Vol. 9, Special Issue 2 (2024)

This study investigated the effects of dietary metabolizable energy (ME) levels and feed particle size on the efficiency of nutrient utilization in Athulya layer chickens, aiming to optimize poultry diets for enhanced growth performance and economic viability. Utilizing a 3x3 factorial design, the research examined three ME levels (2600, 2400, 2200 kcal/kg) and three particle sizes (3.0, 5.0, 7.0 mm), resulting in nine distinct dietary treatments. Results revealed that increasing ME levels significantly improved the utilization of dry matter and gross energy, indicating the critical role of dietary energy in nutrient absorption efficiency. Although particle size showed less significant effects, finer particles tended to slightly enhance nutrient utilization, suggesting the importance of physical feed properties in digestive processes. This comprehensive study highlighted the intricate relationship between dietary ME levels, feed particle size, and nutrient utilization in layer chickens, providing valuable insights for formulating more effective and sustainable poultry diets.