RAW AND AUTOCLAVED FABA BEANS IN CHICK DIETS

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted with male Leghorn chicks over 20- and 21-day periods to study the influence of heat treatment (autoclaved 15 min at 121 C) on the antinutritional factor(s) of the faba bean (Vicia faba L. var. minor). Pancreas size decreased and efficiency of feed utilization was improved in chicks fed diets containing heated as compared with raw faba beans (P < 0.01). The most pronounced effect of heat treatment occurred in diets of high (85%) faba bean content. The decreases in pancreas size and feed:gain ratio were 25 and 12%, respectively. Heat treatment resulted in a significant (P < 0.01) growth response (7.3%) in chicks fed the diet containing 85% faba beans. Weight gain in chicks, however, was not significantly (P > 0.05) affected with diets containing 57 or 28% faba beans and was the same as for chicks fed the 85% heated faba bean diet. The results of the second experiment showed that most of the antinutritional factor(s) in faba beans is associated with the hulless portion of the faba bean. It was also shown that the weight of the hull was approximately 13% of that of the whole bean and that it had a high (45%) content of crude fiber and a low (6%) content of crude protein.