The Effects of Medium Chain Fatty Acids in Mash and Crumbled Pellet Diets on Growth Performance of Broilers

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) in mash and crumbled pellet broiler diets. A total of 400 male chicks (Cobb 500; initial BW 0.092 lb) were housed in 4 Petersime batteries and used in an 18-d study. Treatments were randomly assigned to 80 cages within location block resulting in 8 cages per treatment with 5 chicks per cage at placement. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 5 factorial with main effects of feed type (mash and crumbled pellet) and 0.5% MCFA inclusion (no inclusion, control; hexanoic acid, C6; octanoic acid, C8; decanoic acid, C10; and dodecanoic acid, C12). Fat inclusions in the diets were equalized using 0.5% soybean oil in the control diet. Prior to crumbling, diets were conditioned at 185°F for approximately 20 s and pelleted (CPM, model CL-5, Crawfordsville, IN) with a 5/32 × 7/8 in. ring die. Dietary treatments were fed for the full duration of the study. There was no evidence of feed form × MCFA interactions. From d 0 to 18, chicks fed pelleted diets had improved (P \u3c 0.001) body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and final BW compared to those fed mash diets. For the overall treatment period, there was no evidence of a MCFA effect (P \u3e 0.10) on broiler performance. Pelleting and crumbling feed improved growth performance regardless of MCFA inclusion. The MCFA inclusion did not positively influence growth performance of broilers

Effects of Grinding Almond Hulls with a Hammermill on Particle Size and Bulk Density

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of grinding almond hulls with different screens on subsequent particle size and bulk density. Twenty pounds of almond hulls from the California Central Valley were ground with a laboratory-scale 1.5 HP Bliss Hammermill (Model 6K630B) using a 7/16 in., 3/4 in., 1 in., or no screen. Each screen size treatment was ground at three separate time points to provide three replications per treatment. For each replication, two samples were collected and analyzed for particle size geometric mean and standard deviation and bulk density. Geometric mean particle size was greater (P \u3c 0.01) when no screen was used to grind almond hulls compared with 3/4-in. and 1-in. screens; moreover, particle size was decreased (P \u3c 0.01) when ground with a 7/16 in. screen compared to all other treatments. Particle standard deviation did not differ (P = 0.13) between treatments. Bulk density of almond hulls tended to be greater (P = 0.07) when a 7/16-in. screen was used as compared to no screen, a 3/4-in. screen, and a 1-in. screen. Overall, unground almond hulls had a bulk density of 14.1 lb/ft3. Therefore, grinding almond hulls using a 7/16 in., 3/4 in., 1 in., or no screen led to an increase in their bulk density by 140, 115, 114, and 111%, respectively. Particle size was also evaluated using the Penn State Particle Separator. Grinding almond hulls with no screen tended (P \u3c 0.01) to increase proportions of medium (i.e., 0.31 to 0.75 in.) particles and decrease (P ≤ 0.02) proportions of fine (i.e., \u3c 0.16 in.) particles compared to grinding with a 7/16-in. screen. In conclusion, decreasing hammermill screen size reduced particle size from 2217 µm to 1324 µm but did not impact particle size standard deviation. In addition, grinding almond hulls increased bulk density by 111 to 140%. A live-bottom trailer with a load capacity of 2,835 ft3 could transport approximately 20 tons of unprocessed almond hulls. Conversely, the same trailer could transport 25 to 30 tons of ground almond hulls, thus, reducing transportation costs by 20 to 33% per ton, respectively

Estimating the Net Energy Value of Expelled, Extruded Soybean Meal When Fed to Nursery Pigs

