Relationship between wheat characteristics and nutrient digestibility in broilers: comparison between total...

Area of Science:

• Animal Nutrition
• Poultry Science
• Feed Evaluation

Background:

• Wheat is a key ingredient in broiler chicken diets.
• Variations in wheat cultivars, particularly non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) content, can influence nutrient utilization.
• Understanding these differences is crucial for optimizing broiler feed formulations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of three different wheat cultivars on nutrient digestibility and apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen retention (AMEn) in broiler chickens.
• To compare the efficacy of total excreta collection and titanium dioxide marker methods for determining nutrient digestibility and AMEn.
• To investigate the relationship between wheat NSP content, ileal viscosity, and nutrient utilization in broilers.

Main Methods:

• Three wheat cultivars (Orpheus, Rustic, Viscount) with varying NSP levels were used to formulate broiler diets.
• Nutrient digestibilities and AMEn were measured in male Ross 308 broiler chickens using total excreta collection and titanium dioxide marker methods.
• Ileal viscosity was measured at 25 days of age.

Main Results:

• Wheat cultivar significantly affected nitrogen retention, dry matter digestibility, and AMEn.
• Diets formulated with high NSP wheat (Orpheus) showed lower nutrient digestibilities and AMEn compared to low NSP wheat (Rustic, Viscount).
• The titanium dioxide marker method yielded lower digestibility values but showed similar trends to total excreta collection, with greater statistical significance for cultivar effects.

Conclusions:

• Wheat cultivar composition, specifically NSP content, influences nutrient digestibility and AMEn in broiler chickens.
• Low NSP wheat cultivars are generally associated with better nutrient utilization.
• The titanium dioxide marker method is a practical and valid alternative to total excreta collection for evaluating wheat's nutritional value in broilers.