Table 1.
The composition of the six experimental starter test diets and their calculated nutrients composition (starter period from day 1 to day 21).
| Ingredients in g kg−1 | Test Diets | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | T2 | T3 | T4 | T5 | T6 | |
| Maize | 594.0 | 594.0 | 537.0 | 466.0 | 537.0 | 466.0 |
| Soybean meal | 320.0 | 320.0 | 307.0 | 312.0 | 307.0 | 312.0 |
| Sodium chloride | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| Limestone | 11.0 | 11.0 | 10.5 | 11.0 | 10.5 | 11.0 |
| Dicalcium phosphate | 15.6 | 15.6 | 12.2 | 12.0 | 12.2 | 12.0 |
| Vit. + Min. Premix * | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 |
| DL-Methionine | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Lysine | - | - | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Corn oil | 20.0 | 20.0 | 33.5 | 50.2 | 33.5 | 50.2 |
| Fish meal | 23.0 | 23.0 | 32.0 | 31.0 | 32.0 | 31.0 |
| Oxytetracycline | - | 0.5 | - | - | - | - |
| Non-degraded date pits | - | - | 50.0 | 100.0 | - | - |
| Degraded date pits | - | - | - | - | 50.0 | 100.0 |
| Calculated Nutrients Composition | ||||||
| Protein (g) | 220.0 | 220.0 | 219.2 | 216.2 | 216.1 | 216.1 |
| Metabolizable energy, MJ/kg diet | 12.55 | 12.55 | 12.34 | 12.34 | 12.34 | 12.34 |
| Methionine (g) | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 |
| Methionine + cysteine (g) | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.6 |
| Lysine (g) | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 12.2 |
| Calcium (g) | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 |
| Available phosphorus (g) | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.6 |
Test diets, T1: control, maize–soy diet; T2: maize–soy diet + antibiotic (oxytetracycline 20%, 50 g 100 kg−1); T3: maize–soy diet with 5% non-degraded date pits; T4: maize–soy diet with 10% non-degraded date pits; T5: maize–soy diet with 5% degraded date pits; and T6: maize–soy diet with 10% degraded date pits. * The following was provided per kilogram of diet: vitamin A, 8820 IU; vitamin D3, 2822 IU; vitamin E, 26 IU; menadione dimethyl pyrimidinol bisulfite, 2.0 mg; thiamine, 5.94 mg; riboflavin, 6.2 mg; pantothenic acid, 15 mg; niacin, 44 mg; pyridoxine, 4.5 mg; biotin, 0.23 mg; choline, 1.45 mg; folacin, 0.88 mg; vitamin B12, 0.14 mg; ethoxyquin, 125 mg; selenium, 0.24 mg; copper, 8 mg; iodine, 1.5 mg; iron, 120 mg; manganese, 83 mg; zinc, 60 mg; and cobalt, 5 mg.