Comparative characteristic of gastrointestinal tract development and digestibility of nutrients in young chickens, ducks and geese

The rate of development of digestive tract and its functions in different poultry species, with special attention given to ducks and geese were investigated. These works were being realised simultaneously in the same environmental conditions and with birds at the same age. Significant inter-species differences in the rate of digestive tracts development, in digestibility of amino acids and structural substances as well as in fermentation of NSP polysaccharides and its consequences in energy utilisation indicate that the faster development and reaching of digestive maturity, especially in the case of amino acids, was observed in chickens. In waterfowl the tendency of better both digestibility of structural carbohydrates and energy utilisation from NSP was stated.