Comparison of broiler performance when fed diets containing corn grain with insect-protected (corn rootworm and European corn borer) and herbicide-tolerant (glyphosate) traits, control corn, or commercial reference corn

Abstract

A 42-d feeding experiment with growing Ross x Ross 508 broilers showed that the nutritional value of insect-protected and herbicide-tolerant corn was comparable to that of the genetically similar control and 5 commercial reference corn hybrids. MON 88017 provides protection from feeding damage by coleopteran pest corn rootworm and is tolerant to the action of glyphosate, the active ingredient in the Roundup family of agricultural herbicides. MON 88017 x MON 810 was developed by the traditional breeding of MON 88017 with MON 810, which provides protection from the European corn borer and other lepidopteran pests. A randomized complete block design was used with 8 dietary treatments in each of 5 replicated blocks of pens. No differences among diets were observed (P > 0.05) in performance (final live weights, feed intake, feed conversion, and adjusted feed conversion), carcass yield (chill, fat pad, breast, thigh, wing, and drum weight), or percentage of moisture, protein, and fat in breast meat and moisture and fat in thigh meat. Thigh protein was similar (P > 0.05) in broilers fed diets containing MON 88017 x MON 810 and conventional control or all commercial reference corns; however, differences (P < 0.05) were noted for the percentage of thigh protein among broilers fed the control and 2 of the 5 reference diets, attributable to biological variability among the conventional corn hybrids. Broilers overall performed consistently and had similar carcass yield and meat composition when fed diets containing MON 88017 or MON 88017 x MON 810 as compared with those fed the conventional control and commercial diets, supporting a conclusion of nutritional equivalence.

Growth performance and quality characteristics of flaxseed-fed broiler chicks

“…Meat sample analysis showed a lower protein and higher fat content in the thigh meat samples as compared to breast meat (Table 3), as also reported by Taylor et al (2005), in broilers fed on corn-soy diet. However, different levels of flaxseed in the diet did not affect the protein, fat and ash content of breast and thigh meat samples.…”

Comparison of Broiler Performance When Fed Diets Containing Event DP-3Ø5423-1, Nontransgenic Near-Isoline Control, or Commercial Reference Soybean Meal, Hulls, and Oil

“…The broiler chicken model has been used in nutritional equivalency evaluations with whole grains and processed fractions from GM plants because of their rapid growth and reported sensitivity to nutritional deficiencies. Many broiler chicken feeding trials conducted with crops from insect-resistant, herbicide-tolerant, or stacked trait grains reported no differences in nutritional performance and carcass variables between broilers consuming diets formulated with grains or processed fractions from transgenic crops and those consuming diets with nontransgenic grains or processed fractions (Brake and Vlachos, 1998;Brake et al, 2003Brake et al, , 2005Taylor et al, 2003aTaylor et al, ,b,c, 2004Taylor et al, , 2005Taylor et al, , 2007McNaughton et al, 2007a,b).…”

Environmental Impact of Genetically Modified Crops

“…Production studies with monogastric livestock POULTRY Numerous feeding studies with day-old broiler chicks and laying hens have now been reported (Brake and Vlachos, 1998;Gaines et al, 2001a;Stanisiewski et al, 2002;Taylor et al, 2002Taylor et al, , 2003Taylor et al, , 2004Taylor et al, , 2005Brake et al, 2003;Elangovan et al, 2003;Kan and Hartnell, 2004a,b). The diets were all formulated to contain a high proportion of the test material which included GM varieties of Bt and Ht maize, soybean, canola and wheat, and appropriate counterparts.…”