Corn Grind Size and Broilers Reared Under Two Temperature Conditions

Abstract

Two trials were conducted to determine whether corn ground through a 9.53-mm hammermill screen and fed to broilers would produce the same performance as broilers fed diets containing corn ground through 6.35-mm and 3.18-mm hammermill screens. The broilers reared under a moderate and heat-stress temperature regimen in the two trials received feed in crumble form from 0 to 21 days of age and in pellet form from 21 to 49 days of age. The results of this study show that broilers can utilize corn of 9.53 mm size as efficiently as corn ground with 6.35- or 3.18-mm hammermill screen size. Both moderate and heat-stress temperature conditions during 21 to 49 days of age yielded the same results; consequently, heat-stress has little or no effect.