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Naked Oats in Feeding the Broiler Chicken1
Naked Oats in Feeding the Broiler Chicken1 N. A. CAVE2 and V. D. BURROWS3 Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0C6 (Received for publication July 2, 1984)
1985 Poultry Science 64:771-773 INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Compared with other cereal grains, naked oats have high levels of nutrients (Gerry, 1958), but they have not demonstrated a feed value commensurate with their nutrient content (Moon and Thomas, 1937; Gerry, 1958; Guillaume and Calet, 1973). Oat groats obtained by dehulling conventional covered oats were shown to be an efficacious replacement for corn and wheat in diets for broiler chickens (Hulan et al, 1981). However, there is variability in nutritional value among cultivars of oats, (Weber et al, 1957; Tang et al, 1958; Sraon et al, 1975). Naked oat strains of relatively high protein and energy content have recently become available from a plant breeding program at the Ottawa Research Station. Their high nutrient density and their ability to be grown in geographical areas where corn and soybean are not adapted or are too expensive has raised the possibility that naked oats might be used as a partial replacement of either cereal grains or protein concentrates such as soybean meal in poultry feeds. The objective of the study being reported was to determine the suitability of naked oats as an ingredient of broiler chicken grower diets.
Nine hundred male and 900 female, day-old, meat-strain (Shaver Starbro) chicks were distributed among 18 pens for separate-sex rearing. There were 3 dietary treatments with 6 replicate groups of 100 birds per treatment. From 0 to 28 days of age all birds were offered ad libitum a. crumbled chick starter diet calculated to contain 3110 kcal true metabolizable energy (TME) and 116 g lysine/kg. From 28 to 48 days, birds received one of three pelleted grower diets (Table 1). The control was a corn-wheat-soy diet; for Diets 2 and 3, naked oats (genetic stock PGR 8646, Plant Gene Resources of Canada Office, Ottawa) were included at 300 and 600 g/kg, respectively, to replace corn and part of the soybean meal and tallow. The grower diets were formulated to contain equal TME and lysine, which was calculated to be the first-limiting amino acid (Table 1). Floor pens of a light-proof broiler house provided .07 m 2 per bird. From 1 to 14 days, light was provided 23.5 hr/day, after which all pens received intermittent lighting with 6 cycles per day of 1 hr light (1.1 lx) followed by 3 hr dark. The birds were weighed by pen groups and feed intake determined at 28 and 48 days of age. At 48 days all birds were killed, plucked, and dressed prior to determining carcass quality grades (Canada Agricultural Products Standards Act, 1978). Data were analyzed according to analysis of variance and Duncan's multiple range test. Weight gains were adjusted to equal feed intake
'Contribution numbers: 1257 Animal Research Centre and 758 Ottawa Research Station. 2 Animal Research Centre. 3 Ottawa Research Station.
771
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Michigan State University on June 17, 2015
ABSTRACT Broiler chickens were fed from 28 to 48 days of age diets containing 0, 300, and 600 g/kg naked oats (genetic stock PGR 8646). Oats were substituted for corn and part of the soybean meal, tallow, and wheat in the control diet to provide feeds equal in true metabolizable energy and lysine. Dietary incorporation of naked oats resulted in weight gains similar to those with the cornsoy-wheat control diet. Feed efficiency, estimated as weight gain adjusted to equal feed intake, was decreased at 600 but not at 300 g/kg naked oats. Diet had no effect on mortality or on grading of chicken carcasses. It was concluded that naked oats are a suitable replacement for corn and soybean meal in broiler diets. (Key words: naked oats, broiler chickens, feed efficiency, finisher diet)
772
CAVE A N D B U R R O W S
T A B L E 1. Composition
of grower
Diet 1 (control)
Ingredients
diets
Diet 3
Diet 2
(.g/Kg;
Calculated analysis True metabolizable 3 1 5 1 energy, kcal/kg Lysine, g/kg 116 Methionine, g/kg 74 Analyzed crude 194 protein (N X 6.25),
300
600
408.5 193
149.5 172
42.5 31 5 10 5 4 1
42.5 11 5 10 5 4 1
3154
3150
116 77 216
116 79 221
g/kg ' A n a l y z e d c o m p o s i t i o n ; true metabolizable energy, 3 9 5 0 kcal/g dry m a t t e r (DM); ether extract, 58 g/kg DM; crude protein (N X 5.83), 165 g/kg; lysine, 6.8 g/kg DM; m e t h i o n i n e plus cystine, 8.5 g/kg DM. 2
See Cave ( 1 9 8 4 ) .
