Medycyna Wet. 66 (1), 41-44, 2010
| Kwiecień M., Winiarska-Mieczan A. |
| Effect of hulless barley on body weight and chemical composition of hearts and livers in broiler chickens |
| The purpose of the study was to determine whether replacing husked barley with hulless barley with a significantly lower share of crude fiber but a higher content of beta-glucans modifying the absorption of nutritional elements from the intestine can change the weight and the chemical composition of the heart and the liver in broiler chickens. The experiment was carried out on 162 Cobb broiler chickens reared in cages until the 42nd day of their lives, divided into three groups: one control group (K) and two experimental groups (I, II), 54 birds in each. Group K was fed mixtures with a share of wheat, group I mixtures with hulless barley and group II mixtures with husked barley. In starter mixtures of rearing the share of alternatively used crops was 45%, whereas its share in grower and finisher mixtures administered, respectively 50%. The results of the study reveal that adding hulless barley to feed mixtures resulted in a statistically significant reduction in chickens body weight and a lower weight of their breast muscles and legs, as well as in their lower share in the meat carcass. Adding hulless barley to the mixtures contributed to increasing the weight and share of the heart muscle. Hulless barley raised dry matter content in the heart by 9.5% and that of crude ash by 6.9%, in comparison with the chickens fed wheat. The type of barley significantly modified the weight of the chicken livers. The highest weight was noted in case of chickens fed husked barley, and the lowest in case of the addition of hulled barley. The difference amounted to 11%. Hulless barley used in the mixtures reduced the share of crude ash, total protein and crude fat, compared to their content in the livers of the chickens in the control group. |
| Keywords: broiler, barley, heart, liver, beta-glucans |