Maximum Profit Feed Formulation. 4. Interaction Between Energy Content and Feed Form

Abstract

Empirical nutritional models were developed for comparison of the effects of two feed forms on responses to dietary energy using data from literature to formulate broiler diets by maximum profit feed formulation with real or simulated prices of corn and soybean meal. Broiler diets were formulated based on Corn and Soybean Meal (C-SBM) and or with Wheat and Cottonseed Meal (+W-CM) as alternatives sources. Estimated average body weight gain or feed intake slopes of birds fed mash feed were significantly greater than that of birds fed pelleted feed. The rate of gain per calorie of mash-fed birds was three times higher than that of pellet-fed birds and the rate of feed intake per calorie for pellet-fed birds was six times smaller than for mash-fed birds. The economic energy content in most cases was decreased by pelleted feed compared to mash feed at real or simulated prices. For real prices the energy reductions from mash feed to processed feed were from 3.254 to 3.015 kcal/g for diets based on C-SBM or from 3.2 to 2.961 kcal/g for diets based on +W-CM. These economic energy reductions were around 7% from real prices, up to 10% from simulated corn prices and up to 11% from simulated SBM prices. Broiler diets formulated with +W-CM decreased the economic energy content and increased the profitability compared to those based on C-SBM diets. These data indicate that broiler diets fed as pellets should be formulated with reduced economic energy content due to decreased rate of gain or feed intake per calorie compared to those at mash feed.