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Three classes of treatments were used for improving the nutritive value
of barley for broilers, including: physical, chemical and biological methods.
In physical treatment, adequate barley was soaked in water in ratios of 1:1
by weight for eight hours and then air dried before feeding to broilers. The
soaked barley replaced 100 percent and 30 percent of untreated barley in
controlled barley diet. In chemical treatments different chemicals including
commercial enzyme effective on barley, cupric sulfate pentahydrate, sodium
bicarbonate, magnesium sulfate and oxytetracycline antibiotic were
supplemented to controlled barley diet. In biological treatment, sheep
ruminal microflora in liquor form was directly fed to chicks . It was found
that physical and biological treatments didn’t have a significant effect on
broilers. Supplementation of antibiotic, cupric sulfate and enzyme were the
most effective treatments for upgrading the nutritive value of barley for
chicks. They caused significant improvement in broiler performance
compaired to barley control diet. Supplementation of antibiotic, cupric
sulfate and enzyme improved nutritive value of barley.