Corn gluten meal has high feed value, with high effective energy and crude protein content; some corn gluten meal contains up to 60% crude protein. It is rich in amino acids, and among trace elements, it has a high iron content; among vitamins, it has a high carotene content and is rich in pigments. Precautions for using corn gluten meal in laying hen feed:
1. Due to its small particle size, the amount of corn gluten meal used in laying hen feed should generally not exceed 5%, otherwise it will affect the feed intake of laying hens.
2. The amino acid composition of corn gluten meal is unbalanced. It is high in methionine and glutamic acid, but low in lysine, arginine, and tryptophan. When replacing soybean meal and other protein sources in feed, it is necessary to supplement the lacking essential amino acids.
3. The protein in corn gluten meal is mainly zein, which is not easily soluble in water, affecting the digestibility and absorption of laying hens. Solutions include adding appropriate proteases for degradation or microbial fermentation of the corn gluten meal, both of which can improve the digestibility and utilization of its protein without affecting the laying performance of the hens.
4. Corn gluten meal is rich in lutein, with a content as high as 90-180 mg/kg, more than five times that of yellow corn. It can be effectively absorbed by chickens, giving their skin a yellow hue and deepening the color of their egg yolks, thus reducing the need for additional exogenous pigments in feed. However, the pigments in corn gluten meal are easily oxidized and lost. Factors affecting this include temperature, season, storage conditions and time, production methods, and the type of corn used. Therefore, it is important to shorten the storage period and control changes in pigment content during storage.
5. When using corn gluten meal, it is also necessary to monitor its vomitoxin, zearalenone, aflatoxin, and other hygiene indicators to prevent excessive mycotoxins from affecting the health of the chickens.
EN
