Nutridense Corn: Digestibility and Performance in Broilers

One digestibility and two performance experiments were conducted with broilers to compare the feeding value of Conventional corn (CC) with Nutridense corn (ND). In experiment 1, 288 chicks were assigned to 24 experimental pens consisting of two treatments with an inclusion of 92.25% CC and ND. At 18 days of age, birds were measured for energy and amino acids digestibility. Also, mature roosters were used for true amino acid and energy digestibility. Results in this experiment indicated a higher metabolizable energy value of ND over CC. However, for total digestible amino acids, ND registered no significant differences over CC. In experiment 2, for trial 1, 384 birds were assigned into 6 dietary treatments. Treatments 1, 2 and 3 provided 3084, 3108 and 3084 kcal/kg, and an inclusion of 56.69% CC, 56.69% ND and 55.00% ND, respectively. Treatments 4, 5 and 6 provided 2852, 2874 and 2852 kcal/kg, and an inclusion of 55.20% CC, 55.20% ND and 54.35% ND, respectively. For trial 2, 960 birds, were distributed through 4 dietary treatments that provided 3084, 2852, 2874 and 2852 kcal/kg. For both trials there were no significant differences in growth performance due to the type of corn.