The effect of diets containing different levels of structural fibre on intestinal length, dry matter content of digesta, biochemical indices and electrolyte concentration in blood serum of geese (Part IV)

Abstract

Two experiments were conduced in which White Italian geese were fed diets containing large proportions of ground cereals: maize, oats, barley or rye; dried grass, dried sugar beet pulp, field bean or pea as well as low-glucosinolate rapeseed oilmeal, from var. Jantar. The highest body weight gains Were obtained when ground oats and rapeseed oilmeal were included in the diet, the lowest, when dried beet pulp and rye were given. Favourable growth parameters go together with higher dry matter content and pH of intestinal digesta. A diet of high proportion of oats and beet pulp lowered the serum cholesterol level in the geese, a diet with high proportion of rapeseed oilmeal lowered the level of inorganic phosphorus and potassium in blood serum of geese.

Performance of young geese fed diets containing rye and enzyme preparations

“…Pakulska et al (1995) reported that in such a system of fattening, at the age of 14 weeks geese fed forage and a diet containing 20% rye between 4 and 8 weeks of life and 40% in the consecutive 6 weeks weighed only 5% less than control geese. However, Wiliczkiewicz et al (1992) observed that geese fed a diet containing 50% rye as the only feed from weeks 3 to 11 of life grew 16% slower, used 19% more feed per kilogram of body weight gain, had a lower dry matter content in the digesta and thicker intestinal walls than control birds fed a wheat and barley diet.…”