Observations on Eating Patterns and Rate of Food Passage of Birds Fed Pelleted and Unpelleted Diets

Abstract

INCREASING the density of diets by pelleting has long been known to result in an increased growth rate and feed efficiency in birds. Experiments have been conducted in our laboratory in an attempt to determine the basis for the growth response. Allred et al. (1957a, b) concluded, that part of the response to pelleting was due to factors other than physical form, because significant growth responses were still obtained after regrinding the pellets. Subsequent studies have shown that even though small significant responses were obtained by feeding ground pellets, a much greater response was obtained by feeding whole pellets. Therefore, the greater portion of the growth response obtained by pelleting feeds apparently is accounted for by increased density. It has been a general observation that birds fed pellets can eat a given quantity of feed in a much shorter time than those fed mash. Burmeister and Card (as quoted by …