by covariance analysis (Steel and Torrie, 1960). Percentages were transformed to arc sin values before analysis. R E S U L T S A N D DISCUSSION
Weight gains of birds given diets with 300 or 600 g/kg naked oats for 20 days, from 28 to 48
T A B L E 2. Performance
Oats
Weight gain
Feed intake
1022a 1063a 975a
1649a 1740b 1685a
(g/kg) 0 300 600 SEM 1
of broiler chickens fed pelleted grower diets containing from 28 to 48 days of age Adjusted weight gain
(g/bird)
26
20
1067a 1015ab 977b 23
Carcass grade (% Grade A) 77a
Standard error of m e a n .
oats,
Mortality
(%)
72a 76a
2.7a 5.4a 4.2a
23
1.72
a b ' Means within c o l u m n s with same superscript are n o t significantly different ( P < . 0 5 ) . 1
naked
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Michigan State University on June 17, 2015
420 Corn Naked oats (PGR 8646)1 242.5 Wheat Soybean meal 230 (49.1 p r o t e i n ) 42.5 Fishmeal (62%) Tallow, stabilized 40 Limestone, pulverized 5 10 Dicalcium p h o s p h a t e Salt, iodized 5 4 Vitamin p r e m i x 2 1 Mineral p r e m i x 2
days of age, were not significantly different (P«.05) from those of birds given the cornwheat-soy control diet (Table 2). Consumption of Diet 2, containing 300 g/kg oats, was higher (P<.05) than that of other diets. When adjusted to equal feed intake by covariance analysis, weight gains for birds fed Diet 3, but not for Diet 2, were lower (P<.05) than those for control birds, being reduced by 1.5% for each 100 g/kg of naked oats. Carcass grade and mortality were not affected (P>.05) by diet (Table 2). A high rate of growth was supported by the oat diets. To some degree, this growth rate was made possible by a tendency for birds to increase their feed intake when oats were included in the diet. A similar tendency was apparent when younger chicks were given diets of 0 vs. 430 g/kg cv. Nuprime oats (Guillaume and Calet, 1973) and when chickens were given diets of 0 to 400 g/kg cv. Oxford oat groats (Hulan et al., 1981) but not when given diets of higher oat groat content. The decrease in weight gain, adjusted for feed intake, in response to increasing dietary content of oats observed for Diet 3, indicated a lower feed efficiency compared with the control diet. In the present experiment, diets were formulated to have equal contents of energy and lysine. Thus, the lower adjusted weight gains suggest that utilization of oat nutrients was lower than for those of the ingredients replaced. When the basis of diet formulation was caloric and lysine content, just as in the present experiment, Guillaume and Calet (1973) found that feed efficiency decreased with the addition of naked oats. However, these authors and Hulan et al. (1981) found no significant effect of dietary oats on
RESEARCH NOTE
REFERENCES Canada Agricultural Products Standards Act, 1978. Processed poultry regulations SOR/78-169; PC 1978-482. Queen's Printer, Ottawa, Ont. Cave, N. A., 1984. Effect of dietary propionic and lactic acids on feed intake by chicks. Poultry Sci. 63:131-134.
Gerry, R. W., 1958. A study of the value of James variety hulless oats for chickens. Poultry Sci. 37:136-142. Guillaume, J., and C. Calet, 1973. Orge et avoine nues dans 1'alimentation du poulet et de la pondeuse. J. Rech. Avicoles Cunicoles (1973): 173-178. Hulan, H. W., F. G. Proudfoot, and C. G. Zarkadis, 1981. Nutritive value and quality of oat groats for broiler chickens. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 6 1 : 1013-1024. Moon, F. E., and B. Thomas, 1937. The digestion of huskless oats by poultry. J. Agric. Sci. 27:458— 464. Sraon, H. S., C. W. Carlson, and D. L. Reeves, 1975. Determination of nutritional value of genetically distinct oat varieties. Proc. South Dakota Acad. Sci. 54:178-182. Steel, R.G.D., and J. H. Torrie, 1960. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. McGraw-Hill, Toronto, Ont. Tang, J.J.N., L. L. Laudick, and D. A. Benton, 1958. Studies for amino acid availability with oats. J. Nutr. 66:533-543. Weber, E. B., J. P. Thomas, R. Reder, A. M. Schlehuber, and D. A. Benton, 1957. Protein quality of oat varieties. J. Agric. Food Chem. 5:926— 928.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Michigan State University on June 17, 2015
feed efficiency when diets were formulated on the basis of caloric and crude protein content. It is concluded that naked oats are suitable as an ingredient of broiler grower diets. In this role oats permitted decreases in the traditional expensive ingredients of soybean meal and tallow in addition to corn. Whereas feed efficiency was decreased at high dietary levels of naked oats, there was no effect on final body weight obtained by the chickens. Depending on the relative cost of naked oats and the ingredients replaced, the extra cost due to lower feed efficiency may be offset by lower unit costs of feed.