Solvent-extracted soybean meal (SSBM) is typically used as the primary protein source in swine diets in the United States. Mechanically extracted or expelled soybean meal (MSBM) typically has increased concentrations of fat and decreased concentrations of essential AA compared to SSBM, but MSBM has been demonstrated to have improved AA digestibility. This study aimed to estimate the NE value of MSBM relative to SSBM and to determine its effects on growth performance of late nursery pigs. A total of 297 pigs (241 × 600, DNA) were weaned (BW 11.2 lb) and placed into 60 pens (2 rooms of 30 pens) with 5 pigs per pen balanced by gender and weaning weight. Pigs were fed a common diet for 21 days. Then, pens of pigs (BW 20.7 lb) were randomly assigned to one of five treatments to provide 12 replications per treatment. Treatments consisted of increasing amounts of MSBM replacing SSBM in the diet (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%). All diets were fed for 28 days and were formulated to 1.30% standardized ileal digestible lysine, and met or exceeded NRC2 recommendations for Lys:AA, Ca, and P. The SSBM has an NRC2 NE value of 946 kcal/lb and the 0% MSBM diet was formulated to 1091 kcal/lb and NE was not balanced between diets. Analyzed values for CP, ether extract, crude fiber, and total Lys for the SSBM were 47.28%, 0.47%, 3.80%, and 3.00%, respectively, while the MSBM contained 47.41%, 6.88%, 5.32%, and 2.99% respectively. The MSBM had increased values for KOH solubility and trypsin inhibitor (83.62 and 7026 TIU/g, respectively) compared to the SSBM (73.05 and 3011 TIU/g, respectively) while urease activity was similar between the two (0.03 vs. 0.02 Δ pH, respectively). Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX (SAS v. 9.4) with pen as the experimental unit and room as the blocking factor. There was no evidence of differences in ADG and ADFI in pigs fed diets with increasing concentrations of MSBM. Pigs fed diets with increasing concentrations of MSBM had improved (linear, P \u3c 0.001) F/G and caloric efficiency on an NE basis. In conclusion, using caloric efficiency to estimate NE of the MSBM relative to SSBM, MSBM was estimated to have a value of 123% of SSBM NE or 1,164 kcal/lb. This increase in NE resulted in improved feed efficiency of nursery pigs

The Effect of Screen Hole Diameter and Hammer Tip Speed on the Subsequent Particle Size of Ground Corn Analyzed With and Without Sieving Agent

Reducing the particle size of grains increases the ratio of surface area to volume which provides digestive enzymes greater access to nutrients, therefore improving utilization of the feed. Hammermills are a very cost-effective method of reducing grains to very fine particle sizes for feeding. A variety of settings can be changed on hammermills to achieve a target particle size. Thus, the objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of screen hole diameter, hammer tip speed, and the inclusion of a sieving agent on the particle size of corn. Treatments were arranged in a 4 × 6 × 2 factorial with screen hole diameter (10/64, 12/64, 16/64, 24/64 in.), hammer tip speed (20,500, 18,450, 16,400, 14,350, 12,300, and 10,250 ft/min), and particle size analytical method (with and without sieving agent). All treatments were ground using a Bliss Hammermill (Model 22115) equipped with a variable frequency drive (VFD) and a 25 HP motor. The screen hole diameter and hammer tip speed were randomized to reduce the effects of grinding and sampling order. There were 3 replicates per treatment. Samples were analyzed for geometric mean diameter (dgw) and standard deviation (Sgw) of the particle size. There was no evidence of a screen hole diameter × hammer tip speed × sieving agent interaction for all variables (P \u3e 0.327). There was a linear screen hole diameter × linear hammer tip speed interaction (P \u3c 0.001) for dgw. When increasing tip speed from 10,250 to 20,500 ft/min, the rate of decrease in dgw was greater as screen hole diameter increased from 10/64 to 24/64. There was a quadratic screen hole diameter × linear hammer tip speed interaction (P \u3c 0.035) for Sgw. When increasing the screen size from 10/64 to 24/64, the rate of increase in Sgw was greater as tip speed increased from 10,250 to 16,400 ft/min and was similar from 16,400 to 20,500 ft/min. There was no evidence of a screen hole diameter × hammer tip speed interaction for percent fines (P \u3e 0.153). There was no evidence of a screen hole diameter × sieving agent or hammer tip speed × sieving agent interaction for dgw or Sgw (P \u3e 0.540). There was a linear screen hole diameter × sieving agent interaction (P \u3c 0.001) for percent fines. When increasing the screen size from 10/64 to 24/64, the rate of decrease in percent of fine particles was greater when sieving agent was used compared to when it wasn’t used. The results of this trial indicate that the particle size range for a specified hammermill screen size can be altered by adjusting the hammer tip speed with a VFD. Additionally, particle size should be determined with the addition of sieving agent during analysis to more accurately characterize the particle size distribution, especially of finer particles that may influence flowability or animal intake

