Feed form is well recognized to improve broiler performance, specially by increasing feed intake (FI). However, when different diet energy levels are used, the results differ in the literature. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of feed form and dietary metabolizable energy (ME) levels on broiler performance, carcass yield and on the digestibility of DM, CP, starch and gross energy. In total, 1152 male Cobb 500 broilers were evaluated between 35 and 47 days. The birds were distributed according to a completely randomized design in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement, consisting of two feed forms (mash or pellet) and four ME levels (12.73, 13.06, 13.40 or 13.73 MJ/kg), totaling eight treatments with eight replicates of 18 birds. Broilers fed the lowest ME level presented the lowest weight gain (WG) and worst feed per unit gain (P < 0.01). Metabolizable energy intake increased (P < 0.01) with progressive increments of ME, which, however, did not affect caloric conversion (CC, P > 0.05). Pelleted diets promoted higher FI, WG, ME intake (P < 0.01) and better feed per unit gain and CC (P < 0.05) compared with mash. In mash diets, increasing dietary ME levels promoted a linear increase in WG (P < 0.01) and reduced feed per unit gain (P ≤ 0.05), but did not affect FI (P > 0.05). In pelleted diets, on the other hand, increasing ME levels linearly reduced FI (P < 0.05) and feed per unit gain (P < 0.01). Broilers fed pelleted diets presented higher abdominal fat deposition than those fed mash (P < 0.05). Increasing ME levels reduced the coefficients of ileal apparent digestibility of DM (P < 0.01) and total starch (P < 0.05) but did not affect the digestibility of other evaluated nutrients. The digestibility of all nutrients was lower when pelleted diets were fed compared with mash. Increasing inert material inclusion in the diets at the expense of soybean oil to reduce dietary ME levels promoted higher pellet durability index values (P < 0.05) and the percentage of fines (P < 0.01). Overall, the results suggest that pelleted diets promote better broiler performance because they increase FI, since the digestibility of dietary fractions is reduced. Chickens consuming low-energy pelleted diets may increase FI to compensate for energy deficit. In contrast, broilers fed mash diets may have reached their maximum intake capacity and did not regulate FI by changing feed energy density. When feeding pelleted diets, dietary energy reduction should be considered to reduce feed costs and to improve the carcass quality of broilers.

Toasting time (TT) of rapeseed meal (RSM), the diet processing (DP) method and the interaction between both on the apparent CP digestion along the gastrointestinal tract and the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of amino acids of growing pigs were investigated. The experiment consisted of a 3×3 factorial design of TT of RSM (0, 60 and 120 min) and DP method (mash, pelleting and extrusion). In total, 81 boars with a starting BW of 20 kg were euthanized 4 h after their last feeding. The gastrointestinal tract was dissected and the small intestine divided in three sections of similar length. Samples were collected from the stomach, 1.5 m from the ends of each of the three sections of the small intestine, and the rectum. The apparent digestibility (AD) of CP for each of the small intestine sections was used to calculate the rate of CP digestion. Increasing the TT of RSM resulted in lower protein solubility, lower lysine/reactive lysine contents and higher protein denaturation, indicative of the occurrence of protein aggregation and Maillard reactions. There were significant effects (P⩽0.01) of TT on the AD of CP in the different sections of the gastrointestinal tract. The rate of CP digestion of the 0 min toasted RSM diets was 23% and 35% higher than that of the 60 and 120 min toasted RSM diets, respectively. There was a significant interaction (P=0.04) between TT and DP for the AID of CP. Although pelleting of the 0 and 60 min toasted RSM diets did not change the AID of CP with respect to the mash diets, pelleting of the 120 min toasted RSM diet increased the AID of CP by 9.3% units. Extrusion increased the AID of CP of the 0 and 60 min toasted RSM diets by 3.4% and 4.3% units with respect to the mash diets, whereas extrusion of the 120 min toasted RSM diet increased the AID of CP by 6.9% units. Similar positive effects of pelleting and extrusion were obtained for the AID of lysine and reactive lysine, especially in the diets with higher TT. In conclusion, processing (pelleting and extrusion) of RSM containing diets can ameliorate the negative effects of RSM toasting on protein and amino acid digestibility; these effects were larger for the RSM toasted for longer times.

