Sashka Chobanova1 and Dimo Penkov2
1 Trakia University, Faculty of Agriculture, Section Animal Nutrition, Student Campus, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
2 Agricultural University, Department of Animal Sciences, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Chobanova, S. & Penkov, D. (2024). Apparent and true metabolizable energy and true digestibility of the essential amino acids of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) experimented with adult roosters. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 30(6), 1077–1082
Using adapted for poultry methods for balance experiments, the content of zero nitrogen corrected apparent (AMEn) and true metabolizable energy (TMEn) and the true digestibility of the essential amino acids (TDEAA) of a stocking lot of Bulgarian varieties of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) have been established. The experiments were conducted parallel with intact and randomized full-grown Sussex roosters. In both of the experiments were used 6 tube fed and 6 feed deprived birds (total 2x12).
The following results (in dry matter) have been established: For intact: AMEn – 12418 J/g; TMEn- 13208 J/g DM; average true digestibility of the essential amino acids – 81.93±0.58. Highest digestibility was obtained by arginine 88.35 and lowest – by methionine+cystine – 71.65. For randomized birds the results were: AMEn – 13150 J/g; TMEn- 14101 J/g DM; average TDEAA – 82.86±0.31; highest – 90.05 (arginine) and lowest – 72.03 (methionine+cystine).