Effects of caecectomy on digestibility of crude protein, calcium, phosphorus, neutral detergent fibre and add detergent fibre in geese

Experiments were conducted to estimate the digestive power of caecum by comparing the digestibility of several nutrients between caecectomized geese and intact geese. Six caecectomized and 6 intact Yangzhou geese (3 male and 3 female), 24 weeks old, divided into two groups, were used in the experiments. The methodology of gathering whole excreta was adopted in the experiment. Results showed that the metabolizable ratio of crude protein and calcium was not different between intact group and caecectomized group (P > 0.05). However, the metabolizable ratio of phosphorus in intact group was obviously higher than in caecectomized group (P < 0.05). In addition, the metabolizable ratio of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and add detergent fibre (ADF) 1n intact geese was significantly higher than in caecectomized geese (P < 0.05). In total, 14% of NDF and 95% of ADF were digested in the caecum. Results of the present study underlined the role of the caecum in the digestion of fibre and phosphorus.