773
1985 Poultry Science 64:771-773 INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Compared with other cereal grains, naked oats have high levels of nutrients (Gerry, 1958), but they have not demonstrated a feed value commensurate with their nutrient content (Moon and Thomas, 1937; Gerry, 1958; Guillaume and Calet, 1973). Oat groats obtained by dehulling conventional covered oats were shown to be an efficacious replacement for corn and wheat in diets for broiler chickens (Hulan et al, 1981). However, there is variability in nutritional value among cultivars of oats, (Weber et al, 1957; Tang et al, 1958; Sraon et al, 1975). Naked oat strains of relatively high protein and energy content have recently become available from a plant breeding program at the Ottawa Research Station. Their high nutrient density and their ability to be grown in geographical areas where corn and soybean are not adapted or are too expensive has raised the possibility that naked oats might be used as a partial replacement of either cereal grains or protein concentrates such as soybean meal in poultry feeds. The objective of the study being reported was to determine the suitability of naked oats as an ingredient of broiler chicken grower diets.
Nine hundred male and 900 female, day-old, meat-strain (Shaver Starbro) chicks were distributed among 18 pens for separate-sex rearing. There were 3 dietary treatments with 6 replicate groups of 100 birds per treatment. From 0 to 28 days of age all birds were offered ad libitum a. crumbled chick starter diet calculated to contain 3110 kcal true metabolizable energy (TME) and 116 g lysine/kg. From 28 to 48 days, birds received one of three pelleted grower diets (Table 1). The control was a corn-wheat-soy diet; for Diets 2 and 3, naked oats (genetic stock PGR 8646, Plant Gene Resources of Canada Office, Ottawa) were included at 300 and 600 g/kg, respectively, to replace corn and part of the soybean meal and tallow. The grower diets were formulated to contain equal TME and lysine, which was calculated to be the first-limiting amino acid (Table 1). Floor pens of a light-proof broiler house provided .07 m 2 per bird. From 1 to 14 days, light was provided 23.5 hr/day, after which all pens received intermittent lighting with 6 cycles per day of 1 hr light (1.1 lx) followed by 3 hr dark. The birds were weighed by pen groups and feed intake determined at 28 and 48 days of age. At 48 days all birds were killed, plucked, and dressed prior to determining carcass quality grades (Canada Agricultural Products Standards Act, 1978). Data were analyzed according to analysis of variance and Duncan's multiple range test. Weight gains were adjusted to equal feed intake
'Contribution numbers: 1257 Animal Research Centre and 758 Ottawa Research Station. 2 Animal Research Centre. 3 Ottawa Research Station.
771
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Michigan State University on June 17, 2015
ABSTRACT Broiler chickens were fed from 28 to 48 days of age diets containing 0, 300, and 600 g/kg naked oats (genetic stock PGR 8646). Oats were substituted for corn and part of the soybean meal, tallow, and wheat in the control diet to provide feeds equal in true metabolizable energy and lysine. Dietary incorporation of naked oats resulted in weight gains similar to those with the cornsoy-wheat control diet. Feed efficiency, estimated as weight gain adjusted to equal feed intake, was decreased at 600 but not at 300 g/kg naked oats. Diet had no effect on mortality or on grading of chicken carcasses. It was concluded that naked oats are a suitable replacement for corn and soybean meal in broiler diets. (Key words: naked oats, broiler chickens, feed efficiency, finisher diet)
772
CAVE A N D B U R R O W S
T A B L E 1. Composition
of grower
Diet 1 (control)
Ingredients
diets
Diet 3
Diet 2
(.g/Kg;
Calculated analysis True metabolizable 3 1 5 1 energy, kcal/kg Lysine, g/kg 116 Methionine, g/kg 74 Analyzed crude 194 protein (N X 6.25),
300
600
408.5 193
149.5 172
42.5 31 5 10 5 4 1
42.5 11 5 10 5 4 1
3154
3150
116 77 216
116 79 221
g/kg ' A n a l y z e d c o m p o s i t i o n ; true metabolizable energy, 3 9 5 0 kcal/g dry m a t t e r (DM); ether extract, 58 g/kg DM; crude protein (N X 5.83), 165 g/kg; lysine, 6.8 g/kg DM; m e t h i o n i n e plus cystine, 8.5 g/kg DM. 2
See Cave ( 1 9 8 4 ) .
