Effects of particle size and pelleting on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and stomach morphology in finishing XXXX .

@entity1707 @entity75 @entity4336 @entity1460 @entity3918
The effects of particle size and pelleting on growth performance, carcass characteristics, nutrient digestibility, and stomach morphology were determined using 160 finishing @entity1707 . The @entity1707 were fed a @entity4336 - @entity1460 meal-based diet with the @entity4336 milled to particle sizes of 1,000, 800, 600, or 400 microns. The diets were fed in meal or pellet form. Pelleting the diets resulted in 5% greater ADG (P < .01) and 7% greater grain/feed (P < .001). Also, pelleting increased digestibilities of @entity3918 , N, and GE by 5 to 8% (P < .001). Reducing particle size increased electrical energy required for milling and decreased milling production rates, especially as particle size was decreased from 600 to 400 microns. Reducing particle size of the @entity4336 from 1,000 to 400 microns increased gain/feed by 8% (linear effect, P < .001) and digestibility of GE by 7% (quadratic effect, P < .03). Improved nutrient digestibility and lower ADFI resulted in 26% less daily excretion of @entity3918 and 27% less daily excretion of N in the feces as particle size was reduced from 1,000 to 400 microns (linear effects, P < .001). @entity75 and keratinization increased with reduced particle size (P < .003) and keratinization increased with pelleting (P < .02), although they were unrelated to growth performance (i.e., gain/feed actually improved as lesion scores increased). Considering milling energy, growth performance, stomach morphology, nutrient digestibility, and nutrient excretion, a particle size of 600 microns, or slightly less, is an acceptable compromise for @entity4336 in both meal and pelleted diets for finishing @entity1707 .
