APPARENT AND TRUE METABOLIZABLE ENERGY VALUES OF FEEDSTUFFS FOR DUCKS

Two experiments were conducted, each with 24 White Pekin ducks, to det ermine the AME and TME content of five feedstuffs for ducks. In each e xperiment, fasting losses were obtained from six ducks and six ducks w ere used for each feedstuff. Each experiment lasted 102 h with an init ial 48-h period and a 54-h excreta collection period. During the first 48-h period, all birds were tube-fed dextrose (30 g/100 mt of water) at 8 and 32 h after feed was withdrawn. Thirty grams of each feedstuff were tube-fed (30 g/100 mt of water) at 48 and 54 h after feed was wi thdrawn. The birds from which fasting losses were obtained were intuba ted with 30 g dextrose (30 g/100 mL of water) at 48 and 54 h after fee d was withdrawn. Excreta were collected during the last 54 h into bags screwed onto Lids sutured around the vent of each bird. In the first experiment, the feedstuffs evaluated were corn, dehulled oats, and whe at. The fasting energy and nitrogen losses per bird in the 54-h collec tion period were 12.1 kcal and 0.29 g, respectively. The AME(n) values for the birds fed corn, dehulled oats, and wheat were 3.10, 3.48, and 3.14 kcal/g, respectively. The TMEn values for the respective feedstu ffs were 3.27, 3.64, and 3.30 kcal/g. In the second experiment, the fe edstuffs evaluated were corn, parboiled rice, and rye. The fasting ene rgy and nitrogen losses per bird in the 54-h collection period were 18 .9 kcal and 1.09 g, respectively. The AME(n) values for the birds fed corn, parboiled rice, and rye were 3.24, 3.45, and 2.69 kcal/g, respec tively. The TMEn values for the respective feedstuffs were 3.40, 3.61, and 2.85 kcal/g. The data provide new information on AME(n) and TMEn values of corn, wheat, parboiled rice, dehulled oats, and rye for duck s.