Influence of cereal type and the inclusion of sunflower meal as a source of additional dietary fibre on nutrient retention, growth performance and digestive organ size in broilers from one to twenty-one days of age

• DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2011.03.006
• Publication Date: 2011-04-07T08:19:03Z
• Authors: F. Hernández; M.J. López; V. García; S. Martínez; M.D. Megías; J. Madrid
• Keywords: Starter; Amen

Abstract Two experiments (Exp.) involving male Ross 308 broiler chicks were conducted to study the influence of type of cereal (sorghum or wheat) and the inclusion of sunflower meal (SFM) as a dietary fibre source on nutrient retention and growth performance. The experiment involved two feeding periods, starter (1–10 d of age) and finisher (11–21 d of age) and four experimental diets per period. Diets were organized factorially with two levels of sorghum in substitution of wheat (0 vs. 200 or 250 g sorghum/kg for the starter and finisher feeds, respectively) and two levels of SFM (0 vs. 40 or 25 g SFM/kg for each period). In Exp. 1, diet did not affect total tract apparent retention of nutrients. At 21 d of age, the coefficient of ileal apparent digestibility of starch was higher (P