Effect of whole-grain rice on pellet quality, geese performance, and economic benefits

This study evaluated the effects of whole-grain rice (WGR) on pellet quality, geese performance, and economic benefits. A total of 360 one-day-old healthy male Jiangnan White goslings with similar body weight (BW) were randomly divided into 2 groups with 6 replicates per group and 30 geese per replicate. Pelleted diets were prepared with WGR for the experimental group and crushed rice (CR) for the control group to create the 2 treatments. Dietary rice (unhusked) inclusions were 20% for 1 to 21 d and 40% for 22 to 70 d. The pellets from d 1 to 21 were crumbled. Prepelleted WGR significantly decreased pellet length, hardness and pellet durability index. WGR pellets had significantly higher fine ratio (<= 2.8 mm) and starch gelatinization than CR pellets. The different treatments did not affect BW on 21, 42, and 70 d of age or average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain, and feed to gain ratio (F/G) from 1 to 70 d. However, compared with the CR diet, the WGR diet increased ADFI and F/G from 1 to 21 d. At 70 d of age, similar slaughter performance, relative viscera weight, and meat quality of geese were observed, except for a significant increase in the spleen ratio in the WGR treatment compared with the CR treatment. From the observation, pelleting with WGR reduced the cost of feed manufacture by decreasing the electricity use of grinding and had no negative effect on feed cost per/kg weight gain of geese. Even with the decreased pellet quality, we recommend replacing CR in geese diets with WGR from 22 to 70 d of age in view of the geese performance, economic benefits, and electricity savings.