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Biomedical subjects

M W Douglas

Publications and source records attributed to M W Douglas.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Minimum phosphorus requirement of one-cycle and two-cycle (molted) hens.

In experiment 1 (one cycle), hens were fed diets containing 0.10, 0.115, 0.125, 0.135, 0.15, or 0.45% available P (AP) from 40 to 56 wk of age, with the last diet being a positive control. Egg production, egg mass, and BW were reduced (P < 0.05) by all lower AP levels except 0.15% AP when compared with the 0.45% AP treatment. In the second experiment (two cycles with a molt), hens were initially fed diets containing 0.10, 0.12, 0.14, 0.16, 0.18, 0.20, or 0.45% AP from 21 to 63 wk of age. Diets containing 0.10, 0.12, and 0.14% AP were terminated at 35, 39, and 50 wk, respectively, due to low egg production and increased mortality. Hens fed 0.16% AP also had significantly lower production performance than hens fed 0.45% AP during the first cycle. Hens on the 0.16 to 0.45% AP treatments were induced molted at 64 wk of age by 10 d of feed removal. The hens were then returned to the same AP layer diet they had been fed from 21 to 63 wk. For the 68 to 108 wk postmolt second-cycle period, hens fed the 0.16 to 0.20% AP diets (166 to 209 mg/d) had significantly lower egg production, egg mass, and feed efficiency than hens fed 0.45% AP. The results of our study indicated that first-cycle hens required approximately 0.18% AP or 198 mg AP/hen per day, and molted hens in their second cycle had a requirement that was greater than 0.20% AP or 209 mg AP/hen per day.

Aging↗

Effect of soybean variety and processing on growth performance of young chicks and pigs.

The objective of this study was to determine whether soybeans without the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor and lectins could be fed effectively to young chicks and pigs. Specifically, we compared the growth performance of chicks and pigs fed diets containing modified soybeans: Kunitz trypsin inhibitor-free (KF), lectin-free (LF), lectin and Kunitz trypsin inhibitor-free (LFKF), conventional soybeans (CSB), and commercially obtained, dehulled, solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM). A 7-d chick experiment was conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of CSB, KF, LF, LFKF, and SBM. The experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design, with four replicates, five treatments, and six male chicks per pen (n = 120). The five treatments consisted of 23% CP dextrose-soybean-based diets containing KF, LF, LFKF, CSB, or SBM as the source of dietary protein. A 28-d pig experiment was conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of CSB, LF, LFKF, and SBM. Pens of four pigs were assigned randomly to a control, corn-SBM, or one of six corn-soybean diets containing raw or extruded soybean varieties as a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments in a randomized complete block design with five blocks per treatment (n = 140). Chicks fed diets containing any of the raw soybean varieties gained less weight (P < 0.05) than chicks fed SBM (22.81 g/d for SBM vs. 14.17 g/d for the raw soybeans combined). Among the raw soybean treatments, there was a greater effect on growth performance (P < 0.05) by removing both lectins and Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (ADG of 16.56 g for LFKF) than by removing each antinutritional factor separately (ADG of 14.38 and 14.11 g for KF and LF, respectively). Pig growth performance was different (P < 0.001) for SBM (ADG of 409 g) and all the varieties when extruded (ADG of 450 g for CSB, 417 g for LF, and 408 g for LFKF) compared with the raw soybean treatments (ADG of 101 g for CSB, 165 g for LF, and 266 g for LFKF). Among the raw soybean treatments, growth performance improved (P = 0.003) as the antinutritional factor, lectin, was removed from the soybean and improved further (P = 0.045) when both lectins and Kunitz trypsin inhibitor were removed. The growth-inhibiting effect of feeding modified soybeans to young animals was more detrimental for pigs than for chicks in our experiments. Soybeans without the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor and lectins cannot be fed successfully to young chicks and pigs without heating.

