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The use of alternative foods to replace conventional foods is becoming a source of research for many researchers. The cashew nut meal (CNM) has high energy and protein value, may be a partial substitute for corn and soybean meal for poultry feed. In this context, this research was conducted to evaluate the effect of inclusion of CNM on the utilization of nutrients in the ration for laying hens, as well as the performance and characteristics of the eggs. The study used 180 Dekalb Brown laying hens 27 weeks of age, distributed in a completely randomized design with six treatments and five replicates of six birds. Treatments consisted of a control diet without CNM and others with the inclusion of this food at levels of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25%. Upon regression analysis, a linear increase in nitrogen metabolism, crude energy and apparently metabolizable energy was seen. The dry matter digestibility and metabolizable energy corrected for rations were not affected by the inclusion of the CNM. Feed intake and egg weight were not affected by the inclusion of the CNM; however, egg production, egg mass, feed conversion, and yolk color worsened linearly with inclusion of CNM. Compared to control diet, the inclusion of CNM worsened the egg mass and feed conversion from 15%, and yolk color from 20%. As a result, it is recommended the inclusion of the CNM in the diet of laying hens at a maximum level of 10%.

Feeding management of laying hens has been focused on the direct influence of nutrient intake on weight gain, especially at growing phase. This study evaluates nutrient digestibility, performance, development of the digestive tract, body composition, and bone quality of two strains of laying hens fed with different levels of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) during the growing phase from the 7th to the 12th week of age. A total of 1,296 birds were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement (two strains x three levels of NDF) with four replicates of 54 birds per treatment. Semi-heavy (Hy Line Brown) and light-strain (Lohman LSL) pullets were allotted to dietary treatments consisting of 14.50, 16.50, and 18.50% NDF. An interaction between strains and NDF levels was observed only for feed/gain ratio and light-strain pullets had lower performance with 18.50% NDF. The increasing levels of NDF in the diet reduced the coefficients of digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen and gross energy, and the values of metabolizable energy. Higher levels of NDF in the diet increased the relative weight of liver and intestines and reduced gizzard weight. It was also observed differences between bone quality and composition of the femur and tibia of light and semi-heavy hens. The increase in NDF level in ration for growing phase laying hens above 14.50% decreases the nutrient digestibility and the metabolizable energy of the diet; however, it does not affect the carcass composition, bone quality, feed intake, and weight gain, although it may impair feed conversion of light-strain pullets.

Rice is the second largest cereal crop in the world and the by-products resulting from rice processing for human consumption are potential feedstuffs to compose poultry diets. In this sense, it was evaluated the influence of parboiled rice bran (PRB) in diets for Japanese quails in growing phase on the performance and digestibility, besides of residual effects and characteristics of egg quality in laying phase. A total of 324 Japanese quails with 7 days of age were distributed in a completely randomized design, with 6 treatments and 6 replicates of 9 birds. The treatments consisted of 6 isonutritives diets, being a control diet without PRB and the others containing 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25%. At the end of growing phase the birds were allotted in cages and fed the same diet without PRB at laying phase. At growing phase, the inclusion of PRB up to 5% promoted linear reduction in dry matter and gross energy digestibilities of diet; however a linear increase in metabolizable energy was noted. Feed intake, weight gain and final weight were reduced but not altering feed:gain ratio and body composition. At laying phase, the inclusion of PRB increased the age at first egg production but no influence was verified at age to reach 50% of egg production. No effect was verified at laying percentage, feed intake, weight and egg mass and feed:gain ratio. In economical evaluation, the inclusion of up to 25% of parboiled rice bran provided best economical indexes. The inclusion of PRB Japanese quails diets at growing phase can be recommended in levels up to 25%, without incurring future losses at laying phase. O arroz é a segunda maior cultura cerealífera do mundo e os subprodutos resultantes de seu processamento do arroz para o consumo humano são potenciais ingredientes para compor as rações para aves. Nesse sentido, objetivou-se, neste estudo, avaliar a inclusão de diferentes níveis de farelo integral de arroz parboilizado (FIAP) em rações para codornas japonesas em crescimento quanto à digestibilidade dos nutrientes da dieta, desempenho, maturidade sexual e composição corporal e seus efeitos na fase de postura quanto à produção e características dos ovos. Foram utilizadas 324 codornas japonesas com 7 dias de idade, distribuídas em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com 6 tratamentos e 6 repetições de 9 aves. Os tratamentos consistiram em 6 rações isonutrientes, sendo uma ração controle, sem FIAP e as demais contendo 5, 10, 15, 20 e 25% de FIAP. Ao final da fase de crescimento, as aves foram transferidas para o galpão de produção, sendo alimentadas com uma mesma ração de postura por 63 dias, sem inclusão de FIAP. Na fase de crescimento, a inclusão de FIAP acima de 5% promoveu redução linear na digestibilidade da matéria seca e energia bruta da ração, havendo aumento linear nos valores de energia metabolizável das rações. O consumo de ração, ganho de peso e peso final reduziram sem alterar a conversão alimentar e a composição corporal. Na fase de produção, a adição de FIAP na ração de crescimento aumentou a idade para produção do primeiro ovo, sem influenciar significativamente a idade para atingir 50% de produção. Não houve efeito sobre percentagem de postura, consumo de ração, peso e massa de ovos e conversão alimentar. Em relação à avaliação econômica, o uso de até 25% de FIAP proporcionou melhores índices de custo. A inclusão do farelo de arroz na ração para codornas japonesas em fase de crescimento pode ser recomendada em níveis de até 25%, sem prejuízo para a fase de postura.