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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mississippi State, Mississippi » Poultry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #167762
Title: GROWTH AND MEAT YIELD RESPONSES OF BROILERS PROVIDED FEED SUBJECTED TO EXTRUSION COOKING

Author
item KIDD, M - MISS STATE UNIV
item CORZO, A - MISS STATE UNIV
item HILL, S - MISS STATE UNIV
item ZUMWALT, C - MISS STATE UNIV
item ROBINSON, E - DELTA RES & EXT CENT
item DOZIER III, WILLIAM

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Poultry Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/14/2005
Publication Date: 5/15/2005
Citation: Kidd, M.T., Corzo, A., Hill, S.M., Zumwalt, C.D., Robinson, E.H., Dozier III, W.A. 2005. Growth and meat yield responses of broilers provided feed subjected to extrusion cooking. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 14:536-541.

Interpretive Summary: For the 8.2 billion broiler chickens produced annually in the US, the genetic traits of rapid growth and breast meat accretion are continually being enhanced. To further reduce time to market, it is broadly assumed that while the nutrient content of the diet should be increased, the feed conditioning process, which impacts particle size, can impact feed intake and nutrient utilization and therefore impact time to market. This study examined growth responses and meat yield from chickens provided feeds processed by three methods ' extrusion cooking, short-term conditioning/pelleting, or as mash. Overall, the results of this study show chickens provided feed with conventional pelleting and extrusion result in improved live performance and carcass weights as compared to chickens fed mash. However, short-term conditioning of feed is superior to extrusion cooling from a meat yield perspective but extrusion has the potential from minimizing feed borne pathogens.

Technical Abstract: Rapid growth and breast meat accretion are genetic traits that are continually enhanced in modern commercial broiler strains. It is generally assumed that the nutrient content of the diet should be increased to meet this heightened genetic potential so that production time to market is reduced. In addition to increasing the nutrient content of the diet, the process by which feed is conditioned and its subsequent particle size can impact the bird's feed intake and nutrient utilization. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of feed processing on early growth of broiler chicks. Cobb male broilers (1,600 in Experiment 1 and 3,240 in Experiment 2) were placed in floor pens at 1 d of age in fed feed processing treatments to d 17 and 42 in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. Feed processing treatments represented feed fed as mash or crumble form after pelleting or extruding (8 and 18 replications in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively). Results of this study show chickens provided feed with conventional pelleting improved live performance and carcass weights as compared to chickens fed mash.