Feeding whole grain with pelleted diets to growing broiler chickens

Abstract

In three trials with growing broilers (aged 12-8 days) the proportion of whole grain (WG) was increased step by step up to 30% (Trial 1) along with commercial starter (S) and grower (G) pellets or up to 40% (Trial 2) and 50% (Trial 3) with special balancer (BA) pellets (crude protein 250 g/kg). WG accounted for about 20%, 31% and 38% of the broilers’ total feed intakes, respectively. In Trial 1, the grain was exclusively wheat (W). In the other trials, also mixtures of wheat and barley (W:B 70:30, 50:50) were used. Crude protein analyses of feed remains revealed that birds did not to any considerable extent select between pellets and grain. Mixing wheat with S or G pellets reduced feed intake significantly (P