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Effect of Dietary Crude Protein and Energy on Gosling Growth Performance and Carcass Trait

Y. N. Min^*,, S. S. Hou^,1, Y. P. Gao^*, W. Huang and F. Z. Liu^*

^* College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China 712100; and State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China 100094

¹ Corresponding author: houss{at}263.net

The study was undertaken to assess dietary CP and ME concentrations for optimum growth performance and carcass characteristics of goslings. In a 5 x 3 factorial arrangement, 360 one-day-old commercial generation Huoyan goslings were randomly assigned to experimental diets with 10.87, 11.37, 11.87, 12.37, and 12.87 MJ of ME/kg of diet; each contained 15.0, 17.5, and 20.0% CP, respectively, from 0 to 4 wk of age (WOA). Each dietary treatment was replicated 6 times. Body weight and feed consumption were measured, and carcass characteristics were evaluated at 4 WOA. The result showed that birds on a diet with 11.87, 12.37, and 12.87 MJ of ME/kg at 0 to 4 WOA exhibited greater BW gain than those on a diet with 10.87 and 11.37 MJ of ME/kg (P < 0.01), though BW gain was not different among 11.87, 12.37, and 12.87 MJ of ME/kg of diet. Mean BW gain of birds fed 17.5 and 20.0% CP diets was not different (P > 0.05), but they were higher than those on 15.0% dietary CP concentration (P < 0.001). Feed intake was not influenced by dietary ME levels (P > 0.05). Feed intake of birds fed 17.5 and 20.0% CP diets was higher than those of birds on 15.0% CP diets (P < 0.01). Feed conversion ratios of birds fed on 11.87, 12.37, and 12.87 MJ of ME/kg of diet were better than those fed on 10.87 and 11.37 MJ of ME/kg (P < 0.001). Feed conversion ratios of birds fed on 17.5 and 20.0% CP diets were better than those fed on 15.0% CP diets. Moreover, there were no significant interactions between CP and ME on growth performance. There was a direct relationship between dietary ME levels and eviscerated carcass percentage, abdominal fat percentage, and liver relative weight (P < 0.01). Breast and leg meat percentage were influenced by dietary CP concentrations significantly (P < 0.001). Thus, diets with 11.87 MJ of ME/kg and 17.5 to 20.0% CP were used more efficiently from 0 to 4 WOA by Huoyan goslings.

Key Words: growth performance • carcass trait • crude protein • gosling • metabolizable energy