Date of Graduation

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design

Department

Animal and Nutritional Sciences

Committee Chair

Joseph S Moritz

Committee Co-Chair

Harry N Boone

Committee Member

Janet C Tou

Committee Member

Scott A Weed

Abstract

Feed manufacture accounts for approximately 60--70% of the costs required for commercial broiler chicken production. Increased costs resulting from manufacturing high quality pellets can be problematic for commercial poultry production. However, these costs can be justified by improved broiler performance attributed to high quality pellets. In Experiment 1 pellets were manufactured by utilizing varying levels of a commercial Calcium lignosulfonate (CaLS) pellet binder inclusion (0, 0.5, or 1%), mixer-added fat (MAF) (1 or 3%), and feed form (pellet or ground pellet) in order to create 12 dietary treatments. In Experiment 2 diets were fed and broiler performance and digesta viscosity were assessed. In Experiment 3, effects of the aforementioned diets on true amino acid digestibility (TAAD) were examined. The use of CaLS and 3% MAF independently decreased measures of electrical energy use of the pellet mill and hot pellet temperature post pellet die extrusion, and increased pellet durability. The use of CaLS increased broiler feed intake (FI) and live weight gain (LWG). An interaction was demonstrated between 0.5% CaLS and 3% MAF that increased digesta viscosity compared to other treatments. A 3-way interaction of main effects demonstrated that pelleted diets had a negative effect on digestibility of several tested amino acids in diets manufactured with 1% MAF + 1% CaLS and 3% MAF + 1% CaLS. These experiments collectively demonstrated that varying levels of CaLS and MAF, in addition to feed form, can affect feed manufacture and broiler performance.

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