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A Comparison of a Pelleted and Unpelleted All-Mash Diet for Laying Chickens
A Comparison of a Pelleted and Unpelleted All-Mash Diet for Laying Chickens RUDOLPH B. MORGAN AND BURT W. HEYWANG Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, Glendale, Arizona (Received for publication June 29, 1940)
HE feeding of an all-mash diet in ,, . , .
.
, . ,
,
,.
pelleted form is a fairly recent practice in poultry husbandry, and it is supposed to
,
,
,
,
. .
.-i .
11 i j
11
i_
pressed the opinion that a pelleted all-mash diet is more economical to feed than an unpelleted all-mash diet because the chickens waste more of the latter in their drinking0 water. They believe that egg production * . is better and less feed is required to produce one dozen eggs when a pelleted all,
,.
, ,
Percent of diet
Ground yellow milo
53.22
Alfalfa leaf meal Wheat middlings
8.00 1S.00
Meat scraps
have several advantages. For example, some poultrymen have ex, .,
Ingredient
.
.
.
Fish
6.00
meal
6 00
Dried skimmilk
6.00
Ground limestone
1-38
Salt m j x t u r e *
Bone meal , * F°fmula of saIt Common salt F rous f sulphate
mixture
Ingredient
-
0.S0 2.40 ' _ 100.00 „ . . , . , . Weight in pounds 97.0000 1.0000
Manganous sulphate
mash diet is fed, but experimental data to substantiate such beliefs are meager. Because it was desirable to have definite information on those points, a series of two experiments were conducted at the Southwest Poultry Experiment Station, Glendale, Arizona. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The first experiment was started on November 9, 1937, and terminated at the end of 308 days; the second experiment was started on October 12, 1938, and terminated at the end of 364 days. White Leghorn pullets, which had been reared together and fed an unpelleted allmash diet, were used in each experiment. In the first experiment 134 pullets were distributed on the basis of live weights into two similar groups, and in the second experiment 200 pullets were distributed into two groups in the same way. The following all-mash diet was fed:
1.6000
Potassium iodide Cu ric P sulphate Thig
aU.mash
0.0022 0.0198 99.6220 ^
was
g u i t a b l e for ] a y i n g c h i c k e n g
of
a
texture
A pQrtion
of
t h i s m a s h w a s m a d e i n t o pe iiets
about threeeighths inches long and one-fourth inches i n diame ter, and fed to one group in each experiment. The remainder was fed in unp elleted form to the other group, F e e d consumption and live weights were obtained at intervals of 28 days. The pull e t s w e r e c o n n n e d in similar houses, each of w h i c h h a d 4 0 0 s q u a r e f e e t of and were
floor
space;
trapnested.
RESULTS The belief that a relatively large quantity of unpelleted mash is washed off the beak of a chicken when it drinks was found to be erroneous when measurements were made. The average amount of unpelleted mash wasted in their drinking water by
[62]
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Univ of Iowa-Law Library on June 1, 2015
T
PELLETED AND UNPELLETED ALL-MASH DIET FOR LAYING CHICKENS
63
TABLE 1.—Average egg production mid feed consumption. First experiment Group receiving unpelleted mash Period
Totals
Average egg production per pullet
Average feed consumption per pullet
Average egg production per pullet
Average feed consumption per pullet
9.0 13.5 17.5 18.0 17.5 16.7 15.8 11.5 10.4 8.6 5.9
Kilograms 2.33 2.63 2.80 3.10 2.70 2.68 2.50 2.14 1.82 1.94 1.73
11.9 19.1 19.6 16.2 16.3 17.0 16.3 12.9 12.8 10.4 9.1
Kilograms 2.53 2.82 3.00 2.73 2.74 2.60 2.40 1.97 1.90 1.71 1.82
144.4
26.37
161.6
26.22
Second experiment 10/12-11/8/38 11/8-12/6 12/6/38-1/3/39 1/3-1/31 1/31-2/28 2/28-3/28 3/28-4/25 4/25-5/23 5/23-6/20 6/20-7/18 7/18-8/15 8/15-9/12 9/12-10/11 Totals
11.6 11.0 15.8 17.0 16.5 17.7 16.7 16.5 13.7 12.5 9.0 6.5 6.5
2.32 2.38 2.63 2.84 2.88 2.85 2.81 2.31 2.28 1.96 1.84 1.84 1.92
11.7 13.0 17.2 18.4 17.2 18.0 16.3 14.6 13.8 12.3 11.4 10.9 10.8
2.32 2.44 2.68 2.84 2.94 2.83 2.60 2.38 2.32 1.66 1.79 1.79 2.09
171.0
30.86
185.6
30.68
laying chickens was approximately 0.12 percent of the amount fed. The average number of eggs produced and the average consumption of feed are given for both experiments by 28-day periods in Table 1. All of the figures given in this table are on a hen-day basis. During the first experiment the total egg production per pullet in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet was about 17 eggs greater than in the other group, and it was higher in the former group during 9 of the 11 28-day periods. In the second experiment the total egg production per pullet in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet was about 15 eggs more than in the other group, and it was higher in the
