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The Weight Gain and Feed Intake of Chicks Fed a Ration Diluted with Cellulose or Kaolin

Departments of Nutrition, Poultry Husbandry and Physics (Statistics), Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

A chick starter diet diluted, by total ration replacement, with zero, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36 and 42% of cellulose and kaolin was fed ad libitum to growing chicks for a three-day ration adustment period followed by a 7-day experimental period. During the latter period, weight gain and feed consumption data were recorded. The 15 diets were each assigned to 4 replicated pens of 14 birds.

The densities of the diets were measured by both a "conventional dry procedure" and by water displacement; the latter proved to be a more satisfactory measure.

The birds receiving the diluted diets attempted to compensate for reduced nutrient concentration by increased feed intake; however, except for the groups receiving diets containing 6% of cellulose and 6 and 12% of kaolin the attempts were unsuccessful. Reduced nutrient intake resulted in decreased weight gains which further limited nutrient intake as this latter variable was largely associated with body weight.

A linear relationship between the concentration of nutrients per unit volume of feed and the weight gains of the chicks suggested that maximum weight gains may be obtained only with diets of high nutrient concentration. Nutrient concentration expressed in terms of nutrients per unit weight did not prove to be as satisfactory a measure as one which took into account ration density.