Carbohydrates in the diets of newly hatched chicks

This work was conducted to determine the N-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (EMAn) of different carbohydrate sources for broilers from I to 7 days, and to evaluate the utilization of these ingredients in the diet of newly hatched broilers based and on live performance and on the gastrointestinal tract (TGI) development. Total excreta collection method was used in trial one, with 220 male chicks from 4 to 7 days, allocated to batteries in a completely randomized design with five treatments (a reference diet and four diets with inclusion of 20% of the test ingredients) and four replicates of 11 birds. The ingredients evaluated were corn starch (AMI), cassava starch (AMA), glucose (GLI) and sucrose (SAC). In Trial 2, 520 day-old male chicks were allotted to a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replicates of 26 birds. The birds received the treatments (1 - corn and soybean meal diet, 2 - corn and soybean meal diet + AMI, 3 - corn and soybean meal diet + AMA, 4 - corn and soybean meal diet + GL1, 5 - corn and soybean meal diet + SAC) only from 1 to 7 days. From 8 to 21 days, all the birds received a standard diet. The EMAn values of the ingredients determined for broilers in the first week were 3,269; 3,690; 3,427 and 3,524 kcal/kg for AMI, AMA, GLI and SAC, respectively. In general, the results showed that the treatments did not affect the TGI development, but feed intake was improved by the more available carbohydrate sources in the newly hatched chicks diets, contributing to a higher liveweight of the birds.