Animal Feed↗

Impact of galactose, lactose, and Grobiotic-B70 on growth performance and energy utilization when fed to broiler chicks.

Three chick assays were conducted to determine the effect of increasing dietary galactose (GAL), lactose (LAC), and Grobiotic-B70, a LAC fermentation product, on growth performance, toxicity, and energy utilization when fed to commercial broiler chicks. One-day-old male commercial broiler chicks were randomly assigned to treatments in each assay. In all assays, a 22% CP corn-soybean meal-dextrose basal diet containing a growth-promoting antibiotic (Bacitracin methylene disalicylate) was fed. In assay 1, GAL was added at 2, 4, 6, 10, or 15%. In assay 2, Grobiotic-B70 was added at 5%. In assay 3, GAL, LAC, and Grobiotic-B70 were each added at 2, 4, and 6%. All additions were made in place of dextrose, and diets were fed from 0 to 20 or 21 d of age. In assay 1, the 15% GAL treatment resulted in high mortality (27%) by d 3 and was terminated. The 10% GAL treatment also resulted in increased mortality, most of which occurred during the 7-to-14-d period. Inclusion of 2 and 4% GAL resulted in an improvement (P < 0.05) in growth compared to the basal diet. Inclusion of 2, 4, 6, and 10% GAL resulted in a significant linear decrease in MEn (r2 = 0.85). In chick assay 2, 5% Grobiotic-B70 increased growth during the first 2 wk. In chick assay 3, 6% Grobiotic increased weight gain (P < 0.05) from 0 to 14 d, and addition of 2 or 4% GAL, 2 or 4% LAC, and 4 or 6% Grobiotic-B70 increased weight gain (P < 0.08) from 0 to 21 d. Our results indicate that levels of 10 to 15% GAL are toxic. In contrast, low levels of GAL and Grobiotic-B70, and possibly LAC, may increase growth of commercial broiler chicks.

Animal Feed↗

Phytase effects on amino acid digestibility in molted laying hens.

Two hundred sixteen previously molted Dekalb Delta Leghorn laying hens (78 wk of age) were utilized to determine the effect of phytase on the ileal digestibility of amino acids. The hens were randomly arranged in a 3 x 2 factorial to evaluate three diet types that were corn-soybean meal (C-SBM), C-SBM-meat and bone meal (C-SBM-MBM), and C-SBM-wheat middlings (C-SBM-WM) and two levels of phytase (0 or 300 U/kg of diet). Each treatment was administered to four replicates of nine hens per replicate. Hens were fed the experimental diets for 21 d, and daily egg production and feed intake were recorded. After 21 d, the hens were euthanized, and ileal contents were collected for amino acid and digestible energy determination. Egg production of the hens did not differ among the treatments (P > 0.05). A significant interaction between diet type and phytase level for Ala, Gly, Leu, and Met was observed. The interaction resulted because phytase numerically increased amino acid digestibilities for the C-SBM-MBM and C-SBM-WM diets, but phytase addition numerically decreased the amino acid digestibilities for the C-SBM diet. Diet type had a significant effect on digesibilites of most amino acids. The latter effect was due primarily to lower amino acid digestibilities for the C-SBM-MBM diet than the C-SBM-WM diet. Phytase had no significant affect on digestibility of any amino acid. Ieal digestible energy was significantly affected by diet type but not by phytase. In conclusion, diet type had a significant effect on apparent ileal amino acid digestibility and digestible energy, but phytase had no consistent effect.

6-Phytase↗

Evaluation of nonfeed removal methods for molting programs.

