*Ekta Agro Industries Pvt. Ltd., 3/13 B Asafali Road, New Delhi-110 002.
Department of Animal Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 641 004, India
Online published on 29 December, 2011.
Guar (Cyamopsis tetregonoloba L. Taub) meal was treated with Aspergillus niger (AN) and Fusarim sp. (FS) fungi using solid substrate fermentation technique. The toasted, autodaved and fermented meals were fed to 8 days old WLH chicks. The growth rate, feed and protein conversion efficiencies were significantly (P<0.01) higher in chicks fed fermented meal as compared to the toasted and autoclaved meals. Feeding of toasted and autoclaved meals increased the protease activity in the duodenal contents as compared to either control (groundnut meal) or fermented meals in the diet. It was concluded that fermentation of guar meal with fungi has a good potential for making it a useful protein supplement for the chickens.
Fermented guar meal, Feeding value, Chicks
