Weight gain and feed efficiency of chicks fed sucrose fatty acid esters

Day-old Hubbard X Hubbard broilers (mixed sexes) were fed for 2 weeks with a basal diet containing 5% experimental carbohydrate. The experimental carbohydrates were one of the following: sucrose fatty acid esters (SFE)-high monoesters (SFE 1670), SFE-low monoesters (SFE 370), sucrose, glucose, or cellulose. Feed efficiency, weight gain, and growth performance were compared among treatments. Chicks fed 5% SFE 1670 showed significantly less (P less than .01) weight gain and feed efficiency than chicks fed other experimental carbohydrates. There were no significant differences (P less than .01) in weight gain and feed efficiency among groups of chicks fed SFE 370, sucrose, glucose, or cellulose. Most of the chicks fed SFE 1670 were small in size, had poor feathering, and excreted reddish-brown droppings. The appearance and droppings obtained from chicks fed SFE 370 were similar to the appearance and droppings from chicks fed sucrose, glucose, and cellulose. The SFE that contained a large proportion of monoesters (SFE 1670) resulted in poor growth of chicks, whereas SFE containing a small proportion of monoesters (SFE 370) resulted in growth performance similar to chicks on control diets.