The values of chemical composition and metabolizable energy of 45 hybrid corns were determined in four trials with growing chickens. A total of 1,225, nineteen days old male chicks were used: 350 in the trials 1, 2 and 3 and 175 in trial 4. In the trials 1, 2 and 3 the treatments consisted of 13 test diets, being 13 corn varieties, and the reference diet in each trial. Trial 4 consisted of 7 treatments, being 6 test diets (corn varieties) and the reference. The hybrid corns, replaced 40% of the reference diets in all the trials.. A completely randomized design with five replicates of five birds per cage was used. The diets and water were offered ad libitum for a 7-day period, being four days for adaptation and three for days for excreta collection. A variation of 32% in crude protein - CP (7.79% vs. 11.45%, dry matter basis) was found. The values of gross energy (GE) presented a variation of 5.2%. The higher value observed was 4,668 kcal and the lower value 4,425 kcal/kg. The average value for corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) was 3,744 kcal/kg, with a variation of 15.15% (3,405 to 4,013 kcal/kg). However, it was observed that the two hybrids presenting this variation (608 kcal AMEn/kg DM) had similar GE values (3914 and 3931 kcal GE/kg of DM; 0.36% variation). This variation in the AMEn can possibly be accounted on the coefficient of gross energy metabolization which was 75% for the hybrid with the lowest AMEn and 88% for the hybrid with the highest AMEn. Despite of corn being an energy source , the evaluation of its CP content is important due to the considerable variation in the protein values of the different hybrids found currently. The same is valid for the energy values.
digestibility; feed; metabolizability coefficient
