Live performance and health of broiler chickens fed diets diluted with whole or crumbled wheat

Abstract

Broiler chicken diets were diluted with three levels of whole wheat and two levels of crumbled wheat to determine how feeding whole grain and diluting feed with wheat would alter the performance of male and female broilers. Grit was not used. The amount of extra wheat added increased from 5% at 11 d of age to a maximum level of 30% at 31 d of age. Body weight at 41 d of age averaged 2.130 kg for pullets and 2.422 kg for cockerels and was unaffected by diluting with wheat, in whole or crumbled form. Total mortality and cause of mortality were similarly unaffected by dilution and form of wheat. The feed:gain ratio from 11 to 41 d of age was increased significantly for cockerels from 1.75 at zero dilution to 1.84 at maximum dilution. Dilution did not affect the feed conversion of pullets and form did not influence the feed conversion of either sex. Dilution of broiler rations may be profitable because of the limited effect on bird performance. Pelleting all the wheat in poultry rations is unnecessary because bird performance is unaffected by feeding up to 30% whole grain in the finisher diets. Key words: Broiler chickens, whole wheat, pelleting