The Effects of Coarse Corn Inclusion in Broiler Diets on Pellet Quality

Previous research has demonstrated the benefits of including large grain particle size in poultry diets on gizzard and gastrointestinal tract development. However, including these larger particles may decrease pellet integrity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of coarse corn inclusion level on pellet quality. A corn soybean meal-based finisher broiler diet with 1.5% mixer added fat was used in this experiment. Treatments were created by replacing 600 μm corn with 1,200 μm coarse rolled corn at 0, 10, 20, or 30% of the diet. Mash treatments were pelleted using a 30-horsepower pellet mill (Model 1012-2 HD, California Pellet Mill) equipped with a 3/16 × 1 ¼ in. die. Pelleting order was randomized within each replicate with 3 replicates per treatment. Target conditioning temperature was 185°F for 30 s retention time at a 34 lb/min production rate. Samples were analyzed for hot pellet temperature (HPT), fine to pellet ratio (%fines) and pellet durability index (PDI) using the standard tumble box (STD) and Holmen NHP100 (NHP) for 60 s. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS. There were no differences among analyzed variables as the inclusion level of coarse corn was increased (P \u3e 0.05). The %fines and PDI remained similar across treatments, regardless of method. In conclusion, increasing the concentration of coarse corn from 0 to 30% did not influence PDI

Decreasing Corn Particle Size Increases Metabolizable Energy When Fed to Gestating Sows

Previous research has demonstrated that reducing the particle size of corn improved metabolizable energy (ME) utilization in many phases of swine production. One phase that has had limited research thus far is the gestating phase for sows. The objectives of this paper were to determine the effects of corn particle size on the digestibility of gross energy (GE), and determine the digestible energy (DE) and ME in gestating sow diets. A total of 27 sows during the second phase of gestation (d 40 to 74) were chosen and fed a common diet with corn ground to 1 of 3 target average particle sizes (geometric mean diameter; dgw) of 400, 800, or 1200 μm. Corn was ground using a 3 high roller mill (RMS model 924). Titanium dioxide (0.25%) was included in the diet as an indigestible marker for index digestibility calculations. Sows were fed experimental diets for 7 d to allow for diet adaptation before a 2-d collection period. At the beginning of the collection period, sows were fitted with a urinary catheter and urine was collected in buckets containing 20 mL of sulfuric acid. Fecal grab samples were also collected from each sow during the collection period. Subsamples were taken, mixed, analyzed for GE, and titanium levels to determine digestibility of gross energy and to calculate DE and ME. The ME of corn was calculated by subtracting the ME of soybean meal (1,494 kcal/lb) and soybean oil (3,889 kcal/lb) from diet ME, utilizing the NRC 2012 values for those ingredients. Apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of GE and calculated DE, ME, and corn ME content increased (linear, P \u3c 0.001) as corn particle size was reduced from 1200 to 400 μm. The ME of the diet (88.5% DM) increased by 81 kcal/lb as the dgw was reduced from 1,200 to 400 μm. The calculated corn ME (88.5% DM) also increased by 103 kcal/lb as the dgw was reduced from 1,200 to 400 μm. Utilizing a linear regression model and the analyzed corn particle size data herein, it was determined that for every 100 μm reduction in corn dgw from 1,372 to 404 μm, the ME value of corn is increased by 10.7 kcal/lb

Decreasing Corn Particle Size Increases Metabolizable Energy When Fed to Gestating Sows

Previous research has demonstrated that reducing the particle size of corn improved metabolizable energy (ME) utilization in many phases of swine production. One phase that has had limited research thus far is the gestating phase for sows. The objectives of this paper were to determine the effects of corn particle size on the digestibility of gross energy (GE), and determine the digestible energy (DE) and ME in gestating sow diets. A total of 27 sows during the second phase of gestation (d 40 to 74) were chosen and fed a common diet with corn ground to 1 of 3 target average particle sizes (geometric mean diameter; dgw) of 400, 800, or 1200 μm. Corn was ground using a 3 high roller mill (RMS model 924). Titanium dioxide (0.25%) was included in the diet as an indigestible marker for index digestibility calculations. Sows were fed experimental diets for 7 d to allow for diet adaptation before a 2-d collection period. At the beginning of the collection period, sows were fitted with a urinary catheter and urine was collected in buckets containing 20 mL of sulfuric acid. Fecal grab samples were also collected from each sow during the collection period. Subsamples were taken, mixed, analyzed for GE, and titanium levels to determine digestibility of gross energy and to calculate DE and ME. The ME of corn was calculated by subtracting the ME of soybean meal (1,494 kcal/lb) and soybean oil (3,889 kcal/lb) from diet ME, utilizing the NRC 2012 values for those ingredients. Apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of GE and calculated DE, ME, and corn ME content increased (linear, P \u3c 0.001) as corn particle size was reduced from 1200 to 400 μm. The ME of the diet (88.5% DM) increased by 81 kcal/lb as the dgw was reduced from 1,200 to 400 μm. The calculated corn ME (88.5% DM) also increased by 103 kcal/lb as the dgw was reduced from 1,200 to 400 μm. Utilizing a linear regression model and the analyzed corn particle size data herein, it was determined that for every 100 μm reduction in corn dgw from 1,372 to 404 μm, the ME value of corn is increased by 10.7 kcal/lb

