Search

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition, non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) content, in vitro digestibility of starch, apparent metabolizable energy (AME), nitrogen-corrected AME (AMEn), and apparent and apparent nitrogen-corrected coefficient of metabolizable energy (ACME and ACMEn) of three corn hybrids dried at different temperatures in the diets of broiler chickens. The energetic values were determined by the total collection of excreta method, using broilers from 11 to 21 d, placed in a completely randomized design in a factorial scheme (three corn hybrids and two drying temperatures: 80 and 110 °C), totalizing six treatments, seven replicates, and four birds/replicate. The data were subjected to two-way ANOVA. There was an interaction between the two factors tested wherein the AME and AMEn were increased when using corn Hybrid 1 dried at 80 °C. As main effects, the use of corn Hybrid 3 increased ACME and ACMEn. The drying temperature of 110 °C increased amylose, resistant starch, and nitrogen bound to the fiber contents, and reduced soluble:total NSP ratio. These changes may be responsible for the differences in digestibility of nutrients. The mean values of AME and AMEn of corn dried at 80 and 110 °C were 14.03 and 13.84 MJ/kg, respectively, and 81.62 and 80.53% for ACME and ACMEn, respectively.

The objective of this study was to determine the requirement of digestible methionine + cystine of brown-eggs laying hens from 50 to 66 weeks age at the end of the first production cycle. The design was completely randomized, with 150 Brown Shaver hens, which were distributed in five treatments with six replications of five birds each. Birds received a basal diet with 2857 kcal/kg metabolizable energy and 15.97% crude protein, supplemented with 0.132; 0.174, 0.215, 0.256 and 0.298% DL-methionine (98%), in order to provide 0.572, 0.613, 0.653, 0.693 and 0.734% digestible methionine + cystine. The levels of digestible methionine + digestible cystine followed, respectively, the relations of 67, 72, 77, 81 and 86% with lysine fixed at 0.851%. Feed intake, methionine + cystine intake, feed conversion per dozen eggs, egg weigth and mass, percentage of egg components, internal egg quality and weight gain were evaluated. Methionine + cystine levels showed a quadratic effect on feed conversion per dozen eggs and egg weight, a linear effect on feed conversion per kilogram of eggs and percentage of albumen. There was also a positive linear effect on yolk percentage. The methionine + cystine requirement was estimated at 0.572%, corresponding to 682 mg of digestible methionine + cystine/bird/day.