Effect of breed and cecectomy on apparent amino acid digestibility in ducks fed diets containing brewers’ spent grains

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the apparent total tract nutrient digestibility in normal and cecectomised ducks fed brewers’ grains (BG). One hundred forty four ducks was arranged in a factorial design. The first factor was breed (crossbred Super-Meat and Muscovy ducks); the second was cecectomised versus and intact digestive tract; and the third was diet (Control of lbroken rice and fish meal versus broken rice and brewers’grains). The Muscovy ducks exhibited higher apparent digestibility than crossbred Super Meat. There were no differences in digestibility between cecetomised or intact ducks. There was no difference in apparent excreta digestibility of any amino acid between breeds. There were inconsistent differences in digestibility of individual amino acids between cecectomised and intact birds, but in majority digestibility was found higher in intact birds. Digestibility of amino acids in ducks fed BG100 was equal or lower than in ducks fed the other diets. In conclusion the Muscovies digested DM superior to crossbred Super Meat ducks but there were no differences in digestibility of individual amino acids. For most individual amino acid digestibility was found higher in intact ducks. Dietary inclusion of about 50 % brewers’ grains seems to give good digestibility properties.