Four assays were carried out to determine the apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and the corrected apparent nitrogen metabolizable energy (AMEn) of ten feeds for poultry at different poultry ages. The feeds studied were: corn grain, soybean meal, ground sorghum, wheat bran, integral rice bran, two kinds of feather meal, two kinds of poultry viscera meal and spray-dried plasma. The method of total excreta collection was used to determine the AME and AMEn values. The broiler chicks were distributed on a completely randomized experimental design, with 11 treatments, six replications, with different number of animals by replication according to the assay. In the first assay, 528 male broiler chicks in the period from 10 to 17 days of age were used, with eight animals per replication. In the second assay, 396 male broiler chicks in the period from 26 to 33 days of age were used, with six animals per replication. In the third assay, 264 male broiler chicks in the period from 40 to 47 days of age were used, with four animals per replication. In the fourth assay, 132 roosters were used, with two animals per replicate. There was an effect of age on the AME and AMEn values of the following feeds: soybean meal, ground sorghum, integral rice bran, two kinds of feather meal and spray-dried plasma, where the oldest broilers provided the highest AME and AMEn values. Wheat bran was affected by age only for the AMEn values.
apparent metabolizable energy; broilers; chemical composition