Effects of Dietary Amino Acid Density and Exogenous Protease Inclusion on Growth Performance and Apparent Ileal Amino Acid Digestibility in Turkeys

Protein is one of the most expensive nutrients in poultry diets. In an effort to minimize feed costs, protein digestion and utilization by the animal must be carried out as effi­ciently as possible. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of dietary amino acid density and exogenous protease inclusion on growth performance and amino acid digestibility in turkey poults. Hybrid turkey poults (n = 780) were fed diets formulated to provide low (LAA) or adequate (AAA) amino acid density (approxi­mately 91 and 100% of the NRC4 recommended requirement for digestible Lys, respec­tively) with each diet being fed with or without an exogenous protease. Poults received experimental diets from d 1 to 42 of age. Growth performance metrics were calculated from pen weights and feed consumption was recorded throughout each experiment, and digestibility data were obtained from analysis of ileal contents. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.4 with pen as the experimental unit and pen location as the blocking factor. For the overall experiment (d 0 to 42), poults fed AAA diets had improved (P \u3c 0.01) ADG, ADFI, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to those fed LAA diets. There was no difference (P \u3e 0.14) in poult performance due to protease inclusion. There was an amino acid density × protease interaction (P = 0.01) for apparent ileal amino acid digestibility (AIAAD) of Trp. There was no difference in AIAAD coefficients of Trp in the LAA diets with or without protease. However, in the AAA diets, poults not receiving protease had greater AIAAD of Trp than those consuming protease. There was no difference (P \u3e 0.09) in AIAAD coefficients of Arg, Met, Cys, Thr, Ile, Leu, Lys, or Val due to dietary amino acid density or protease inclusion. Greater amino acid density improved growth performance in poults up to 42 d of age. No improvement in growth performance was observed when poults were fed an exogenous protease in the starter phase, although protease inclusion increased ADG by 5.3% and ADFI by 4.1% during the grower phase. There was no benefit of increased dietary amino acid density or protease inclusion on AIAAD in poults

Evaluating Hammermill Tip Speed, Air Assist, and Screen Hole Diameter on Ground Corn Characteristics

Whole yellow dent #2 corn was ground using two 43 mm Andritz hammermills (Model: 4330-6, Andritz Feed & Biofuel, Muncy, PA; JBS Live Pork LLC Feed Mill, Fremont, IA). Both mills discharged to a shared plenum where samples were collected via a sample port. Each mill was equipped with 72 hammers and 300 HP motors on a variable frequency drive (VFD). Corn was ground on 3 separate days to create replication and treatments were randomized within replication. Treatments were arranged in a 3 × 3 × 3 factorial design with 3 tip speeds (12,383, 16,323, and 20,263 ft/min); 3 screen hole diameters (6/64, 10/64, and 16/64 in.); and 3 air assist system fan RPM’s (60, 80, and 100% of fan motor load). Samples of each treatment were collected and analyzed for moisture, particle size, and flowability characteristics. Particle size analysis was completed using a 13-sieve stack with the inclusion of sieve agitators and flow agent. Flowability characteristics were evaluated using a composite flow index (CFI), which includes percent compressibility, angle of repose (AoR), and critical orifice diameter (COD). Data were analyzed as a 3 × 3 × 3 factorial using the PROC GLIMMIX procedure of SAS with grinding run as the experimental unit and sample collection day as a blocking factor. There were no 3-way interactions for screen hole diameter × hammer tip speed × air flow for the geometric mean diameter (dgw) or any flowability characteristics of ground corn. There was a 3-way interaction for particle size standard deviation (Sgw), (linear screen hole diameter × linear hammer tip speed × linear air flow, P = 0.029). There was a linear screen hole diameter × linear hammer tip speed interaction (P = 0.001) for dgw. When tip speed increased from 12,383 to 20,263 ft/min, the rate of decrease in dgw was greater as screen hole diameter increased from 6/64 to 16/64 in. An interaction of screen hole diameter and hammer tip speed (linear × linear, P = 0.040) was also observed for the CFI. The CFI results increased with increasing screen hole diameter when corn was ground using a hammer tip speed of 12,383 ft/min but no differences were observed as tip speed increased to 16,323 and 20,263 ft/min. An interaction of screen hole diameter and hammer tip speed (quadratic × quadratic, P = 0.001) was observed for mill motor load. Mill motor load decreased as screen hole diameter increased from 6/64 in. to 16/64 in., but increased as hammer tip speed was increased with the most significant reductions being observed as tip speed increased from 12,383 ft/min to 16,323 ft/min on the 6/64 in. screen. In conclusion, hammer tip speed and air flow rate are viable options for adjusting ground material characteristics when grinding using a hammermill, alongside the traditional screen variations. Along with the range of particle sizes capable of being produced, an increased level of accuracy can also be achieved with hammer tip speed and air flow adjustments with minimal down time necessary for screen changes