An experiment was conducted using 336 White Leghorn hens (60 wk of age) randomly assigned to one of four treatments that consisted of feed removal for 4 or 10 d or no feed removal with ad libitum access to 95% corn or 95% wheat middlings molt diets that contained supplemental minerals and vitamins. At the end of the 4- or 10-d feed removal period, hens on these treatments were provided with the corn molt diet for 24 or 18 d, respectively. Hens on the corn or wheat middlings treatments were fed the diets for 28 d. At d 28, hens on all treatments were fed a corn-soybean meal (16% CP) layer diet for 40 wk (64 to 104 wk of age). Both feed removal and the wheat middlings treatments resulted in total cessation of egg production within 8 d. Egg production of hens fed the corn molt diet had decreased to 3% by d 28. Body weight loss for hens fed the corn or wheat middlings diet was approximately 15 and 8% at d 28, respectively. Hens fed the wheat middlings diet returned to production slightly faster than hens on the other treatments. Postmolt egg production and egg mass (wk 5 to 44) were generally higher for the wheat middlings and 10-d feed removal treatments than for the corn or 4-d feed removal treatments. There were no consistent differences in mortality, egg weight, egg specific gravity, feed efficiency, and layer feed consumption among treatments. This research indicates that diets with high corn or wheat middlings, particularly wheat middlings, are effective nonfeed removal methods for molting hens.

Animal Feed↗

Efficacy of high available phosphorus corn in laying hen diets.

Our objective was to determine if high available phosphorus corn would provide sufficient available phosphorus (AP) to laying hens fed corn-soybean meal diets from 57 to 69 wk of age. Six replications of 12 Dekalb Sigma Leghorn hens were fed a normal yellow dent (YD) corn-soybean meal diet or high available phosphorus (HAP) corn-soybean meal diet without and with 0.04% supplemental inorganic P. The unsupplemented YD diet was calculated to contain 17% CP, 3.8% Ca, and 0.10% AP, and the unsupplemented HAP diet contained 17% CP, 3.8% Ca, and 0.16% AP. In addition, a positive control, YD diet (17% CP, 3.8% Ca, 0.45% AP) was also fed. The HAP corn was directly substituted for YD on a weight basis, and the amount of soybean meal was kept constant in all diets. Egg production, hen body weight, egg weight, egg mass, feed consumption, and feed efficiency were measured. The YD and the YD + 0.04% P treatments were terminated at 61 and 65 wk of age, respectively, due to severe depressions in egg production. Egg production and egg mass for hens fed HAP diets were not different (P > 0.05) from those of hens fed the 0.45% AP diet; however, hens fed the unsupplemented HAP diet did have lower hen body weights and feed intake (P < 0.05) compared to hens fed the positive control diet. Our results indicate that HAP corn contains more available P than normal YD corn and that hens can be fed HAP corn-soybean meal diets containing little or no P supplementation with only minimal effects on production performance.

Animal Feed↗

Multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa outbreak in a burns unit--an infection control study.

A newly introduced, multi-drug resistant (MDR) strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from four patients admitted to the Concord Hospital Burns Unit (BU) between December 1997 and March 1998. It was the cause of recurrent episodes of bacteraemia in two. This strain was resistant in vitro to gentamicin, piperacillin and ciprofloxacin. The isolates were confirmed as a clonal strain by pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Multiple environmental swabs were taken to search for an environmental reservoir, but no source was identified. Random cultures of staff members' hands failed to demonstrate ongoing carriage. In the absence of a demonstrable point source for the outbreak, direct cross-transmission patient to patient, via transient staff hand contamination, was the most likely route of infection. Following study commencement no new cases of infection with the MDR strain were detected. It would appear that the infection cycle has been interrupted, and the outbreak terminated following the discharge of the last infected patient from the BU. Contamination of a neutral detergent in the BU with Klebsiella oxytoca was detected incidentally during environmental surveillance. A potential hospital-wide outbreak was averted.

Australia↗

Efficacy of phytase for increasing protein efficiency ratio values of feed ingredients.

