Digestion Rates of Starch But Not Protein Vary in Common Cereal Grains Used in Broiler Diets

Abstract

Both glucose and amino acids are essential for muscle protein deposition and feed conversion efficiency. Total tract nitrogen retention was reported to be influenced by protein and starch digestion in broiler chickens (Liu et al., 2013). Embracing the concept of digestive dynamics and applying it in practical diet formulation requires understanding of the variations of protein and starch digestion rates in different ingredients. This present study evaluated protein and starch digestion rates of 18 cereal grains, including sorghum (7), wheat (4), corn (2), barley (3), and triticale (2), in male broiler chickens from 21-28 days post-hatch.