The importance of feed particle size, as a tool to optimise the utilisation of feed and improve production efficiency in broilers, has attracted increased attention in recent years. Particle size reduction is widely believed to enhance the access of digestive enzymes to substrates because of the increased surface area of feed particles. Fine particles can negatively affect the development of fore-gut (proventriculus and gizzard), which plays an important role in intestinal health and nutrient utilisation. A well-developed fore-gut can be achieved by feeding coarse particles which is associated with improvements in gut motility and health. However, the results of studies considering the effect of feed particle size on upper gastrointestinal tract development have been inconclusive, because of the confounding effects of feed form (mash vs. pellets). Feed particle size influences the development of gastrointestinal tract and bird performance to a greater extent when the broilers are fed mash than pelleted diets. Particle size-reducing properties of the pelleting process may result in suboptimal gizzard development and changes in the intestinal morphology and microbiota profile.

Seed enhancements may be defined as post-harvest treatments that improve germination or seedling growth, or facilitate the delivery of seeds and other materials required at the time of sowing. This definition includes three general areas of enhancements: pre-sowing hydration treatments (priming), coating technologies and seed conditioning. Pre-sowing hydration treatments include non-controlled water uptake systems (methods in which water is freely available and not restricted by the environment) and controlled systems (methods that regulate seed moisture content preventing the completion of germination). Three techniques are used for controlled water uptake: priming with solutions or with solid particulate systems or by controlled hydration with water. These priming techniques will be discussed in this paper with reference to methodology, protocol optimization, drying and storage. Coating technologies include pelleting and film coating, and coatings may serve as delivery systems. Seed conditioning equipment upgrades seed quality by physical criteria. Integration of these methods can be performed, and a system is described to upgrade seed quality in Brassica that combines hydration, coating and conditioning. Upgrading is achieved by detecting sinapine leakage from nonviable seeds in a coating material surrounding the seeds. Seed-coat permeability directly influences leakage rate, and seeds of many species have a semipermeable layer. The semipermeable layer restricts solute diffusion through the seed coat, while water movement is not impeded. Opportunities for future seed enhancement research and development are highlighted.

The nutritional value of different categories of peas was measured in mash or pelleted diets using adult cockerels. Twenty-five round and white-flowered peas (feed peas), 12 round and coloured-flowered peas and five wrinkled and white-flowered peas were used in mash diets. From the same batches, 11 feed peas, five coloured peas and four wrinkled peas were tested in pelleted diets.

Mean apparent metabolizable energy (AME) values were 12·02, 11·35 and 10·50 MJ/kg dry matter (DM) for feed peas, coloured peas and wrinkled peas respectively in mash diets and 13·18, 12·72 and 11·63 MJ/kg DM for the same categories in pelleted diets.

Mean starch digestibility was 0·905, 0·887 and 0·802 for feed peas, coloured peas and wrinkled peas respectively in mash diets and 0·985, 0·984 and 0·840 for these categories in pelleted diets.

Mean protein digestibility was 0·788, 0·643 and 0·798 for feed peas, coloured peas and wrinkled peas respectively in mash diets and corresponding values for peas in pelleted diets were 0·855, 0·743 and 0·853.

Pelleting thus had a positive effect on the nutritional value of peas and this improvement was all the more important because the AME and protein digestibility of the pea in mash diets was low.

The nutritional value of feed peas for cockerels was not strongly correlated with chemical composition or to digestibility data obtained in the pig.

A grower diet containing barley, wheat and soya-bean meal was expanded at 110°C and subsequently pelleted at 80°C. This processing was evaluated in laboratory tests as well as in digestibility experiments involving 12 barrows with an average initial live weight of 40 kg. The unprocessed control diet was offered as a meal. Each diet was offered ad libitum to six pigs during a 5-week period. The 1st week was an adaptation period and measurements were not carried out. Each pig was used in two 5-day digestibility trials which were performed in weeks 2 and 4. Neither food intake, weight gain nor food: gain ratio during the whole 4-week experimental period, nor apparent faecal digestibility and apparent retention of protein were significantly affected (P > 0·05) by expanding and pelleting the diet. Processing caused an increase in the in vitro protein solubility (P < 0·05) and reduced the dietary contents of free lysine and methionine (P < 0·05) while the contents of available lysine and free threonine and tryptophan were not significantly changed (P > 0·05). Apparent faecal digestibility of crude fibre increased substantially (P < 0·05) when the diet was processed, resulting in significantly lower production of faecal mass (P < 0·05) as well as lowerfaecal moisture content (P < 0·05). These phenomena were parallelled by a smaller water consumption (P < 0·05). Apparent digestibility and retention of phosphorus and calcium were diminished (P < 0·05) when the diet was expanded and pelleted.