The effect of dietary cooked potato flake on performance of broilers and on litter quality

Abstract

1. Broiler chicks, reared on litter, were given diets containing either 40% maize, 40% cooked potato flake, or 20% of each, in crumb form ad libitum from 1 to 21 d and 21 to 63 d in five dietary treatments. 2. Birds receiving the diet with 40% cooked potato flake grew more slowly than birds receiving the other diets during both periods but their food consumption was the same. 3. Including cooked potato flake in diets decreased the dry matter of the litter: with 40% in the diet the litter dry matter was decreased to 26% in 49 d at a stocking rate of 11 birds/m2. 4. If the litter was kept dry, 20% of cooked potato flake was found to be an acceptable inclusion rate for broiler diets.