former group during 10 of the 13 28-day periods. Because of high temperature, it is difficult to maintain satisfactory egg production during the summer months in the locality where these data were obtained. Thus, it is of interest that in both experiments the average egg production per pullet in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet was greater than that of the other group after the latter part of May, when high temperature prevailed. Yates' "weighted squares of means" method, as outlined by Titus and Hammond (1935), was used to determine the significance of the difference between the two groups in average egg production. The
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Univ of Iowa-Law Library on June 1, 2015
11/9-12/6/37 12/6/37-1/3/38 1/3-1/31 1/31-2/28 2/28-3/28 3/28-4/25 4/25-5/23 5/23-6/20 6/20-7/18 7/18-8/15 8/15-9/13
Group receiving pelleted mash
64
RUDOLPH B. MORGAN AND BURT W. HEYWANG TABLE 2.—Average live weig First experiment Date
Group 11/9/37 12/7 1/4/38 2/1
3/1
3/29 4/26 5/24 6/21 7/19 8/16 9/13 I
'
i
grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grarrs grams grams grams 1,350 1,525 1,576 1,614 1,546 1,631 1,580 1,575 1,466 1,477 1,468 1,504
Pelleted mash Unpelleted mash
1,424 1,518 1,526 1,546 1,527 1,4901,454 1,411 1,358 1,323 1,332 1,333 Second experiment
10/12/38 Pelleted mash.. . . Unpelleted mash.. . .
11/9
12/7 1/4/39 2/1
3/1
3/29 4/26 5/24 6/21 7/19 8/16 9/13 10/11
grams
grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams
1,550
1,605 1,733 1,748 1,754 1,807 1,766 1,769,1,799 1,713 1,610 1,659 1,653 1,704
1,521
1,558 1,679 1,688 1,689 1,712 1,745 1,7191,657 1,584 1,515 1,530 1,531 1,591
individual trapnest records of all pullets surviving the entire experimental period were used in making the comparisons. The average number of eggs laid by the survivors in the first experiment was 174.5±8.7 in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet and 157.7±8.2 in the group receiving the unpelleted all-mash diet. The average number of eggs laid by the survivors in the second experiment was 197.1±7.4 in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet and 185.9±7.4 in the other group. In neither comparison is the difference significant when the t-test is applied. Even though the differences are not statistically significant, it may be observed that the average egg production in both experiments was higher in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet. The data in Table 1 show that in both experiments there was practically no difference between the two groups in the total feed consumption per pullet. Inasmuch as the average egg production in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet was greater in both experiments than that in the other group, it is evident that less of
the pelleted all-mash diet than of the unpelleted all-mash diet was required to produce one dozen eggs. During the first experiment for each one dozen eggs laid approximately 1.95 kilograms (4.30 pounds) of feed were consumed by the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet, and 2.19 kilograms (4.83 pounds) by the other group. During the second experiment for each one dozen eggs laid approximately 1.99 kilograms (4.39 pounds) of feed were consumed by the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet, and 2.17 kilograms (4.78 pounds) by the other group. The pelleted all-mash diet cost only 0.44 cent per kilogram (0.20 cent per pound) more than the unpelleted all-mash diet, and so in both experiments the average cost of the feed required to produce one dozen eggs was lower in the former group. The average live weights of the pullets that lived through the entire experimental periods are given by 28-day intervals in Table 2. In both experiments the group fed the pelleted all-mash diet maintained a greater average live weight than the group fed the unpelleted all-mash diet. In the first
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Univ of Iowa-Law Library on June 1, 2015
Date
Group
PELLETED AND UNPELLETED ALL-MASH DIET FOR LAYINCJ CHICKENS
Several lots of eggs were incubated from each group during both experiments. During the first experiment approximately 67 percent hatched of the 879 fertile eggs incubated from the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet, and 72 percent hatched of the 825 fertile eggs incubated from the group receiving the unpelleted all-mash diet. During the second experiment approximately 77 percent hatched of the 373 fertile eggs incubated from the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet, and 73 percent hatched of the 266 fertile eggs incubated from the other group. Thus, there was no appreciable difference between the two groups in the hatchability of the fertile
