The influence of cecectomy on metabolizable energy and amino acid digestibility of select feedstuffs for White Pekin ducks

Twenty-four cecectomized and 24 intact White Pekin ducks were used in two e xperiments to assess the influence of cecectomy on ME and amino acid digest ibility of several feed ingredients for ducks. Corn and soybean meal (SBM) were evaluated in Experiment 1, and bakery meal (BM), red dog (RD), and whe at middlings (WM) were evaluated in Experiment 2. Nitrogen-corrected true m etabolizable energy and amino acid digestibility of the ingredients were as sayed concurrently. In Experiment 1, TME of corn was higher (P less than or equal to 0.05) in cecectomized ducks, and intact ducks demonstrated greate r (P less than or equal to 0.05) ability to utilize the energy in SBM. Inta ct ducks exhibited higher (P less than or equal to 0.05) true digestibiliti es of lysine and methionine. True digestibility of tryptophan was higher (P less than or equal to 0.05) for cecectomized ducks. True digestibility of indispensable amino acids in SBM did not differ (P greater than or equal to 0.05) between cecectomized and intact ducks. In Experiment 2, cecectomized ducks exhibited greater (P less than or equal to 0.05) ability to utilize the energy in RD. Intact ducks exhibited greater (P less than or equal to 0 .05) ability to utilize the energy in WM. True digestibility of indispensab le amino acids in BM, RD, and WM was variable. Results of the present study suggest that the effect of cecectomy on nutrient digestibility in ducks is dependent on the feedstuff assayed.