Nutritional value of raw and autoclaved kabuli and desi chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) for growing chickens

1. Two experiments were carried out to determine the effect of inclusion of raw (kabuli and desi) and autoclaved (desi) chickpea seeds in wheat-based starter diets in chickens grown to 28 d of age on the performance, digestiv e organ sizes, nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolisable energy (AME(n)), i leal apparent protein and starch digestibilities (APD and ASD) and intestin al alpha -amylase and trypsin activities. 2. In the first experiment, diets were formulated to contain 0, 150, 300 an d 450 g/kg of raw kabuli chickpea seeds. Increasing the proportion of seed in the diet negatively influenced body weight gain, food intake and food ef ficiency. The relative weights of the pancreas, liver and gizzard and the r elative lengths of duodenum, jejunum, ileum and caeca were increased signif icantly when the chickpea seeds were included in the diets. Correspondingly , APD, ASD, alpha -amylase and trypsin activities and AME(n) were reduced s ignificantly when the chickpea seed was incorporated in the diets. 3. In the 2nd experiment, diets were formulated to contain 75 and 150 g/kg of raw and autoclaved desi chickpea seeds. Weight gain and food intake of t he chicks given desi chickpea diets were significantly reduced compared wit h those fed on the control diet. Increasing the proportion of seed in the d iet negatively influenced body weight gain, food intake and food efficiency . Moreover, a significant increment in the relative weights of liver and pa ncreas, and in the relative lengths of duodenum, ileum and caeca was observ ed when the concentration of chickpea seeds in the diets was increased. Fee ding autoclaved seeds significantly increased the weight gains and the food intakes. However, food efficiency was not modified by the autoclaving. Rel ative weights of gizzard and liver and relative lengths of ileum were decre ased significantly by the inclusion of autoclaved desi chickpea in the diet . 4. We concluded that the inclusion of kabuli (up to 450 g/kg) and desi (up to 150 g/kg) chickpea seeds produced a negative effect on the performance o f the birds, and an increment in the relative weights and lengths of the di gestive organs. In addition, the incorporation of kabuli chickpea produced a reduction of protein and starch digestibilities, alpha -amylase and tryps in activities, and AME(n) of food compared with the birds given the control diet. Autoclaved treatment of desi chickpea improved the performance of th e birds.