eggs that were incubated. In both experiments the mortality was rather high, but differences between the groups were small. SUMMARY
Two experiments were conducted in which an all-mash diet in the pelleted and unpelleted form, respectively, was fed to two similar groups of White Leghorn pullets. The total egg production per pullet in both experiments was higher in the group fed the pelleted all-mash diet, but the difference was not significant statistically according to the t-test. The group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet had a greater average live weight during both experiments than the group receiving the unpelleted all-mash diet. The average live weight of the former group was significantly greater statistically at the end of both experiments than that of the latter group. The morality in the two groups during both experiments was not appreciably different, and there was little difference between the two groups in the hatchability of fertile eggs incubated. REFERENCES
Titus, Harry W., and J. C. Hammond, 1935. A method of analyzing the data of chick nutrition experiments. Poul. Sci. 14:164-173.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Univ of Iowa-Law Library on June 1, 2015
experiment the average live weight of the pullets in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet was 74 grams less on the first day and 171 grams more on the last day than that of the pullets in the other group. In the second experiment the average live weight of the pullets in the group fed the pelleted all-mash diet was 29 grams more on the first day and 113 grams more on the last day than that of the pullets in the other group. Application of the t-test showed that on the last day of both trials the average live weight of the pullets that received the pelleted all-mash diet was significantly greater than the average live weight of the pullets that received the unpelleted allmash diet.
65
HE feeding of an all-mash diet in ,, . , .
.
, . ,
,
,.
pelleted form is a fairly recent practice in poultry husbandry, and it is supposed to
,
,
,
,
. .
.-i .
11 i j
11
i_
pressed the opinion that a pelleted all-mash diet is more economical to feed than an unpelleted all-mash diet because the chickens waste more of the latter in their drinking0 water. They believe that egg production * . is better and less feed is required to produce one dozen eggs when a pelleted all,
,.
, ,
Percent of diet
Ground yellow milo
53.22
Alfalfa leaf meal Wheat middlings
8.00 1S.00
Meat scraps
have several advantages. For example, some poultrymen have ex, .,
Ingredient
.
.
.
Fish
6.00
meal
6 00
Dried skimmilk
6.00
Ground limestone
1-38
Salt m j x t u r e *
Bone meal , * F°fmula of saIt Common salt F rous f sulphate
mixture
Ingredient
-
0.S0 2.40 ' _ 100.00 „ . . , . , . Weight in pounds 97.0000 1.0000
Manganous sulphate
mash diet is fed, but experimental data to substantiate such beliefs are meager. Because it was desirable to have definite information on those points, a series of two experiments were conducted at the Southwest Poultry Experiment Station, Glendale, Arizona. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The first experiment was started on November 9, 1937, and terminated at the end of 308 days; the second experiment was started on October 12, 1938, and terminated at the end of 364 days. White Leghorn pullets, which had been reared together and fed an unpelleted allmash diet, were used in each experiment. In the first experiment 134 pullets were distributed on the basis of live weights into two similar groups, and in the second experiment 200 pullets were distributed into two groups in the same way. The following all-mash diet was fed:
1.6000
Potassium iodide Cu ric P sulphate Thig
aU.mash
0.0022 0.0198 99.6220 ^
was
g u i t a b l e for ] a y i n g c h i c k e n g
of
a
texture
A pQrtion
of
t h i s m a s h w a s m a d e i n t o pe iiets
about threeeighths inches long and one-fourth inches i n diame ter, and fed to one group in each experiment. The remainder was fed in unp elleted form to the other group, F e e d consumption and live weights were obtained at intervals of 28 days. The pull e t s w e r e c o n n n e d in similar houses, each of w h i c h h a d 4 0 0 s q u a r e f e e t of and were
floor
space;
trapnested.
