Effect of enzyme supplementation and wheat middlings as an alternative to corn on laying hens performance

Abstract

A 7-wk trial examined the effects of dietary enzyme supplementation (ES), a combination of xylanase, amylase and protease on egg production, egg mass, egg composition, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and nutrient retention in Hy-Line W-36 strain fed diets containing wheat middlings (WM) combined with Avizyme 1500 enzyme (xylanase, protease and amylase) at different dietary metabolizable energy (ME) levels. Seven diets were assigned to five replicate pens with 4 hens per pen from 44 to 51 week of age. The collected data indicated no significant difference in feed consumption, egg production, egg mass and body weight occurred among hens fed the dietary treatments. Egg weight responded significantly to ES (P<0.01), especially when hens were fed the low energy diet with ES. Egg components were not affected by diet or by ES. Apparent ME was affected significantly by diet (3071 for control vs 2920 kcal/kg for WM diets). Type of diet had the most significant effect on performance while ES to WM diets at this phase of production had little effect on performance or apparent nutrient retention especially when it was supplemented to the low energy diets. Including WM in laying hen diets up to 30% did not affect most measured parameters and could serve as a good alternative to corn depending on the price of corn.