Effects of Different Levels of Raw and Processed Oak Acorn (Quercus castaneifolia) on Performance, Small Intestine Morphology, Ileal Digestibility of Nutrients, Carcass Characteristics and Some Blood Parameters in Broiler Chickens

This study was conducted to determine the effect of oak acorn (Quercus castaneifolia) on performance, small intestine morphology, ileal digestibility of nutrients, carcass characteristics and some blood parameters in broiler chickens. A total of 504 1-d-old male chickens (Ross 308 strain) were divided into seven treatments with four replicates each. Experimental diets were: corn-soybean meal diet (control), raw oak acorn (10% and 20%), soaked oak acorn (10% and 20% oak acorn soaked in water for 24 hrs), and 10% and 20% oak acorn soaked in water for 48 hrs with twice water substitution. Chicks were fed with experimental diets from 1 to 42 days of age. Results showed that body weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, ileal dry matter, protein digestibility, and small intestine morphology was significantly (P < 0.05) deteriorated with the inclusion of raw oak acorn in the diet. Findings showed that water-soaking of oak acorn had significant positive effects in reducing negative impacts of raw seed inclusion in diets (P < 0.05), although birds still had significantly deleterious performance criterion compared to the control group. The birds fed raw or water-soaked acorn seed had higher relative weight of pancreas and proventriclus compared to the control. At the end of the experiment (42 d) birds fed with raw and processed oak acorn in diet had lower (P < 0.05) villus height and villus : crypt depth and higher (P < 0.05) crypt depth and goblet cells in duodenum compared to the control diet. In conclusion, using high levels of oak acorn (up to 20%) in broiler diets has severe adverse effects on broiler performance and gut morphology; however, water-soaking treatment of oak acorn seed has a potential to reduce its negative consequences.