Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Dried Distillers Grain with Solubles (DDGS) and Yucca (Yucca schidigera) on Broiler Performance, Carcass Traits, Intestinal Viscosity and Marketing

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary supplementation of dried distillers’ grain with soluble (DDGS) and yucca (Yucca schidigera) on broiler performance, intestinal viscosity, carcass traits, and marketing. A total of 360, 21-d-old male broiler chickens were divided into 4 groups as 1: Control (C, corn based diet, without DDGS and yucca (Y) supplementation), 2: DDGS (30%), 3: C + Y (120 mg/kg Yucca) and 4: DDGS (30%) + Y (120 mg/kg) with 6 replicates (15 chicks x 6 replicates). The study was performed between 21 to 42 days of age. As a result, there were no significant differences among the groups in terms of body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio and mortality rate (P>0.05). The carcass traits and effects of different marketing type (whole sale or cutting parts) on profit were compared. A slight decrease was determined in group 4 in terms of leg quarter ratio to cold carcass weight and carcass yield. Intestinal viscosity, bacterial counts and pH values (in duodenum and ileum) were not different among the groups (P>0.05). The lowest production cost was determined in DDGS and DDGS+Y groups (P<0.05). Consequently, the supplementation of DDGS and yucca did not improve the performance and carcass traits and the use of 30% DDGS in broiler diets provided significant reduction in production cost and the marketing of broilers as cuts much profitable than wholesale.