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Abstract
1. The classical ME value of triticale varied from 12.305 to 13.778 kJ/g or 11.819 to 13.016 kJ/g corrected for N‐retention depending upon method of calculation.
2. Substituting triticale for maize, weight for weight, but not on a iso‐nitrogenous basis, in a groundnut oil cake (GNC) starter diet improved weight gain (P < 0.05) when the substitution exceeded 75% without affecting the protein efficiency ratio (PER).
3. A similar substitution in a soybean oil meal diet, improved weight gain (P < 0.05) at 50% or more but PER declined (P < 0.05).
4. The net protein utilisation and protein retention efficiency values of the diets in which maize protein was replaced by triticale protein were significantly reduced.
5. The maize‐GNC diet was equally limiting in methionine and lysine while the triticale‐GNC diet was not.
6. The growth and food efficiency obtained with a triticale‐GNC diet was higher (P < 0.01) than with the maize‐GNC diet but not with a maize‐GNC supplemented with fish meal and methionine.
7. It is concluded that triticale could quantitatively substitute maize in the starter diets.