The incorporation of whole grain into pelleted broiler chicken diets: production and physiological responses

1. Pelleted diets, incorporating whole or ground triticale or wheat in the pellets, were fed to broiler chickens and the performance, gastro-intestinal development and health of those chickens recorded. 2. The use of whole triticale in the pelleted food produced similar bodyweight responses to when ground triticale was incorporated in the food. Food conversion efficiency was enhanced when whole triticale was used compared to ground triticale and was similar to when an exogenous enzyme was added to the ground triticale diet. The incorporation of whole wheat into the pelleted food produced similar production responses to the use of ground wheat. 3. The gastro-intestinal development of the birds was greater when they were fed the whole grain diet as gizzard weights were increased by the incorporation of whole grain into the diet. Gastro-intestinal development was thought to be related to the presence of large fibre particles in the food. 4. Proventricular dilatation and mortality due to ascites were reduced by feeding pelleted diets containing whole grain, which was possibly related to the early development of the gastro-intestinal tract relative to total body development. 5. It is suggested that the current use of exogenous enzyme additions to broiler diets may be reduced by incorporating whole grain into pelleted diets for broiler chickens.