Data previously reported in several studies have suggested that phytase improves amino acid digestibility in chicks. It was the objective of the current study to determine if phytase would increase the protein efficiency ratio (PER) values (g weight gain per g protein intake) for several feed ingredients fed to chicks. Six experiments were conducted and ingredients evaluated were casein, soybean meal, canola meal, cottonseed meal, peanut meal, wheat middlings, wheat bran, rice bran, defatted rice bran, meat and bone meal, and corn gluten meal. Casein was evaluated to serve as a phytate-free control ingredient. Each feedstuff was analyzed for CP and included in cornstarch:dextrose diets as the only source of protein to provide 10% dietary protein in Experiments 1 to 5 or 18% dietary protein (soybean meal) in Experiment 6. Dietary Ca and nonphytate P levels were varied among experiments and ranged from 0.95 to 1.5% Ca and 0.35 to 0.675% nonphytate P. The test ingredient diets were fed with 0 or 1,200 units of phytase/kg to New Hampshire x Columbian chicks from 8 to 17 or 20 d of age. The PER values varied greatly among ingredients, ranging from 1.4 for corn gluten meal to 4.2 for canola meal. Phytase addition had no significant effect (P > 0.10) on PER values for any of the ingredients evaluated, except for an increase for casein in one experiment. The results indicated that 1,200 U of phytase/kg did not significantly increase protein utilization of several feed ingredients as assessed by a PER chick growth assay.

6-Phytase↗

Early postmolt performance of laying hens fed a low-protein corn molt diet supplemented with spent hen meal.

We used a total of 504 commercial Single Comb White Leghorn hens (69 and 65 wk of age) in each of two experiments, and hens were induced to molt by feed withdrawal only. Feed withdrawal lasted for 12 and 11 d, and hens lost 26 and 25%, body weight in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. All hens were then weighed, and seven replicate groups of 12 hens each were assigned to molt diet treatments. In Experiment 1, diets consisted of a corn basal diet (7.9% CP) or corn basal diet supplemented with 7.5 or 10% spent hen meal (SHM) each from two different sources. In Experiment 2, the corn basal diet or this diet supplemented with 5 or 10% SHM alone or 5% SHM plus Met, Lys, and Trp was evaluated. A molt diet of 16% CP corn-soybean meal was used as a positive control in both experiments. Molt diets were fed for 15 d in both experiments, at which time all hens were fed a 16% CP layer diet. Performance was measured for 8 wk following the beginning of feeding the layer diet. Feeding the low-protein corn molt diet supplemented with 5 to 10% SHM improved early postmolt egg production performance and body weight gain compared with hens fed the corn basal diet alone. The 7.5 and 10% SHM diets yielded early postmolt performance that was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from that of hens fed the high-protein (16% CP) diet. Supplementing the 5% SHM diet with amino acids generally did not significantly improve performance. The present study thus indicates that improved early postmolt performance may be achieved by supplementation of a low-protein corn molt diet with 5 to 10% SHM.

Animal Feed↗

Nutritional evaluation of low phytate and high protein corns.

Three chick experiments and two cecectomized rooster experiments were conducted to determine P bioavailability and amino acid (AA) digestibility in two low phytate corns (LP), a high protein corn (HP), and a corn containing both low phytate and high protein content (HP/LP) compared with conventional corn (CONV). From 8 to 20 or 21 d of age, 1-wk-old New Hampshire x Columbian chicks were fed a cornstarch-dextrose-soybean meal (SBM) basal diet containing 0.10% available P or the basal diet supplemented with two concentrations of P (0.05 or 0.06% and 0.10 or 0.12%) from KH2PO4 or two concentrations of the corns (20 or 21% and 40 or 42%). Bioavailability of P based on tibia bone ash was much higher for LP than for CONV; values ranged from 21 to 40% for CONV and from 59 to 95% for LP. Digestibility of AA in cecectomized roosters indicated no significant differences (P > 0.05) between CONV and HP in the first rooster experiment. Digestibilities of eight AA, including lysine, methionine, and arginine, in LP and HP/LP were higher (P < 0.05) than those in CONV in the second rooster experiment. The results of this study indicated that the P in LP was two to three times more bioavailable than the P in CONV and that the digestibilities of AA in HP/LP were equal to or higher than those in CONV.