Quantification of Semi-Truck Cab Decontamination

Evidence suggests that the inside of vehicle cabs used for feed delivery may serve as a potential source for disease, yet there are no standardized protocols or scientific evidence for methods of their disinfection. Therefore, the objective of this project was to evaluate commercially available disinfectants and disinfection application methods against PEDV and PRRSV on various surfaces within semi-truck cabs. Three different surface types common in vehicle cabs (fabric, plastic, and rubber) were cut into 4 × 4 inch coupons and inoculated with either PEDV or PRRSV. Once inoculated, surfaces were placed in one of 3 semi-truck cabs and the disinfectant treatment was applied. Disinfectant treatments were as follows: 1) no-disinfectant, 2) hurricane fumigation with 1:256 dilution of Synergize, 3) hurricane fumigation with 1:64 dilution of Intervention, 4) pump sprayer with 1:256 dilution of Synergize, 5) pump sprayer with 1:64 dilution of Intervention, 6) pump sprayer with 10% bleach, 7) no chemical with 10 hr downtime, and 8) gaseous fumigation over a 10 hr period with water-based chlorine dioxide. Once a disinfectant treatment was applied, the coupons were environmentally swabbed and submitted for qPCR duplex analysis for PEDV and PRRSV. There was a significant disinfectant × surface interaction (P \u3c 0.0001) indicating that the disinfectant treatment efficacy differed based on surface. Within rubber surfaces, 10% bleach had a greater Ct value compared to all other treatments (P \u3c 0.05), with the exception of Intervention with hurricane fumigation application, which was intermediate. In both fabric and plastic surfaces, there was no evidence (P \u3e 0.05) of a difference in Ct value between any of the treatments. Additionally, for the no-disinfectant treatment, the Ct value was greater on fabric surfaces compared to plastic and rubber (P \u3c 0.05); fabric was greater than plastic in the Intervention with pump sprayer application treatment (P \u3c 0.05), fabric and rubber greater than plastic in the 10% bleach treatment (P \u3c 0.05); and fabric greater than plastic and rubber in the 10 hr downtime and gaseous fumigation treatments (P \u3c 0.05). There was a significant main effect of disinfectant treatment (P = 0.016), where 10% bleach had a greater Ct value compared to both the control treatment, 10 hr downtime treatment, and Intervention applied using the pump sprayer (P \u3c 0.05). There was a main effect of surface (P \u3c 0.0001) where rubber had a greater Ct value compared to plastic (P \u3c 0.05), and fabric had a greater Ct value compared to both rubber and plastic (P \u3c 0.05). Finally, the Ct value for PRRSV was greater than PEDV (P \u3c 0.0001) when averaged across all surfaces and disinfectant treatments. In summary, these data highlight that it is important to consider the surface of interest when implementing disinfectant protocols. In general, most disinfectant applications were only able to reduce the quantity of detectable virus, but not completely eliminate it from surface. However, additional research is necessary to understand the viability of residual virus on disinfected surfaces