12 minutes
TOWARDS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHOLE GRAIN FEEDING REGIMES
1Poultry research Foundation within The University of Sydney, Australia
2CSIRO Integrated Sustainable Aquaculture Production, Bribie Island Research Centre, Australia
KEY INFORMATION
- Whole grain feeding studies are not straight forward as the term ‘whole grain feeding’ encompasses a range of different approaches.
- Increases in relative gizzard weights are the hallmark response to whole grain feeding regimes; however, pre-pellet whole grain feeding regimes generate responses in feed conversion and energy utilisation with little to no increases in gizzard weight. Thus, responses to whole grain feeding should not be attributed simply to heavier gizzards entirely.
- Gizzard contents may be more indicative of performance than gizzard weights.
- There is vast opportunity for further study to characterise the influence of inclusion methods on whole grain feeding and enhance the performance of poultry offered whole grain feeding regimes.