Amino Acids↗

Protein dispersibility index as an indicator of adequately processed soybean meal.

Three chick assays (8 to 17 or 21 d) were conducted to evaluate protein dispersibility index (PDI) as an indicator of minimum adequate heat processing of soybean meal compared with the urease index and protein solubility in 0.2% KOH. Solvent-extracted soyflakes (SF) were subjected to various autoclaving times at 121 C and 105 kPa and were included in 23% CP dextrose-SF diets or 20% CP corn-SF-corn gluten meal diets. Autoclaving times in Chick Assays 1, 2, and 3 were 0 to 36 min, 0 to 30 min, and 0 to 12 min, respectively. Body weight gains and gain-to-feed ratios increased (P < 0.05) with increased SF heating time (0 to 18 min in Chick Assay 1, 0 to 10 min in Chick Assay 2, and 0 to 9 min in Chick Assay 3), with no additional improvement for longer autoclaving times. Urease index values (pH increase) were high initially and at the shorter autoclaving times (1.65 to 2.4), and then decreased suddenly to 0.3 or below as autoclaving time increased in two of the three chick assays. The KOH protein solubility values generally decreased as autoclaving time increased, but the responses were often inconsistent. Protein dispersibility index displayed the most consistent responses to heating time: it decreased from above 70% to generally below 30% as autoclaving time increased from 0 to 30 or 36 min (mean r2 from linear regression of PDI on autoclaving time was 0.92 for the three chick assays). The latter responses were particularly evident for the heating times, which yielded the greatest changes in chick growth performance. These results suggest that PDI is a more consistent and sensitive indicator of minimum adequate heat processing of soybean meal than urease index or protein solubility in KOH.

Animal Feed↗

Effect of presolvent extraction processing method on the nutritional value of soybean meal for chicks.

This study evaluated the effect of extruding or expander processing prior to solvent extraction on the nutritional value of soybean meal (SBM). Three samples of SBM containing 100% nonexpander SBM, 100% expander SBM, or a mixture of nonexpander and expander SBM were obtained from a commercial plant. An experiment was conducted using Peterson x Hubbard commercial male broiler chicks fed 20% CP corn-SBM-corn gluten meal diets from 8 to 21 d of age. The experiment had a 3 x 2 x 2 factorial design, with three SBM types, two levels of Met + Cys (0.77 and 0.90%), and two levels of Lys (0.95 and 1.20%). Processing method had no effect on the amino acid concentration or protein solubility of the SBM. Dietary treatment had no significant effect on chick weight gain or feed intake. Feed efficiency was significantly improved (P < 0.05) by Met and Lys supplementation, but SBM processing method had no significant effect. The results of this study indicate that presolvent processing method (expander or nonexpander) had no significant effect on the nutritional value of SBM for broiler chicks.

Amino Acids↗

The effects of dietary available phosphorus levels and phytase on performance of young and older laying hens.

In the first of two experiments (20 to 70 wk of age), eight treatments consisted of corn-soybean meal diets (0.34% total P, 3.8% Ca, 17% CP, 2,758 kcal ME/kg) containing 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, or 0.45% available P (AP), with the three lowest AP diets supplemented with 300 units of phytase/kg of diet. A second experiment evaluated the effect of feeding the 0.10% AP diet with and without phytase on performance and time required for onset of P deficiency in older hens (70 to 76 wk of age). In Experiment 1, the 0.10% AP diet with no supplemental phytase depressed performance by 28 wk of age. No other significant differences in performance were observed among treatments for the entire 20- to 70-wk period except that the 0.15% AP diet with no phytase resulted in body weights and tibia ash that were lower (P < 0.05) than those of hens fed the 0.45% AP diet during the last 30 wk. The mean daily AP intake of hens fed the 0.10% AP, 0.15% AP, 0.45% AP, or 0.10% AP + phytase diets was 94,159, 499, or 108 mg, respectively. Excreta P concentration was decreased by approximately 50% in birds consuming 0.10% AP + 300 U/kg phytase compared with those consuming 0.45% AP. In the second experiment, P deficiency signs occurred within 3 wk of consuming the unsupplemented corn-soybean meal diet (0.10% AP) compared with 8 wk in Experiment 1. The results of this study indicate that phytase improves P utilization in corn-soybean meal diets for laying hens and that a corn-soybean meal diet containing 0.15% AP (159 mg AP/d) or containing 0.10% AP + 300 units of phytase/kg (108 mg AP/d) supported optimal egg production from 20 to 70 wk of age. Additionally, results suggested that older hens may exhibit P deficiency symptoms sooner than younger hens.

