Effect of incorporating sugar beet pulp in the finisher diet on performance of geese

• Published in: Animal (Cambridge, England) England), 2015-04, Vol.9 (4), p.553-560
• Main Authors: Arroyo, J., Brachet, M., Dubois, J. P., Lavigne, F., Molette, C., Bannelier, C., Fortun-Lamothe, L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Beta vulgaris; body weight; Computer Science; crop; diet; digestive tract; Energy Metabolism; fatty liver; feed intake; ganders; Gastrointestinal Tract; geese; Geese - growth & development; Life Sciences; metabolizable energy; Nutrition; overfeeding; rearing; Research Article; sugar beet pulp; waterfowl; Weight Gain; Zea mays
• ISSN: 1751-7311; 1751-732X; 1751-732X
• DOI: 10.1017/S1751731114002791

The aim of this work was to study the effects of incorporating sugar beet pulp (SBP) into the diet on the development of the crop and performance of geese. A total of 480 1-day-old ganders were divided into three groups differing in the composition and mode of distribution of the diet offered from day 56 to 89. The following two diets were used: a standard diet (nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy, AMEn 11.44 MJ/kg; 160 g/kg CP) or a diet containing 10% of SBP (SBP diet; AMEn 11.47 MJ/kg; 160 g/kg CP). The swelling capacity (SC) hydration was higher for SBP than for the standard diet (3.62 v. 2.72 ml of H2O/g of dry matter at 60 min; P0.1) for all the three groups. Therefore, SBP could help adapt the digestive tract of waterfowl to high feed intake through an increase in the crop volume, but its method of use – that is, level of incorporation and mode of distribution – should continue to be investigated.