This experiment was aimed
to determine the chemical composition of the rice gluten meal (RGM) and
the effect of its feeding on the growth performance, some blood
parameters, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics of
broiler chickens as an alternative to corn gluten meal and soybean meal.
Ross 308 one-day old broiler chicks (n = 300) were randomly divided into
six experimental groups, receiving diets containing rice gluten meal
with six different inclusion levels (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10 and 12.5%) for
42 days. The experimental diets were formulated from maize, soybean
meal, corn gluten meal and/or rice gluten meal and vegetable oil. All
diets were isoenergetic and isonitrogenous. Titanium dioxide (TiO2)
was incorporated in the finisher period into each diet at a rate of 5
g/kg as an indigestible marker to enable assessment of nutrient
digestibility (dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE),
neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and starch). Growth performance parameters
like body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI) and feed
conversion ratio (FCR) were monitored weekly. At 42 days of age, blood
samples were collected and serum was separated for determination of
serum lipid profile, glucose, total protein, albumin and
globulin. Five
birds
from each treatment were slaughtered on day 42, for measuring the
carcass dressing percentage, and internal organ weights. Results showed
that birds fed rice gluten meal with different inclusion rates up to
12.5% have had the same performance parameters like the control diet and
there was no significant difference between the different treatments in
BW, BWG, FI and FCR.
Serum lipid profile,
glucose, total protein, albumin and
globulin of the different treatment were within the normal range and did
not affected by increasing the level of rice gluten meal up to 12.5%.
There were no differences in the dressing percentage and internal organs
among treatments. Digestibility of DM, CP, EE, NDF and starch were
similar across different treatments without any significant differences.
In conclusion, birds fed the rice gluten diets compared well with those
fed the control for growth performance, carcass dressing and nutrient
digestibility and can be included in the broiler diet up to 12.5%
without any adverse effect.
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