6-Phytase↗

Protein and energy evaluation of soybean meals processed from genetically modified high-protein soybeans.

A conventional and two genetically modified soybean samples were processed to dehulled soybean meal (SBM) at a pilot plant and were compared with SBM from a commercial processing plant. Crude protein levels (%) of the experimental SBM samples were M700, 52.5; M702, 53.4; and M703, 62.7. The commercial SBM sample (UI) contained 47.5% protein. Amino acid, gross energy, lipid, and fiber analyses were carried out, and true metabolizable energy and true amino acid digestibility were determined with adult cecectomized cockerels. Digestible Lys, Met, Cys, Thr, and Val, and also TMEn, were higher (P < 0.05) and NDF, fat, and phospholipids were lower in M703 than in the other SBM samples. The results of this study indicate that M703 has considerable advantages over conventional SBM as a feed ingredient for broiler chickens.

Amino Acids↗

The effects of various dietary levels of phytase and available phosphorus on performance of laying hens.

Data previously obtained from our laboratory indicated that addition of 300 U of phytase/kg diet supported optimal long-term performance of laying hens (20 to 70 wk) fed a corn-soybean meal (SBM) diet containing 0.10% available phosphorus (AP). Our primary objective was to determine if a phytase level lower than 300 units/kg is adequate for a commercial strain of Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens (n = 504) fed a corn-SBM diet containing no supplemental P (0.10% AP). Dietary treatments consisted of the corn-SBM basal diet (0.10% AP, 3.8% Ca, and 17% CP) supplemented with 0, 100, 200, 250, or 300 U of phytase/kg, 0.05% inorganic P (0.15% AP), and a positive control diet containing 0.45% AP. Each of the seven dietary treatments was fed to six replicate groups of 12 hens from 20 to 60 wk of age. No significant differences in performance were observed among treatments during the first 8 wk of the experiment. By 28 wk of age, the 0.10% AP diet, with no supplemental phytase or P, resulted in significantly lower (P < 0.05) egg production and body weight compared with all other dietary treatments. Feed consumption, feed efficiency, and egg yield were subsequently depressed by 32 wk of age in hens fed the 0.10% AP diet. No other significant differences among treatments were observed for performance averaged over the entire 40-wk experimental period. The mean daily AP intake of hens fed the 0.15% AP, 0.45% AP, and 0.10% AP + phytase diets was 155, 474, and 103 mg, respectively. The results of this study indicate that phytase improves the utilization of P in corn-SBM diets for laying hens and that corn-SBM diets containing 0.10% AP + 100 units of phytase/kg diet or 0.15% AP supported egg production performance that was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from that of hens fed a corn-SBM diet containing 0.45% AP.

6-Phytase↗

Citric acid does not improve phosphorus utilization in laying hens fed a corn-soybean meal diet.

