Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T03:33:32.832Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Factors affecting the energy value of wheat for poultry*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2007

J.M. McNab
J.M. McNab
Affiliation:
Roslin Institute (Edinburgh), Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS, UK
Get access

Abstract

Because wheat comprises such a large component of poultry diets, its nutritional characteristics and, in particular, its metabolizable energy (ME) content are critically important. This paper examines the popularly held view that the ME of wheat is variable by seeking out compositional factors which could account for the variation. The bioassays which have been applied to the derivation of the ME of wheat have also been appraised and it has been concluded that substitution techniques which are used in apparent ME studies may have contributed to the uncertainty which has been attributed to the ME value of wheat. Neither the variety nor the site of its cultivation appeared to affect the ME of wheat, but both density (positively) and α-amylase activity (negatively) were correlated with ME; however, neither effect was large and the commercial significance is doubtful. Attention has recently focused on the non-starch polysaccharides in wheat, specifically water-soluble arabinoxylan, and response experiments after xylanase addition to wheat-based diets have produced evidence that the viscosity of the digesta is a factor resulting in poor performance; the mechanisms involved have not, however, been elucidated.

Keywords

EnergydietdigestionMEpoultrywheat
Type
Short Papers
Information
World's Poultry Science Journal , Volume 52 , Issue 1 , March 1996 , pp. 69 - 73
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Annison, G. (1990) Polysaccharide composition of Australian wheats and the digestibility of their starches in broiler chicken diets. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 30: 183–186Google Scholar
Annison, G. (1991) Relationship between the levels of soluble nonstarch polysaccharides and the apparent metabolisable energy of wheats assayed in broiler chickens. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 39: 1252–1256CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Annison, G. and Choct, M. (1993) Enzymes in poultry diets. In: Proceedings of the 1st Symposium on Enzymes in Animal Nutrition (Eds Wenk, C. and Boessinger, M.), Kartause Ittingen, Switzerland, pp. 61–68Google Scholar
Bolton, W. and Blair, R. (1974) Bulletin 174, Poultry Nutrition. HMSO, London, 134ppGoogle Scholar
Bourdillon, A., Carré, B., Conan, L., Duperray, J., Huyghebaert, G., Leclercq, B. et al. (1990) European reference method for the in vivo determination of metabolisable energy with adult cockerels: reproducibility, effect of food intake and comparison with individual laboratory methods. British Poultry Science 3: 557–565Google Scholar
Choct, M. and Annison, G. (1990) Anti-nutritive activity of wheat pentosans in broiler diets. British Poultry Science 31: 811–821CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Härtel, H. (1986) Influence of food input and procedure of determination on metabolisable energy and digestibility of a diet measured with young and adult birds. British Poultry Science 27: 11–39CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmes, B. (1992) The compounder's viewpoint on cereal quality. In: Proceedings of the Cereals R & D Conference, London, Home Grown Cereals Authority, pp. 135–152Google Scholar
Longstaff, M. and McNab, J.M. (1986) influence of site and variety on starch, hemicellulose and cellulose composition of wheats and their digestibilities by adult cockerels. British Poultry Science 27: 435–461CrossRefGoogle Scholar
March, B.E. and Biely, J. (1973) Chemical, physical and nutritional characteristics of different samples of wheat. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 53: 569–577CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McNab, J.M. (1990) Apparent and true metabolizable energy of poultry diets. In: Feedstuff Evaluation (Eds Wiseman, J. and Cole, D.J.A.), London, Butterworths, pp. 41–54Google Scholar
McNab, J.M. (1991) Factors affecting the nutritive value of wheat for poultry. HGCA Project Report No. 43, 57 ppGoogle Scholar
McNab, J.M. and Blair, J.C. (1988) Modified assay for true and apparent metabolisable energy based on tube feeding. British Poultry Science 29: 697–707CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mollah, Y., Bryden, W.L., Wallis, J.R., Balnave, D. and Annison, E.F. (1983) Studies on low metabolisable energy wheats for poultry using conventional and rapid assay procedures and the effects of processing. British Poultry Science 24: 81–89CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rogel, A.M., Annison, E.F., Bryden, W.L. and Balnave, D. (1987) The digestion of wheat starch in broiler chickens. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 38: 639–649Google Scholar
Schumaier, G. and McGinnis, J. (1967) Metabolisable energy values of wheat and some by-product feedstuffs for growing chicks. Poultry Science 46: 79–82Google Scholar
Sibbald, I.R. (1976) A bioassay for true metabolizable energy in feedingstuffs. Poultry Science 55: 303–308CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sibbald, I.R. and Price, K. (1977) True and apparent metabolizable energy values for poultry of Canadian wheats and oats measured by bioassay and predicted from physical and chemical data. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 57: 365–374Google Scholar
Sibbald, I.R. and Slinger, S.J. (1962) The metabolizable energy of materials fed to growing chicks. Poultry Science 41: 1612–1613CrossRefGoogle Scholar