Evaluation of high levels of rice milling byproducts in chicken layer diets: effects on layer performance, egg quality and economic returns

摘要

Astudywasdonetoevaluatefeedscontaininghighlevelsofrice-millingby-productsfedtolayerchickenbetween21#8211;36weeksandtodetermineeconomicreturnstofarmersfromsuchdiets.Thericebaseddietswerealsocomparedtoacontroldietbasedonmaizeandsoybeanmeal,andapopularcommerciallayersdietusedbypoultryfarmers.Thericeby-productsevaluatedincludedSpecialCoarseBran,Finebranandbrokenrice.SpecialCoarseBranisaninexpensivericemillingby-productproducedduringthericemillingprocessasasinglecombinedproduct,consistingofricebran,ricegrainsandsomehulls.OnehundredandsixtyISAbrownlayerswereusedforthispurpose.Theywerehousedinabatterycagesmeasuring45x45x18inchesandfittedwithfeedinganddrinkingtroughs.Naturallightingsystemconsistingof12dayhourswasused.BirdswerevaccinatedtwiceagainstGuboroonthe10thand21stdaywhileNewCastleandFowlPoxvaccinesweregivenattwelveandahalfweeksrespectively.Fivedietsconsistingofacommerciallayerdiet,acontroldietbasedonmaizeandsoybeanmealand3testdietswereusedinthestudy.ThecommerciallayerdietwasapopularlayerfeedpurchasedfromUngaFeedsCompanyinNairobi.Thethreetestdietscontained40%ofbrokenrice,20%finebranandotheringredients.nbsp;Specialcoarsebranwasaddedat0,5,and10%ofthedietrespectivelytomakedietsSCB-0,SCB-5andSCB-10whichcontained60%,65%and70%ofricemillingby-productsrespectively.Eachdietwasfedto4replicatesof8birdsmakingatotalof32birdsoneachdietarytreatment.Birdsfedonthecommerciallayerdietandthemaizesoybeancontroldietgainedmoreweightandproducedmoreeggsthanthosefedontestdietsbasedonricemillingby-products.However,wheneconomicreturnswereconsidered,grossmarginswerehigherwithricebaseddietsthanwiththecommercialandthemaize/soybeancontroldiet.nbsp;