Energy values of triticale or sorghum distillers' dried grains with solubles and rye fed to broiler chickens

Digestibility of amino acids in pigs fed distillers dried grains with solubles derived from corn, sorghum, and triticale

An experiment was conducted to determine the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) in distillers dried grains with solubles derived from corn (C-DDGS), sorghum (S-DDGS), and triticale (T-DDGS) fed to growing pigs. A total of 16 barrows [initial body weight (BW) = 23.1 ± 2.03 kg] surgically fitted with T-cannulas at the distal ileum were divided into four groups based on BW and assigned to a quadruplicated 4 × 2 incomplete Latin square design with four dietary treatments and two experimental periods. Three diets containing C-DDGS, S-DDGS, or T-DDGS, as well as a nitrogen-free diet, were fed in each experimental period consisting of 5 d of adaptation and 2 d of ileal digesta collection. Pigs fed S-DDGS had less (P < 0.05) SID of histidine, isoleucine, leucine, and methionine compared with those fed T-DDGS, which were less (P < 0.05) than the values observed for pigs fed C-DDGS. The SID of arginine, phenylalanine, threonine, and valine in C-DDGS were greater (P < 0.05) than in S-DDGS but were not different from those in T-DDGS. The SID of lysine in C-DDGS was greater (P < 0.05) than in S-DDGS and T-DDGS. In conclusion, AA in S-DDGS were less digestible than those in C-DDGS and T-DDGS.

Assessing the statistical training in animal science graduate programs in the United States: survey on statistical training

Statistical analysis of data and understanding of experimental design are critical skills needed by animal science graduate students (ASGS). These skills are even more valuable with the increased development of high-throughput technologies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the perceived statistical training of U.S. ASGS. A survey with 38 questions was shared across U.S. universities, and 416 eligible ASGS from 43 universities participated in this study. The survey included questions on the demographics and overall training, graduate education on statistics, and self-assessment on statistics and career path of ASGS. Several analyses were performed: relationship between perceived received education (PRE; i.e., how ASGS evaluated their graduate education in statistics) and perceived knowledge (PK; i.e., how ASGS evaluated their knowledge in statistics from their education); ranking of statistical topics based on PRE, PK, and confidence in performing statistical analyses (CPSA); cluster analysis of statistical topics for PRE, PK, and CPSA; and factors (demographic, overall training, interest in statistics, and field of study) associated with the overall scores (OS) for PRE, PK, and CPSA. Students had greater (P < 0.05) PRE than PK for most of the statistical topics included in this study. The moderate to high repeatability of answers within statistical topics indicates substantial correlations in ASGS answers between PRE and PK. The cluster analysis resulted in distinct groups of "Traditional" and "Nontraditional" statistical topics. ASGS showed lower (P < 0.05) scores of PRE, PK, and CPSA in "Nontraditional" compared with "Traditional" statistical methods. Several factors were associated (P < 0.05) with the OS of PRE, PK, and CSPA. In general, factors related to greater training and interest in statistics of ASGS were associated with greater OS, such as taking more credits in statistics courses, having additional training in statistics outside the classroom, knowing more than one statistics software, and more. This study provided comprehensive information on the perceived level of education, knowledge, and confidence in statistics in ASGS in the United States. Although objective measurements of their training in statistics are needed, the current study suggests that ASGS have limited statistical training on topics of major importance for the current and future trends of data-driven research in animal sciences.

Energy values of copra meal and cornstarch for broiler chickens

Two studies were conducted with broiler chickens to determine the ileal digestible energy (IDE), ME, and MEn in copra meal (CM) and cornstarch using the regression method. On day 15 and 16 for experiments 1 and 2, respectively, 192 male birds were individually weighed and allotted into 3 dietary treatments with 8 replicate cages and 8 birds per cage in a randomized complete block design with the BW as a blocking factor in each experiment. Dietary treatments consisted of 3 inclusion levels of test ingredients (i.e., 0, 100, or 200 g/kg) in corn-soybean meal-based diets using CM or cornstarch as test ingredients for experiment 1 or 2, respectively. Titanium dioxide was added as an indigestible marker to determine the ileal digestibility and utilization of energy by the index method. Experiments lasted 5 d, and excreta collection was conducted during the last 3 d of each experiment. At the end of experiments, birds were euthanized by CO2 asphyxiation, and ileal digesta samples were collected. Data were analyzed by the ANOVA using the GLM procedure. In experiment 1, the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of DM and gross energy (GE) and IDE in test diets linearly decreased (P < 0.05) with substitution of CM in test diets. In experiment 2, there were quadratic increases (P < 0.01) in the AID of DM and GE and IDE in diets as the concentration of cornstarch in test diets increased. In addition, linear increases (P < 0.05) in the apparent total tract utilization of DM, N, and GE and ME and MEn in test diets were observed. The estimates of IDE, ME, and MEn in CM were 2,493, 3,727, and 3,546 kcal/kg DM, respectively, whereas respective values of cornstarch were estimated at 4,181, 3,992, and 3,946 kcal/kg DM, respectively. In conclusion, inclusion of CM in diets may reduce the digestibility of GE, whereas the digestibility and utilization of GE may increase when adding cornstarch into diets for broiler chickens.