The nutritional value for meat chickens of water-damaged wheat from temporary bulk stores in Queensland

Abstract

The nutritional value of water-damaged wheat and free-flowing wheat from temporary bulk stores at Goondiwindi was determined. Each was fed to meat chickens as the sole grain component or combined in several proportions, and compared with a control wheat in diets of similar nutrient composition. In addition, the nutrient composition of water-damaged and free-flowing wheat from temporary stores at Meeandarra, Thallon, Jandowae and Millmerran in southern Queensland was determined.A progressive reduction in the ratio of total amino acids to crude protein (0.98-0-70 w/w) and innitrogen-free extract (789-685 g kg-1 dry matter) was associated with increasing severity of water damage. Ether extract and gross energy contents of the dry matter were low in water-damaged wheat from all sites, but only the wheat with the most damage had a lower metabolizable energy content (12.99 versus 14.12 MJ kg-1) in the dry matter and as a proportion of gross energy (71% versus 76%) than free-flowing wheat from the same site.The three diets containing high levels of rotten (two diets) and severely water-damaged wheat (one diet) resulted in an average liveweight gain (26.1 g day-1) and feed conversion (1.86) which was poorer than that of the free-flowing wheat (28.1 g day-1, 1.59) and the average of other less water-damaged wheat treatments (29.7 g day-1, 1.57). The higher average liveweight gain of the latter treatments relative to the free-flowing wheat and control (27.3 g day-1) treatments was significant but was not reflected in better feed conversion. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed.