engleski

Use of sunflower meal in feed mixtures for fattening chicks. II. Economic justification of using sunflower meal

The economic justification of using sunflower meal was investigated in an experiment carried out on 400 fattening chicks of the Jata line, divided into eight groups (1 control group and 7 experimental groups of 50 chicks each). Each of the eight groups was fed over a three-week period on starter mixture, after which they were divided into three new groups (24 groups of 15-17 chicks each). The newly formed groups were fed on a finisher mixture in the subsequent 4-6 weeks. The experimental groups of chicks fed on mixtures containing suflower meal, soybean meal, or on a mixture of sunflower and soybean meal, in a ratio of 50:50, were compared with the control group of chicks fed on a balanced commercial feed mixture in which the sources of protein were soybean meal and fish meal. In order to establish the economic justification of using sunflower meal in mixtures for fattening chicks, the cost of all feed mixtures used during the experiments, consumption of protein and energy per 1kg of gain in body mass, as well as the cost of body mass gain, were determined. The control consumed the most expensive of used mixtures (commercial starter and finisher) and the experimental chicks the cheapest, getting in their starter and finisher sunflower meal of unbalanced amino-acid composition and energy value as the source of protein. The highest protein and energy per 1kg of body mass gain were recorded in the group fed only on energy-balanced sunflower meal. The groups of chicks fed on amino-acid and energy- balanced mixtures, or balanced mixtures of soybean and sunflower meal, consumed less protein and energy per 1kg of body mass gain, with consumption being almost equal to that in the control group. An exceptionally high cost of body mass gain throughout the fattening period was experienced with the experimental groups of chicks fed on mixtures which, as the source of protein contained in sunflower meal of balanced amino-acid composition and energy value was about the same as in the controls ; the cheapest gains, however, were achieved in the groups of chicks fed on mixtures of soybean and sunflower meal.

chicks ; fattening ; sunflower meal ; proteins ; energy ; economic justification

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