Nutritive value of wheat screening as a feed ingredient for broiler chickens

Data from two experiments, each involving a total of 1,920 (960 males and 960 females) broiler chickens were combined to evaluate the effects of feeding diets containing 0, 15, 30, or 45% ground wheat screenings (WS). Mortality was significantly higher for males than for females at both 21 days (P less than .01) and 42 days of age (P less than .05). Although there was no significant (P less than .05) difference between feed conversion ratios for the two sexes, body weights were significantly higher for males than for females. Significant (P less than .01) dietary effects were evident for feed conversion to 21 days of age but not to 42 days. Dietary effects on body weights were not significant (P less than .05) although a significant linear pattern at 21 days indicated that heavier weights were associated with higher dietary WS levels. Evidence is provided that satisfactory performance can be attained with diets containing up to 45% WS.