Effects of presentation and type of cereals (corn or sorghum) on performance of geese
Résumé
The aim of this trial was to study the effects of cereal (corn or sorghum) and of the presentationof the diet (pelleted diet or a mixture with cereal)on the performance of geese. In total, 480 one-day-oldgeese were divided into 4 groups differing in the dietthey received between 52 and 102 d of age: a pelleteddiet containing 500 g of sorghum/kg (CS group; AMEn11.29 MJ/kg, CP 16.70%); a mixture containing 500g of protein-rich pellets and 500 g of sorghum wholeseeds/kg (MS group; AMEn 11.61 MJ/kg, CP 14.30%);a pelleted diet containing 500 g of corn/kg (group CC;AMEn 11.33 MJ/kg, CP 16.40%); and a mixture containing500 g of protein-rich pellets and 500 g of cornmash/kg (group MC; AMEn 11.48 MJ/kg, CP 14.50%).From 102 to 117 d, 33 birds/sex/group were force-fedwith corn. Between 52 and 102 d of age, individual BWand collective feed intake (40 birds/pen) were measuredweekly. Body traits were measured at 69, 96, and 117d and the volume of the crop was measured at 102 dof age. The cereal had no significant effect on totalfeed intake (15,028 g, NS) or BW (5,811 g, NS) butthe breast development at 102 d was less in birds fedsorghum compared with corn (−4.9%; P < 0.05). Feedintake (+8.4% between 69 and 102 d; P < 0.001), BW(+3.9%; P < 0.001) and gut development (+9.3%; P< 0.001) were higher when the diet was offered as amixture compared with a complete pelleted diet. Thebirds fed the complete pelleted diets had a larger crop(+10.1%; P < 0.05) than others. The cereal and thepresentation of the diet had no effect on the body traitsat the end of the force feeding. The results suggest thatthe use of sorghum whole seeds is interesting for feedinggeese.