Mohammad Reza Ghorbani; tahereh mohammadabadi; Hadis Mirzaei
Volume 22, Issue 3 , September 2020, , Pages 417-429
Abstract
This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of processed date pit on broiler performance. In this experiment, 280 broiler chicks were used in a completely randomized design with seven treatments and four replicates. The experimental treatments were: 1- control (diet without date pit), 2- ...
Read More
This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of processed date pit on broiler performance. In this experiment, 280 broiler chicks were used in a completely randomized design with seven treatments and four replicates. The experimental treatments were: 1- control (diet without date pit), 2- 10 percent raw date pit, and treatments 3 to 7- were 10 percent date pit that processed with steam pressure, NaOH, and fermented with Lactobacillus fermentum, Bacillus subtilis, and Aspergillus niger respectively. The crude protein content of processed date pit was higher, and the ether extract content was lower (exept NaOH) than raw date pit (p < 0.05). The feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and cecal microbial population of broiler chickens were not affected by experimental treatments. The small intestine length of birds that fed diets containing processeddate pit with steam pressure and NaoH was significantly reduced in comparison with birds resived diets containing fermented date pit with Aspergillus niger and without date pit (p < 0.05). The highest amount of litter dry matter and lowest amount of excreta ash was observed in groups fed diet containing raw date pit (p < 0.05). According to the results of this study, the processing methods of date pit has no effect on broiler performance and cecal microbial population. Therefore, due to the high cost of processing, and the favorable effects of feeding raw date pit on broiler litter quality, the use of raw date pit in broilers diet is recommended.