ABSTRACT These experiments were performed to determine the chemical composition, coefficients of nutrient and energy metabolizability, amino acid composition, and cytotoxicity of different castor oil meals subjected to different detoxification processes and added to the diet of Japanese quails. In the trial, 180 46-d-old female Japanese quails were distributed according to a completely randomized design into five treatments and with replicates of six bird each. The treatments consisted of following detoxification methods of castor oil meal: Castor oil meal A (CMA) - recovery in alcohol at 80 °C for 20 minutes and drying at 80 °C; castor oil meal B (CMB) and C (CMC) - recovery in alcohol at 80 °C for 6 minutes, neutralization with 5% NaOH, and drying under direct sunlight sun for two days (CMB) or pelleted (CMC); castor oil meal D (CMD) - recovery in alcohol at 110 °C for 15 minutes and drying at 110 °C. Castor oil meal was added replacing 20% of the reference diet. There was slight chemical composition variation (1.21% in crude protein, 6% in dry matter, 2.2% in ether extract and 64 kcal/kg in gross energy) among the castor oil meals submitted to the different treatments. The castor oil meal submitted to treatment C showed the highest amino acid values. In the cytotoxicity test, treatment D presented lower ricin activity. Castor oil meals A, C, and D may be included in Japanese quail diets; however, castor oil meal D is recommended due to the simplicity its industrial process, its low toxicity, and metabolizability coefficients obtained.

An experiment was conducted to determine the chemical composition and apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen balance (AMEn) values of corn, soybean meal (SBM), soybean oil (SO) and sugarcane yeast (SY) (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). A metabolism trial was performed with 120 Dekalb White laying hens at 65 weeks of age, using the method of total excreta collection. Birds were housed in metabolism cages and distributed according to a completely randomized design into five treatments with, six replicates of four birds each. The experimental period consisted of four days of adaptation and four days of excreta collection. The experimental diets included: a reference diet based on corn and SBM and four test diets containing 40% corn, 30% SBM, 10% SO or 30 % SY. The chemical compositions of the tested ingredients, expressed on "as-is" basis were: 86.9, 87.29, 87.32 and 99.5% dry matter; and 3.51, 2.08, 99.31 and 0.03 ether extract for corn, SBM, SO and SY, respectively. Corn, SBM, and SO presented 7.33, 43.61 and 24.64% crude protein, and 0.58, 5.07 and 6.77% ash, respectively; and crude fiber contents of corn and SBM were, respectively, 2.24% and 3.56%. The following AME and AMEn (kcal/kg dry matter) values were obtained: 3,801 and 3,760 kcal/kg for corn, 2,640 and 2,557 kcal/kg for SBM, 8,952 and 8,866 kcal/kg for SO, and 1,023 and 925 kcal/kg for sugarcane yeast, respectively.

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of 20% whole-grain or ground pearl millet (PM) in mash and pelleted diets on the performance, carcass traits, and organ weights of broilers reared until 21 days of age. A randomized block experimental design in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement (diets containing corn and soybean meal, whole-grain PM, or ground PM x mash or pelleted diets), with five replicates per treatment and 10 birds per experimental unit, was applied. Diets were analyzed for mean geometric diameter, geometric standard deviation, pellet hardness, and density. Broiler performance, carcass yield, and organ weights were evaluated. On day 21, one bird with the average weight of each experimental unit was sacrificed for carcass evaluation. It was concluded that both as whole-grain and ground PM can be added to the diet of broilers up to 21 days of age. The dietary inclusion of PM results in higher abdominal fat deposition. Broilers fed the pelleted diets presented lower feed intake, better feed conversion ratio, lower gizzard and heart percentages, and higher carcass weight.