Determination of corn and soybean meal energetic values with laying hens in production

Abstract

The aim of the present research work, carried out with laying hens in the stage of production, was the determination of both apparent metabolic energy (AME) and the nitrogen corrected apparent metabolic energy (AMEn) of the corn and soybean meals. A total of 84 Isabrown birds aging 24 weaks were alloted in a randomized blocks design, using two basal reference diets containing 19 and 14% of CP, respectively. For the experiment, two samples of corn replaced in 25% the reference diet containing 19% of CP, and three samples of soy bean meal replaced in 15% the reference ration containing 14% of CP. It hás been found significant differences in regard to the energetic values and the metabolic coefficients of the reference diets added with soybean meal. In conclusion, it hás been found that the EMA and EMAn values, expressed as kcal/kg as dry matter, for the three samples of soybean meal were 2,292 and 2,537; 2,248 and 1,963; 3,252 and 2,847, respectively, and for the samples of corn, 3,157 and 3,061 and 3,477, respectively.