Data previously obtained from our laboratory have indicated that citric acid was very effective at improving phytate-P utilization in chicks fed a P-deficient corn-soybean meal (SBM) diet. The objective of the current study was to determine if citric acid would have similar effects in a commercial strain of Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens (n = 432) fed a corn-SBM diet containing 0.10% available P (AP). Dietary treatments were a corn-SBM basal diet (0.10% AP, 3.8% Ca, and 17% CP) supplemented with 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4% citric acid and a positive control diet containing 0.45% AP. Each of the six dietary treatments were fed to six replicate groups of 12 hens from 22 to 40 wk of age. No significant differences in performance were observed among treatments during the first 4 wk of the experiment. Hen-day egg production, feed consumption, feed efficiency, and egg yield were subsequently depressed in hens fed 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4% citric acid compared with hens fed 0.45% AP. The results of this study indicate that citric acid does not improve the utilization of dietary P in laying hens fed a corn-SBM diet containing 3.8% Ca.

Aging↗

Nutritional evaluation of lectin-free soybeans for poultry.

This study evaluated the nutritional value of raw lectin-free soybeans in comparison with raw Kunitz trypsin inhibitor-free soybeans, raw conventional soybeans, and commercial heat processed soybean meal (SBM). Analyzed lectin values (milligrams per kilogram) were 7.2, 7.1, and < 0.00015 for the Kunitz-free, conventional, and lectin-free soybeans, respectively. Three experiments were conducted using New Hampshire x Columbian male chicks fed 23% CP dextrose-soybean diets from 8 to 17 d of age. Growth performance of chicks fed lectin-free soybeans was greater (P < 0.05) than that of chicks fed raw conventional soybeans in all three experiments. However, performance of chicks fed lectin-free soybeans was lower than that of chicks fed Kunitz-free soybeans or SBM. The SBM yielded weight gains and feed efficiencies that were much higher than those observed from any of the raw soybeans. True amino acid digestibility and TMEn of the lectin-free and conventional soybeans were determined using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay. Seven roosters were crop-intubated with 30 g of soybeans and excreta were collected for 48 h. Digestibility coefficients of most amino acids for lectin-free soybeans were 5 to 8 percentage units higher than those for conventional soybeans, but the differences were not significant (P > 0.05). Likewise, the TMEn for lectin-free soybeans was 11% higher than that for raw conventional soybeans (3.577 vs 3.227 kcal/g DM) but the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). The results of this study indicate that the nutritional value of raw lectin-free soybeans is greater than raw conventional soybeans but is less than raw Kunitz-free soybeans and SBM, suggesting that trypsin inhibitor is a greater antinutritional factor than lectins.

Amino Acids↗

Bioavailability of lysine from a liquid lysine source in chicks.

Two experiments were conducted to assess the bioavailability of lysine from a liquid lysine product (LLP; 60% lysine) relative to crystalline L-lysine.HCl. In the first experiment, four groups of five chicks were fed a lysine-deficient basal diet containing corn, soybean meal, and feather meal or the basal diet supplemented with 0.1 or 0.2% lysine from L-lysine.HCl or LLP from Day 8 to 22 posthatching. Weight gain and feed efficiency responded linearly (P < 0.01) to increasing levels of lysine from either lysine source, and multiple linear regression analysis of weight gain regressed on supplemental lysine intake indicated no difference (P > 0.05) in the response to lysine from L-lysine.HCl or LLP. Experiment 2 was conducted using a lysine-deficient basal diet containing corn, peanut meal, and feather meal, and all diets were fed to five groups of five chicks from Day 8 to 21 posthatching. Treatment additions again consisted of 0.1 or 0.2% lysine from L-lysine.HCl or LLP. Weight gain and feed efficiency responded linearly (P < 0.01) to increasing levels of lysine from L-lysine-HCl and LLP, and multiple linear regression analysis of weight gain regressed on supplemental lysine intake indicated no difference (P > 0.05) in the response to lysine from L-lysine.HCl or LLP. These data indicate that lysine from LLP is fully bioavailable relative to lysine from crystalline L-lysine.HCl, and could therefore be used as a source of lysine in practical poultry diets.

Animal Feed↗