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Rye as an Alternative Grain in Commercial Broiler Feeding

Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada; Phone: (204) 474-9383; FAX: (204) 275-0402

Correspondence: W. Guenter

Three experiments were conducted to investigate the efficacy of rye diets supplemented with an enzyme preparation (high in xylanase activity) in commercial broiler chick feeding. In Experiments 1 (battery brooder) and 2 (floor pens), rye (18, 36, 54%) replaced barley and/or wheat in the diet. Experiment 3 was a commercial study with 32,000 broiler chicks being fed 15% and 30% rye in starter and grow-finisher diets. Criteria used to evaluate the response to rye were feed intake, body gain, feed conversion, frequency of vent pasting, and litter condition. The addition of enzyme to diets containing a high level of rye yielded performance values similar to those achieved with the control wheat-barley diet containing the same enzyme. Under practical conditions, performance values of the broiler chicks fed diets containing even the lowest (18%/20%) amount of rye declined over those obtained with the enzyme-supplemented barley-wheat based diet. The production of a wet, sticky excreta and the greater litter moisture may have been the main reasons. Future research should focus on the development of enzyme mixtures that increase nutrient utilization as well as reduce the water-holding capacity of the excreta.

Key Words: Broiler chick • enzyme • nutrition • rye