Effect of Pearling Barley and of Different Supplements to Diets Containing Barley on Chick Growth and Feed Efficiency

Abstract

THE difference in nutritional value of corn and barley for poultry has been recognized for decades. A quantitative measure of this difference was given by Fraps (1946) in terms of productive energy content of the two grains. Based on his results with chicks, barley has only about 70% the feeding value of corn. In the same paper dehulled barley was reported to have about 82% of the productive energy of corn. If one examines the proximate analysis of corn, barley and dehulled barley as presented in Table 1, (Fraps, 1946), it appears that the feeding value of these grains should be more nearly the same. This is especially true for corn and dehulled barley. The nitrogen free extracts of both barley and corn are approximately the same. This comparison suggests that the major difference in feeding value might be due to a difference in availability of the carbohydrate portion, other . . .