METABOLIZABLE ENERGY VALUES AND CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WHEAT AND BARLEY

Abstract

Analyses for proximate components and for a number of other specific components were performed on a series of Canadian wheats and barleys. The metabolizable energy values (ME) were determined with young chicks, turkey broilers and mature roosters using both the chromic oxide indicator and the total collection methods. The indicator ratio method gave significantly lower ME values than the total collection method, but there was less variation between the replicates for the indicator ratio method. The ME values of the wheats were greater with the roosters than with the chicks or turkey broilers, but for the barleys the ME values with both the roosters and turkey broilers were greater than with the chicks. There were significant negative correlations between the crude fiber level in the grain and ME values. The positive correlations between the level of nitrogen-free extract and ME in the barleys were higher than the correlations with estimates of total starch or soluble sugar determined by specific chemical analysis. There were no correlations between ME and bushel weight or weight per 1,000 kernels.