by covariance analysis (Steel and Torrie, 1960). Percentages were transformed to arc sin values before analysis. R E S U L T S A N D DISCUSSION
Weight gains of birds given diets with 300 or 600 g/kg naked oats for 20 days, from 28 to 48
T A B L E 2. Performance
Oats
Weight gain
Feed intake
1022a 1063a 975a
1649a 1740b 1685a
(g/kg) 0 300 600 SEM 1
of broiler chickens fed pelleted grower diets containing from 28 to 48 days of age Adjusted weight gain
(g/bird)
26
20
1067a 1015ab 977b 23
Carcass grade (% Grade A) 77a
Standard error of m e a n .
oats,
Mortality
(%)
72a 76a
2.7a 5.4a 4.2a
23
1.72
a b ' Means within c o l u m n s with same superscript are n o t significantly different ( P < . 0 5 ) . 1
naked
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Michigan State University on June 17, 2015
420 Corn Naked oats (PGR 8646)1 242.5 Wheat Soybean meal 230 (49.1 p r o t e i n ) 42.5 Fishmeal (62%) Tallow, stabilized 40 Limestone, pulverized 5 10 Dicalcium p h o s p h a t e Salt, iodized 5 4 Vitamin p r e m i x 2 1 Mineral p r e m i x 2
days of age, were not significantly different (P«.05) from those of birds given the cornwheat-soy control diet (Table 2). Consumption of Diet 2, containing 300 g/kg oats, was higher (P<.05) than that of other diets. When adjusted to equal feed intake by covariance analysis, weight gains for birds fed Diet 3, but not for Diet 2, were lower (P<.05) than those for control birds, being reduced by 1.5% for each 100 g/kg of naked oats. Carcass grade and mortality were not affected (P>.05) by diet (Table 2). A high rate of growth was supported by the oat diets. To some degree, this growth rate was made possible by a tendency for birds to increase their feed intake when oats were included in the diet. A similar tendency was apparent when younger chicks were given diets of 0 vs. 430 g/kg cv. Nuprime oats (Guillaume and Calet, 1973) and when chickens were given diets of 0 to 400 g/kg cv. Oxford oat groats (Hulan et al., 1981) but not when given diets of higher oat groat content. The decrease in weight gain, adjusted for feed intake, in response to increasing dietary content of oats observed for Diet 3, indicated a lower feed efficiency compared with the control diet. In the present experiment, diets were formulated to have equal contents of energy and lysine. Thus, the lower adjusted weight gains suggest that utilization of oat nutrients was lower than for those of the ingredients replaced. When the basis of diet formulation was caloric and lysine content, just as in the present experiment, Guillaume and Calet (1973) found that feed efficiency decreased with the addition of naked oats. However, these authors and Hulan et al. (1981) found no significant effect of dietary oats on
RESEARCH NOTE
REFERENCES Canada Agricultural Products Standards Act, 1978. Processed poultry regulations SOR/78-169; PC 1978-482. Queen's Printer, Ottawa, Ont. Cave, N. A., 1984. Effect of dietary propionic and lactic acids on feed intake by chicks. Poultry Sci. 63:131-134.
Gerry, R. W., 1958. A study of the value of James variety hulless oats for chickens. Poultry Sci. 37:136-142. Guillaume, J., and C. Calet, 1973. Orge et avoine nues dans 1'alimentation du poulet et de la pondeuse. J. Rech. Avicoles Cunicoles (1973): 173-178. Hulan, H. W., F. G. Proudfoot, and C. G. Zarkadis, 1981. Nutritive value and quality of oat groats for broiler chickens. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 6 1 : 1013-1024. Moon, F. E., and B. Thomas, 1937. The digestion of huskless oats by poultry. J. Agric. Sci. 27:458— 464. Sraon, H. S., C. W. Carlson, and D. L. Reeves, 1975. Determination of nutritional value of genetically distinct oat varieties. Proc. South Dakota Acad. Sci. 54:178-182. Steel, R.G.D., and J. H. Torrie, 1960. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. McGraw-Hill, Toronto, Ont. Tang, J.J.N., L. L. Laudick, and D. A. Benton, 1958. Studies for amino acid availability with oats. J. Nutr. 66:533-543. Weber, E. B., J. P. Thomas, R. Reder, A. M. Schlehuber, and D. A. Benton, 1957. Protein quality of oat varieties. J. Agric. Food Chem. 5:926— 928.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Michigan State University on June 17, 2015
feed efficiency when diets were formulated on the basis of caloric and crude protein content. It is concluded that naked oats are suitable as an ingredient of broiler grower diets. In this role oats permitted decreases in the traditional expensive ingredients of soybean meal and tallow in addition to corn. Whereas feed efficiency was decreased at high dietary levels of naked oats, there was no effect on final body weight obtained by the chickens. Depending on the relative cost of naked oats and the ingredients replaced, the extra cost due to lower feed efficiency may be offset by lower unit costs of feed.
773