Fishmeal and Corn Starch Inclusions in Sorghum-Soybean Meal Diets Have Differing Impacts on the Performance of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

The partial substitution of soybean meal by fishmeal had a more profound effect on broiler performance as fishmeal inclusions significantly improved weight gain by 12.1% and FCR by 8.13%. Fishmeal significantly increased starch digestibility coefficients in four small intestinal segments and fishmeal increased digesta retention time in the small intestine from 210 to 289 minutes (P < 0.001). Starch digestibility was significantly correlated with weight gain, FCR and energy utilisation (AME, ME:GE ratios, AMEn) and these parameters were all significantly enhanced by the fishmeal substitution.