INFLUENCE OF CORN PARTICLE SIZE ON ZOOTECHNICAL PERFORMANCE AND DIGESTIVE TRACT MORPHOMETRY IN BROILERS
DGM, Feed, Granulometry, Weight Gain, Giza
Introduction - Corn is the main energy component and corresponds to 70% of the composition of the diet, thus its granulometry can affect digestion and subsequent absorption of the nutrient. Objective - To evaluate the Average Geometric Diameter (DGM) of corn and the Physical Form of Feed (fed and pelletized) on the zootechnical performance and morphometry of the digestive tract of broilers. Methods - Thirty-600 male ROSS 91 chickens were evaluated between 14 and 39 days of age, housed in 72 boxes with 50 animals each and 9 replicates, in the experimental farm of the company Seara Alimentos, in Timbé do Sul- SC. The experimental design was formed by the factorial arrangement 2 x 4, two physical forms of the feed, pelletized and smooth and four dgm intervals (0.819-0.824; 1,022-1,084; 1,154-1,248; 1,250-1,312) in mm. Weighing was performed on days (14, 21, 28, 30 and 39) to evaluate weight gain ( GP) and feed conversion (CA). The weight of the gizh, and measurements of duodenum length, jejune and ileum in cm with measuring tape were evaluated after necropsy of 144 birds (18 chickens of each treatment), at 39 days of age. The data to variance analysis (ANOVA) and the means compared by the Tukey test at 5% probability. Results - In relation to weight gain in the growth phase, there was an interaction between the physical form of the feed and the granulometry, and the pelletized feed presented better weight gain in relation to the uniform. Feed conversion was better as granulometry increased from 1,022-1,084 mm for the initial phase (1 to 14 days) and the entire period (P<0.001). In the growth phase, it was only from DGM 1,154-1,248 mm in relation to lower granulometry. The weight of giza was higher (9.22g) in uniform diets (P<0.001) only when corn granulometry with DGM of 1,022-1,084. Conclusion- The pelletized diet with larger granulometry (DGM 1,022-1.084 mm) promotes better zootechnical performance in the initial phase and when considering the total period between 14 and 39 days.