Effect of diet dilution ratio at early age on growth performance, carcass characteristics and hepatic lipogenesis of Pekin ducks

Abstract

This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that proper diet dilution ratio at early age might improve feed conversion ratio (FCR) and reduce body fat deposition of meat-type ducks. One hundred and fifty 1-day-old male and female White Pekin ducks (44.5±1.0 g) were randomly assigned into three treatments with five replicates (pens) of 10 birds each, respectively representing the experimental diets with 0 (control), 40 or 60% rice hulls inclusion in the basal diet between 8 and 14 d of age. The basal diet was fed before and after this period. The results showed that diluting the diet with 40% rice hulls increased (p < 0.05) feed intake, decreased adjusted (excluding rice hulls) feed:gain and body weight gain of ducks during the diet-dilution period; ducks fed the diet with 40% rice hulls had better growth rate (p < 0.05) during the recovery period (15 to 42 d of age) and lower adjusted feed conversion ratio (p < 0.05) during the entire experimental period (1 to 42 d of age) than the control birds, but the same body weight (p > 0.05) as the controls at 42 d of age. The diet diluted with 60% rice hulls resulted in lower (p < 0.05) body weight at market age than the other treatments. The diet with 40% rice hulls reduced (p < 0.05) skin with fat and abdominal fat pad, crude fat content in the carcass and in breast meat, and increased (p < 0.05) carcass crude protein at 42 d of age. These changes may be explained by the lower (p < 0.05) activities of hepatic malic dehydrogenase (MDH), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH) and fatty acid synthetase (FAS) enzymes both at 14 and 42 d of age in birds fed the diluted diets relative to the control birds. The results of this study indicate that feeding diets diluted with 40% rice hulls to Pekin ducks between 8 to 14 d of age may induce compensatory growth during the following recovery period, and may be used to improve FCR and to reduce body fat deposition at market age.

Histological Adaptations of the Gastrointestinal Tract of Broilers Fed Diets Containing Insoluble Fiber From Rice Hull Meal

“…Similarly, pullet chicks have a good FCR and the best protein and fat retention when fed 15% dietary rice hull meal (Adeniji, 2010). The addition of rice hull meal to duck diets enhanced weight gain and FCR compared to the control birds (Wu et al, 2012). These rice hull fed-birds were able to maintain adequate weight gain, presumably because the properties of insoluble fiber increased the physical competency of the gastrointestinal tract.…”

Impact of Dietary Betaine and Metabolizable Energy Levels on Profiles of Proteins and Lipids, Bioenergetics, Peroxidation and Quality of Meat in Japanese Quail

“…The current findings are consistent with earlier study indicated that lower dietary ME levels reduced the fat deposition in White Pekin ducklings [ 36 ] due to reduction of activities of enzymes essential for catalysis of hepatic lipogenesis [ 37 ]. Moreover, earlier reports indicated that both quantitative and qualitative feed restriction induced an inhibition to hepatic lipogenesis and elevated the rate of β -oxidation [ 38 ]. The linear decrease in the values of serum HDL-c ( p < 0.0001) shown in Table 3 was mainly attributed to the instant decreased level of ME intake.…”

The Effects of Dietary Whole Rice Hull as Insoluble Fiber on the Flock Uniformity of Pullets and on the Egg Performance and Intestinal Mucosa of Laying Hens

“…According to Adeniji (2010), FCR was significantly better in pullet chicks that received dietary 7.5% rice hull. Similarly, the inclusion of rice hulls in duck diets could enhance body weight gain and FCR compared with the control duck group (Wu et al, 2012). In addition, the better percentage of flock uniformity in dietary WRH groups might be correlated to a prolonged peak of egg production.…”