An Ileal Amino Acid Digestibility Assay for the Growing Meat Chicken-Effect of Feeding Method and Digesta Collection Procedures

The objective was to evaluate method of feeding (free access or intubation), method of slaughter (carbon dioxide gas or barbiturate) and digesta flushing medium (distilled water or physiological saline), in the development of an ileal amino acid digestibility assay for 4 week-old broiler chickens. Three diets were used (commercial (C), semi-synthetic meat-and-bone meal (MBM) or wheat (W)). For the coarser C and W diets but not for the MBM diet, feeding method had a significant effect on concentrations of chromium (Cr), nitrogen (N), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) in the crop contents at a set time after a meal. There appeared to be a selection of food particles under free-access feeding. For birds receiving the wheat diet there was an effect (p < 0.05) of sampling time after feeding on the concentrations of Cr, N, ADF and NDF/Cr in the crop contents. Flushing ileal digesta with distilled water or saline led to similar apparent ileal N digestibility coefficients. Birds given the MBM diet, and killed by inhalation of CO₂, had significantly (p < 0.05) lower apparent ileal N digestibility coefficients (73 versus 80%) than those killed by barbiturate overdose.