume. REFERENCES Cherry, J. A., 1979. Adaptation in food intake after changes in dietary energy. Pages 77—86 in Food Intake Regulation in Poultry. K. N. Boorman and B. M. Freeman, ed. Br. Poult. Sci. Ltd., Edinburgh. Cherry, J. A., 1982. Noncaloric effects of dietary fat and cellulose on the voluntary feed consumption of White Leghorn chickens. Poultry Sci. 61: 345-350. Cherry, J. A., W. L. Beane, and G. F. Barbato, 1980. Temporal compensation of Japanese quail to changes in dietary energy. Nutr. Rep. Int. 22: 253-261.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraka-Lincoln Libraries on April 13, 2015
0 to 1 day Feed intake, g/hen Caloric intake, kcal/hen Egg production, % hen-day 0 to 21 days Feed intake, g/hen/day Caloric intake, g/hen/day Egg production, % hen-day Body weight gain, g
Basal
Previous diet Basal + celluBasal lose + sand
significantly, the pullets previously fed the CS diet may have displayed a habituation to increased feed volumes. This explanation would be in accord with evidence that crop distention is involved in food intake regulation in the domestic fowl (Richardson, 1970) but would be inconsistent with other results discussed in this paper (Table 2). Previously, it was concluded that chickens exhibited an aversion to dietary cellulose and tended to overconsume feed when cellulose was removed from the diet (Cherry, 1982). The present results were consistent with that conclusion. The results of changing pullets from the SS diet to the basal diet were also of interest. These pullets resembled those previously fed the CS diet in that the change to the basal diet, which was higher in ME, did not result in an immediate decline in feed intake (Table 3). As a result, these pullets apparently overconsumed calories on a short-term basis. Residual effects of this diet on other traits were not significant. Following the initial failure to adjust their feed intake in accordance with dietary energy, the pullets previously fed the CS and SS diets reduced their voluntary feed intake to control levels (Table 3). On a temporal basis, this adjustment was similar to previous observations (Cherry, 1979; 1982). The depression in egg production due to feeding the CS diet (Table 2) was not alleviated by feeding these pullets the basal diet (Table 3). These pullets did, however, apparently exhibit compensatory weight gains.
FEED INTAKE WITH CHANGES IN FEED DENSITY Duncan, D. B., 1955. Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics 11:1-42. Ivy, C. A., and M. C. Nesheim, 1973. Factors influencing the liver fat content of laying hens. Poultry Sci. 5 2 : 2 8 1 - 2 9 1 . Richardson, A. J., 1970. The role of the crop in the feeding behavior of the domestic chicken. Anim.
1849
Behav. 18:633-639. Savory, C. J., 1980. Meal occurrence in Japanese quail in relation to particle size and nutrient density. Anim. Behav. 28:160-171. Van Hemel, J. B., and J. S. Myer, 1969. Feeding patterns and response to caloric dilution in the Japanese quail. Physiol. Behav. 4: 339—344.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraka-Lincoln Libraries on April 13, 2015