Effects of grain source, communication technique and particle size on nutritive value, feed utilisation and growth of broiler chickens

Abstract

It is generally thought that smaller particle size will increase the surface area and improve access to digestive enzymes for digestion of nutrients (Waldroup, 1997). The influence of particle size appears to be confounded by the complexity of the diet and nature of feed processing, such as milling, pelleting and crumbling (Goodband et al., 2002). In the present study, a 2 x 2 x 3 factorial experiment was designed to study the effect of milling technique (hammer versus roller) with differing particle size (fine or coarse) of three cultivars of maize (Down, Emerald or Moree) on nutrient composition, growth performance, ileal digestibility and intestinal microbial population of broiler chickens.