May 9, 2011
Feedworks'' poultry blending trials show improved feed conversion
Press Release
The first two of a series of poultry trials conducted by Feedworksin Australia have shown broiler feed conversion can be improved by altering diets frequently and blending whole wheat into the base diet on-farm.
Conducted using Feedlogic''s FEEDPro feeding technology, the trials are intended to demonstrate the economic value of blending feeds on-farm to reduce feed cost and promote growth. In the first two broiler trials completed, changing the diet daily and blending in whole wheat improved feed conversion up to 6% and reduced diet costs up to 5%.
In both trials, a total of 640 male birds were used (Arbor Acres in Trial 1, Ross in Trial 2), housed in 32 pens of 20 birds each. The trials compared the current commercial strategy of using a standard grower and finisher diet, versus daily blending of both diets to derive the optimum amino acid, energy and mineral specifications.
For Trial 1, the daily blend diets started at 90% starter and 10% finisher and ended up at 100% finisher at 33 days of age. The set diets were 90% starter and 10% finisher to 27 days of age, and 15% starter and 85% finisher between 28 and 35 days of age. The second set of treatments used a blend of whole wheat and chick starter to create the diet specifications, with the daily blend starting at 3% whole wheat and increasing to 24% whole wheat, and the set diets using 97% starter and 3% whole wheat to 27 days and between 28 and 35 days of age the set diets were a blend of 79% starter and 21% whole wheat.
For Trial 2, a similar control feeding regime was compared to three wheat blending strategies, one blending whole wheat up to 26% with the standard starter, grower, finisher, and withdrawal diets; one blending whole wheat beginning at three days of age and changing the diet specifications every day; and one blending whole wheat beginning at 12 days of age and changing the diet specifications every day.
"The results suggest that the gradual change in diet specifications - each day in this study - using the Feedlogic system, produces a superior growth performance compared to current commercial feeding regimes of keeping diet specifications set for 10 days or more," according to Dr David Cadagon, Feedworks nutritionist.
"The daily increase of whole wheat, up to 24% of the total diet, significantly reduces diet costs, as whole wheat is lower in price than milled wheat incorporated into complete diets. The positive influence on FCR of whole wheat needs to be supported in further research, however if similar effects continue, the benefits could be two fold on a cost per kilo of gain basis in broilers."
For the first trial, Cadagon observed that bypassing the feedmill and using whole wheat directly at the poultry unit, reduces the wheat cost by US$30/tonne. "If an average of 15% of whole wheat is used, this saves US$4.50/tonne," he noted. "Combined with a five-point improvement in FCR, the equivalent of US$400/tonne x 0.05 =US$20/tonne, a saving of US$24.5/tonne or eight cents per bird (assuming it consumes 3.3 kg over the 35 days) is very possible."
For the second trial, Cadagon noted the potential diet cost savings of over US$15/tonne by using whole wheat/grain in a Feedlogic system, blending onsite.
Cadagon said further research is needed to find the optimal inclusion rate of whole grain and blending strategy. "There are three outstanding questions," he said. "How much whole grain can be offered to birds post 28 days of age, before growth performance is compromised? The diet cost savings are higher as the amount of whole grain increases, however there is evidence that feed intake can be restricted if too much whole grain is used."
"The second question is: how will the use of whole sorghum and maize (corn) produce similar effects to that of whole wheat? The maize kernel is of a significantly larger size, and the level may need to be managed more in smaller birds, however the finisher bird (post 28 days) should be able to consume similar levels," said Cadagon. "The final question is how close we can get to matching the daily requirement of the birds that will optimise performance and lower cost of production using the Feedlogic blending system. Poultry growth models have shown in research this can be achieved. The Feedlogic system offers the possibility to achieve this consistently in commercial conditions."