Effects of feeding dried brewers grains to slow-growing broiler chickens

Slow-growing broiler chickens as the naked neck Label Rouge are strains that require more time to reach the market weight, and may have meat characteristics appreciated by consumers. Two studies were conducted to evaluate the inclusion of dried brewers grains (DBG) in the diet of slow-growing broiler chickens. In the first experiment (metabolism assay), a total of 180 male Label Rouge broiler chickens were assigned to 5 treatments (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 g DBG/kg of diet) with 6 replications per treatment and 6 broiler chickens per cage, in a completely randomized design, in the period from d 14 to 24. The objective was to evaluate the energetic values of increasing DBG inclusion rates. Energetic values increased linearly (P < 0.05) with DBG inclusion. Apparent metabolizable energy (AME) of DBG, AME corrected for N, coefficient of AME (AMC), and AMC corrected for N were 2,593 kcal/kg, 2,301 kcal/kg, 57.29%, and 50.84%, respectively, these values were obtained by the inclusion of 400 g DGB/kg in the regression equation. In the second experiment, the objective was to evaluate inclusion rates of DBG in the diets of slow-growing broiler chickens and the effects on growth performance, blood metabolites, relative organs weight, meat quality, intestinal morphometry, and litter quality. A total of 980 one-day-old male broiler chickens were assigned to 7 treatments (inclusion rates of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 g DBG/kg) with 7 replications (pens) and 20 broiler chickens each, and diets were fed from d 0 to 63. There was a linear reduction (P < 0.01) in weight gain from d 0 to 21, 0 to 42, and 0 to 63, and a linear increase (P < 0.01) in feed conversion ratio as dietary DBG increased. Feed intake of broiler chickens reduced (P < 0.01) from d 0 to 42 with increased DBG inclusion. Inclusion of DBG caused a linear increase (P < 0.01) on serum glucose and total protein (P = 0.04), and a linear reduction (P = 0.03) in alanine amino transferase as dietary DBG increase. Carcass yield was not altered with DBG inclusion rates, however, Pectoralis minor yield (P = 0.04) and the relative weight of gizzard increased at d 21 (P = 0.03), and d 63 (P < 0.01) and pancreas increased at d 21 (P = 0.03), and d 63 (P = 0.05). There was a quadratic effect (P = 0.04) of DBG on villus height, but dietary DBG had no effect on litter quality. The use of DBG in the diet of slow-growing broiler chickens, in inclusion rates up to 120 g DBG/kg, reduced its growth performance.