RESULTS The belief that a relatively large quantity of unpelleted mash is washed off the beak of a chicken when it drinks was found to be erroneous when measurements were made. The average amount of unpelleted mash wasted in their drinking water by
[62]
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Univ of Iowa-Law Library on June 1, 2015
T
PELLETED AND UNPELLETED ALL-MASH DIET FOR LAYING CHICKENS
63
TABLE 1.—Average egg production mid feed consumption. First experiment Group receiving unpelleted mash Period
Totals
Average egg production per pullet
Average feed consumption per pullet
Average egg production per pullet
Average feed consumption per pullet
9.0 13.5 17.5 18.0 17.5 16.7 15.8 11.5 10.4 8.6 5.9
Kilograms 2.33 2.63 2.80 3.10 2.70 2.68 2.50 2.14 1.82 1.94 1.73
11.9 19.1 19.6 16.2 16.3 17.0 16.3 12.9 12.8 10.4 9.1
Kilograms 2.53 2.82 3.00 2.73 2.74 2.60 2.40 1.97 1.90 1.71 1.82
144.4
26.37
161.6
26.22
Second experiment 10/12-11/8/38 11/8-12/6 12/6/38-1/3/39 1/3-1/31 1/31-2/28 2/28-3/28 3/28-4/25 4/25-5/23 5/23-6/20 6/20-7/18 7/18-8/15 8/15-9/12 9/12-10/11 Totals
11.6 11.0 15.8 17.0 16.5 17.7 16.7 16.5 13.7 12.5 9.0 6.5 6.5
2.32 2.38 2.63 2.84 2.88 2.85 2.81 2.31 2.28 1.96 1.84 1.84 1.92
11.7 13.0 17.2 18.4 17.2 18.0 16.3 14.6 13.8 12.3 11.4 10.9 10.8
2.32 2.44 2.68 2.84 2.94 2.83 2.60 2.38 2.32 1.66 1.79 1.79 2.09
171.0
30.86
185.6
30.68
laying chickens was approximately 0.12 percent of the amount fed. The average number of eggs produced and the average consumption of feed are given for both experiments by 28-day periods in Table 1. All of the figures given in this table are on a hen-day basis. During the first experiment the total egg production per pullet in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet was about 17 eggs greater than in the other group, and it was higher in the former group during 9 of the 11 28-day periods. In the second experiment the total egg production per pullet in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet was about 15 eggs more than in the other group, and it was higher in the
former group during 10 of the 13 28-day periods. Because of high temperature, it is difficult to maintain satisfactory egg production during the summer months in the locality where these data were obtained. Thus, it is of interest that in both experiments the average egg production per pullet in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet was greater than that of the other group after the latter part of May, when high temperature prevailed. Yates' "weighted squares of means" method, as outlined by Titus and Hammond (1935), was used to determine the significance of the difference between the two groups in average egg production. The
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Univ of Iowa-Law Library on June 1, 2015
11/9-12/6/37 12/6/37-1/3/38 1/3-1/31 1/31-2/28 2/28-3/28 3/28-4/25 4/25-5/23 5/23-6/20 6/20-7/18 7/18-8/15 8/15-9/13
Group receiving pelleted mash
64
RUDOLPH B. MORGAN AND BURT W. HEYWANG TABLE 2.—Average live weig First experiment Date
Group 11/9/37 12/7 1/4/38 2/1
3/1
3/29 4/26 5/24 6/21 7/19 8/16 9/13 I
'
i
grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grarrs grams grams grams 1,350 1,525 1,576 1,614 1,546 1,631 1,580 1,575 1,466 1,477 1,468 1,504
Pelleted mash Unpelleted mash
1,424 1,518 1,526 1,546 1,527 1,4901,454 1,411 1,358 1,323 1,332 1,333 Second experiment
10/12/38 Pelleted mash.. . . Unpelleted mash.. . .
