Milho extrusado na dieta de galinhas poedeiras em fase inicial

Abstract

Corn (Zea mays L.) is one of the main grains used in animal feed; however, its ground form may present low digestibility in diets for young birds due to the complexity of starch. One possible processing method to improve these indices is extrusion. The extrusion process promotes starch gelatinization, increasing nutrient availability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of replacing ground corn with extruded corn (Gelmix®) in the diet of initial-phase laying hens, from 4 to 11 weeks of age, on productive performance and economic viability. The experiment lasted 52 days and involved 36 birds distributed in 12 cages (3 birds per cage), in a completely randomized design with two treatments: ground corn (control) and extruded corn (Gelmix®). Weight gain, feed intake, costs and flock uniformity were evaluated. The results indicated that extruded corn did not impair performance, with similar final weight averages between groups (control: 1.20 kg; Gelmix®: 1.15 kg), although the treated group showed greater uniformity. It was concluded that extruded corn is a technically viable alternative for feeding initial-phase laying hens.