Abstract
A technique for fistulating at the different intestinal parts of Pekin ducks for successive collection of digesta was established. The digestibilities and feed passage times of a formula diet, corn, barley, milo and rice were determined in ducks fistulated at the middle portion of ileum, distal end of ileum and distal end of rectum using our new fistulation method.
The digestibilities of crude protein, crude fat and nitrogen-free extract at the distal end of rectum showed only a slight increse compared with these at the middle portion of ileum in all the feeds used, except that the digestibility of crude protein of rice showed remarkable increase and the digestibility of crude fat of barley decreased at the distal end of rectum. However, the digestibility of crude fiber apparently increased from the middle portion to the distal end of ileum. The digestibilities of crude protein, crude fat and nitrogen-free extract related to that of the distal end of rectum were 97-99% on an average of all the feeds used, whereas that of crude fiber at the middle portion of ileum was only 30%. The feed passage times were about 110, 140 and 160 minutes at the each fistulated portions, respectively, in all the feeds used except for the rice which took longer times.
The results of the present study indicate that the digestion of crude protein, crude fat and nitrogen-free extract are almost completed up to the middle portion of ileum, and that the portion between the middle of the ileum and the intestine caudal may play a main role in the digestion of crude fiber.
