Wheat particle size, insoluble fibre sources and whole wheat feeding influence gizzard musculature and nutrient utilisation to different extents in broiler chickens

• Published in: Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition 2019-01, Vol.103 (1), p.146-161
• Main Authors: Abdollahi, Mohammad Reza, Zaefarian, Faegheh, Hunt, Hayley, Anwar, Muhammad Naveed, Thomas, David G., Ravindran, Velmurugu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Birds; broiler chickens; Chickens; Chickens - physiology; Diet; Diet - veterinary; Dietary Fiber - analysis; Digestibility; Digestion - physiology; Dilution; feed texture; Feeding; Gizzard; gizzard musculature; Gizzard, Avian - drug effects; Gizzard, Avian - physiology; Ground based control; Hulls; Intestine; Lignocellulose; Male; Muscles; nutrient digestibility; Nutrient sources; Nutrients; Particle Size; Poultry; Random Allocation; Shavings; Starch; Triticum; Wheat; Wood
• ISSN: 0931-2439; 1439-0396
• DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13019

A 21‐day experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of wheat particle size, insoluble fibre source and whole wheat (WW) inclusion on the gizzard musculature, intestinal architecture and nutrient utilisation of broiler chickens. The following seven treatments, all in mash form, were tested: control diet using finely ground wheat (Fine); control diet using medium‐ground wheat (Medium); control diet using coarsely ground wheat (Coarse); fine diet diluted with 10 g/kg lignocellulose (LC); fine diet diluted with 30 g/kg oat hulls (OH); fine diet diluted with 30 g/kg wood shavings (WS); and ground wheat in the fine diet replaced with 50 and 100 g/kg WW during the second (day 8–14) and third (day 15–21) weeks of the study respectively. Except for the LC diet, all treatments increased (p