Effects of Environmental Temperature and Corn Particle Size on Response of Broilers to Pelleted Feed

Abstract

Corn was ground by hammer mill with either 4.76 or 6.35-mm screen openings and used to formulate starter diets that were fed to broilers for 21 days in crumble form (rolled pellets) and grower diets in either crumble or pellet form that were fed from 21 to 42 or 45 days in two environmental temperatures, 21 and 27 C. The size of ground corn used in the starter diets had no effect on body weights or feed conversions at either 21 days or at market age. Feeding grower diets in pellet form increased weights at market age by 6.5% in the 21 C environment but only 1.8% in the 27 C temperature. Pellets, when compared with crumbles, significantly improved feed conversion in the cooler environment, but the difference was not significant in the warm environment. There was a trend toward better performance for chicks fed the coarser ground corn when crumbles were used, but this pattern was reversed for the pellet-fed birds. Chick performance differences due to size of grind were minor. Increasing the hammer mill screen opening from 4.76 to 6.35 mm increased mill capacity by 27%. Pellet quality was not affected by corn particle size.