Effect of Choice Feeding on the Nutrient Intake and Performance of Broiler Ducks

Men, Bui Xuan; Ogle, Brian; Lindberg, Jan Erik

doi:2001.14.12.1728

Article

Swine Nutrition and Feed Technology

Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 2001;14(12): 1728-1733.
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2001.1728 Published online December 1, 2001.

Effect of Choice Feeding on the Nutrient Intake and Performance of Broiler Ducks

Bui Xuan Men, Brian Ogle, Jan Erik Lindberg

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the experimental duck farm of Cantho University in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam to evaluate the effects of offering pairwise feeds with different crude protein (CP) levels to Cherry Valley broiler ducks from 28-63 days of age on feed intake and performance. Five diets consisting of mixtures of soya bean meal, fish meal, maize meal and fine rice bran, were formulated to give isocaloric diets with 30, 24, 18, 16 and 12% CP. These were offered separately as pellets to growing ducklings in the following combinations: 30+18, 30+12, 24+16 and 18+12. A diet with 20% CP (CP20) was used as control. All the diets were offered ad libitum. Daily feed intakes (g dry matter, DM) were 161, 168, 150, 101 and 143 g for the 30+18, 30+12, 24+16, 18+12 and CP20 treatments, respectively. CP intakes were 29.6, 27.0, 24.8, 17.1 and 22.9% of total DM intake, and the ratio of methionine+cystine to lysine was 0.76, 0.75, 0.75, 0.76 and 0.75 for the 30+18, 30+12, 24+16, 18+12 and CP20 treatments, respectively. Live weights at 63 days of age were 2,937, 3,054, 2,898, 2,200, and 2,811 g (p<0.001), and daily live weight gains 57.8, 61.7, 57.0, 38.5 and 55.7 g (p<0.001) for the 30+18, 30+12, 24+16, 18+12 and CP20 treatments, respectively. The weights and yields of the carcass, breast and thigh muscles, and heart decreased in the order 30+18, 30+12, 24+16, CP20 and 18+12 (p<0.001). The present study suggests that growing broiler offered a combination of high and low protein feeds pairwise will eat excessive amounts of the high protein feed, thus resulting in protein intakes above requirements.

Keywords: Broiler Ducks; Amino Acids; Choice Feeding; Nutrient Intake; Weight Gain; Carcass Parameters