Effect of pellet quality on various broiler production parameters

The effect of feeding diets of different pellet qualities was evaluated using Cobb × Cobb 500 straight-run broilers. Birds were fed a common starter diet in crumble form from 0 to 14 d of age and were subsequently fed grower phase (14 to 28 d) and finisher phase (28 to 42 d) diets that varied in percentage of pellets (0 vs. 32 vs. 64% pellets). All diets were based on corn, soybean meal, distillers dried grains with solubles, and a meat by-product blend, and were formulated to meet or exceed NRC recommendations. Diets were mixed in a 2,000-lb (907-kg) horizontal double-ribbon mixer and pelleted using a 40-horsepower pellet mill. At 28 d of age, birds were fed a mash feed (nonconditioned), a diet with 64% pellets, or a diet with equal amounts of these 2 diets to generate a 32% pellet diet. Birds fed the 2 pellet-containing diets performed similarly but had higher BW and feed intake and lower feed conversion than birds fed the mash diet. Feed conversion was best with the 64% pellet diet, and it increased progressively as the pellet count decreased. Birds fed diets with 32 and 64% pellets had higher weights for the carcass, back-half fat, and abdominal fat and had higher breast meat yield values, parallel to the final BW. Wing yield decreased progressively as the pellet quality increased. When feed costs associated with producing 1 kg of 42-d BW, carcass, breast meat, and back half were calculated, feeding diets with 64% pellets was superior to feeding diets with 32% pellets or mash diets. Based on the present results, feed mills would appear to be justified in considering strategies for improving pellet quality to increase broiler productivity, carcass yield, and feed cost efficiency.