11/9
12/7 1/4/39 2/1
3/1
3/29 4/26 5/24 6/21 7/19 8/16 9/13 10/11
grams
grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams grams
1,550
1,605 1,733 1,748 1,754 1,807 1,766 1,769,1,799 1,713 1,610 1,659 1,653 1,704
1,521
1,558 1,679 1,688 1,689 1,712 1,745 1,7191,657 1,584 1,515 1,530 1,531 1,591
individual trapnest records of all pullets surviving the entire experimental period were used in making the comparisons. The average number of eggs laid by the survivors in the first experiment was 174.5±8.7 in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet and 157.7±8.2 in the group receiving the unpelleted all-mash diet. The average number of eggs laid by the survivors in the second experiment was 197.1±7.4 in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet and 185.9±7.4 in the other group. In neither comparison is the difference significant when the t-test is applied. Even though the differences are not statistically significant, it may be observed that the average egg production in both experiments was higher in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet. The data in Table 1 show that in both experiments there was practically no difference between the two groups in the total feed consumption per pullet. Inasmuch as the average egg production in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet was greater in both experiments than that in the other group, it is evident that less of
the pelleted all-mash diet than of the unpelleted all-mash diet was required to produce one dozen eggs. During the first experiment for each one dozen eggs laid approximately 1.95 kilograms (4.30 pounds) of feed were consumed by the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet, and 2.19 kilograms (4.83 pounds) by the other group. During the second experiment for each one dozen eggs laid approximately 1.99 kilograms (4.39 pounds) of feed were consumed by the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet, and 2.17 kilograms (4.78 pounds) by the other group. The pelleted all-mash diet cost only 0.44 cent per kilogram (0.20 cent per pound) more than the unpelleted all-mash diet, and so in both experiments the average cost of the feed required to produce one dozen eggs was lower in the former group. The average live weights of the pullets that lived through the entire experimental periods are given by 28-day intervals in Table 2. In both experiments the group fed the pelleted all-mash diet maintained a greater average live weight than the group fed the unpelleted all-mash diet. In the first
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Univ of Iowa-Law Library on June 1, 2015
Date
Group
PELLETED AND UNPELLETED ALL-MASH DIET FOR LAYINCJ CHICKENS
Several lots of eggs were incubated from each group during both experiments. During the first experiment approximately 67 percent hatched of the 879 fertile eggs incubated from the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet, and 72 percent hatched of the 825 fertile eggs incubated from the group receiving the unpelleted all-mash diet. During the second experiment approximately 77 percent hatched of the 373 fertile eggs incubated from the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet, and 73 percent hatched of the 266 fertile eggs incubated from the other group. Thus, there was no appreciable difference between the two groups in the hatchability of the fertile
eggs that were incubated. In both experiments the mortality was rather high, but differences between the groups were small. SUMMARY
Two experiments were conducted in which an all-mash diet in the pelleted and unpelleted form, respectively, was fed to two similar groups of White Leghorn pullets. The total egg production per pullet in both experiments was higher in the group fed the pelleted all-mash diet, but the difference was not significant statistically according to the t-test. The group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet had a greater average live weight during both experiments than the group receiving the unpelleted all-mash diet. The average live weight of the former group was significantly greater statistically at the end of both experiments than that of the latter group. The morality in the two groups during both experiments was not appreciably different, and there was little difference between the two groups in the hatchability of fertile eggs incubated. REFERENCES
Titus, Harry W., and J. C. Hammond, 1935. A method of analyzing the data of chick nutrition experiments. Poul. Sci. 14:164-173.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Univ of Iowa-Law Library on June 1, 2015
experiment the average live weight of the pullets in the group receiving the pelleted all-mash diet was 74 grams less on the first day and 171 grams more on the last day than that of the pullets in the other group. In the second experiment the average live weight of the pullets in the group fed the pelleted all-mash diet was 29 grams more on the first day and 113 grams more on the last day than that of the pullets in the other group. Application of the t-test showed that on the last day of both trials the average live weight of the pullets that received the pelleted all-mash diet was significantly greater than the average live weight of the pullets that received the unpelleted allmash diet.
65