The Botanical and Chemical Composition and Nutritive Value of Wheat Feed Screenings

Abstract The botanical, chemical, and amino acid content of wheat feed screenings was determined. The botanical composition showed that wheat screenings contained broken or shrunken particles of wheat, wild buckwheat, wild oats, rapeseed, and a variety of weed seeds. The average protein content of the screenings (13.9%) was higher than that of wheat (12.2%). The amino acid content of five samples of wheat screenings were remarkably uniform. The ash content (2.2%) of wheat screenings was nearly double that of wheat (1.2%). The fiber of wheat screenings varied from 2.56 to 4.18%, but, generally, as the fiber level increased, so did the fat content. In the first experiment, wheat screenings replaced wheat in broiler rations on a weight for weight basis. Experiment 2 was similar to Experiment 1 except that all rations were adjusted to contain the same amount of fat. Experiment 3 compared wheat to wheat screeenings in two types of rations, experimental and two commercially designed rations, in which the grain portion of the ration was substituted with wheat screenings. The results of the three experiments indicate that wheat feed screenings may substitute for wheat in balanced broiler rations without affecting chick growth or feed utilization.