This trial was conducted to determine the effects of feeding a diet containing solid-state fermented rapeseed meal on performance, nutrient digestibility, intestinal ecology and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. A mixed liquid culture, containing approximately 5 log cfu/ml Lactobacillus fermentum, Enterococcus faecium, Saccharomyces cerevisae and Bacillus subtilis was prepared in a 1:1:1:1 ratio. A basal substrate (BS) containing 75% rapeseed, 24% wheat bran and 1% brown sugar was mixed with the liquid culture in a ratio of 10:3. Over the 30-day fermentation, isothiocyanates were reduced from 119.6 to 14.7 mmol/kg. A total of 168, day-old male Arbor Acres broiler chicks were assigned to one of three dietary treatments including a corn-soybean meal based control diet as well as two experimental diets in which the control diet was supplemented with 10% of the BS containing unfermented rapeseed meal or 10% of the BS containing rapeseed meal subjected to solid state fermentation. There were 8 pens per treatment and 7 birds per pen. From days 19-21 and days 40-42, uncontaminated excreta were collected from each pen for digestibility determinations. In addition, digesta from the colon and ceca were collected to determine the number of lactobacilli, enterobacteria and total aerobes. The middle sections of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were collected for intestinal morphology. Over the entire experimental period (d 1-42), the weight gain and feed conversion of birds fed fermented rapeseed meal were superior (p<0.05) to that of birds fed nonfermented rapeseed meal and did not differ from the soybean control. On day 42, birds fed fermented rapeseed meal had higher (p<0.05) total tract apparent digestibility coefficients for dry matter, energy, and calcium than birds fed non-fermented rapeseed meal. Colon and ceca digesta from broilers fed the fermented feed had higher (p<0.05) lactobacilli counts than birds fed the control and non-fermented rapeseed meal diets on day 21 and 42. Fermentation also improved (p<0.05) villus height and the villus height:crypt depth ratio in the ileum and jejunum on day 21 and 42. The results indicate that solid-state fermentation of rapeseed meal enhanced performance and improved the intestinal morphology of broilers and may allow greater quantities of rapeseed meal to be fed to broilers potentially reducing the cost of broiler production.

A total of 138 crossbred pigs were fed either a barley-based control diet or a rye-based diet supplemented or unsupplemented with a crude enzyme preparation with pentosanase activity. Digestibility coefficients were generally higher (P < 0.05) for pigs fed rye-based diets in comparison with barley while enzyme supplementation had no effect on nutrient digestibility. When fed in a meal form, there was a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the growth rate of pigs fed rye-based diets compared with barley (exp. 1). However, no significant differences were observed when pelleted diets were fed (exp. 2). The results of both experiments indicate that rye-based diets are not consumed as readily as barley-based diets although pigs fed rye-based diets had improved feed efficiencies. Supplementation with pentosanase did not significantly improve pig performance although in both experiments, there was a trend towards an improvement in growth rate. In exp. 1, there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in slaughter weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage, estimated lean yield or carcass value index as a result of differences in the cereal base of the diet or enzyme supplementation. In exp. 2, the carcass weight and dressing percentage of pigs fed the rye-based diets were lower than those of the control (P < 0.05). In conclusion, it would appear that soluble pentosans do not pose as large a problem for swine as they do for poultry. Key words: Swine, rye, pentosans, pentosanase, digestibility

No abstract

. 1989. Energy use in the production and housing of poultry and swinean overyiew. Can' J. ' An overview of energy use in agricultural food systems indicates that, unlike crop production, pork and poultry production will always be an energy sink rather than an energy sorr."e. Nevertheless, much more energy is involved in the food system beyond the farm gate than that used in production on the farm. Energy

. 2004. Performance of growing-finishing pigs fed barley-based diets supplemented with normal or high-fat oat. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 84: 229-236. The objective of this study was to compare a high-fat oat recently developed at the University of Saskatchewan with regular oat as energy sources for use in diets fed to growing-finishing pigs. Seventy crossbred pigs (Pig Improvement Canada Ltd, Acme, AB) weighing an average of 27.5 ± 2.6 kg were assigned on the basis of sex, weight and litter to one of five dietary treatments in a factorial design experiment. The main effects tested included oat type (normal and high fat), level of oat inclusion (0, 25 and 50%) and sex of pig (barrows and gilts). Digestibility coefficients for dry matter (P = 0.002), crude protein (P = 0.001) and gross energy (P = 0.004) were significantly higher for pigs fed high-fat oat compared with normal oat. Pigs fed the high-fat oat also gained weight significantly faster (P = 0.01) and with increased efficiency (P = 0.01) compared with pigs fed diets containing normal oat. Oat level did not affect pig performance (P > 0.05). Neither type of oat nor level of inclusion had any significant (P > 0.05) effects on any carcass trait including dressing percent, carcass value index, lean yield, loin fat or loin lean. In conclusion, feeding diets containing a recently developed high-fat oat to pigs improved growth rate and efficiency of feed conversion compared with feeding diets containing normal-fat oat. Nutrient digestibility also improved with no negative effects on carcass quality. High-fat oat is an attractive alternative to normal oat as an energy source for growing-finishing pigs and can be fed at higher levels than are currently recommended for normal oat without hindering pig performance. . L'étude devait comparé une avoine riche en lipides récemment créée à l'Université de la Saskatchewan à l'avoine ordinaire comme source d'énergie dans les rations servies aux porcs en croissance-finition. Soixante-dix porcs hybrides (Pig Improvement Canada Ltd., Acme, Alberta) pesant en moyenne 27,5 ± 2,6 kg ont été répartis entre cinq traitements en fonction du sexe, du poids et de la portée dans le cadre d'une expérience factorielle. Les principaux facteurs examinés étaient le type d'avoine (ordinaire ou riche en lipides), la concentration d'avoine (0, 25 et 50 %) et le sexe (castrat ou truie nullipare). Le coefficient de digestibilité de la matière sèche (P = 0,002), des protéines brutes (P = 0,001) et de l'énergie brute (P = 0,004) était sensiblement plus élevé chez les animaux recevant l'avoine riche en lipides que chez ceux nourris avec de l'avoine ordinaire. Les premiers ont également grossi sensiblement plus vite (P = 0,01). La concentration d'avoine n'a aucune incidence sur le rendement des animaux (P > 0,05). Ni le type, ni la concentration d'avoine n'ont d'incidence significative (P > 0,05) sur les paramètres de la carcasse, notamment les pertes au parage, l'indice de la carcasse, le rendement en viande maigre et la proportion de graisse et de viande...