Evaluation of different strategies for broiler feed formulation using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy as a source of information for determination of amino acids and metabolizable energy

Abstract

SUMMARY An experiment was conducted to compare different strategies for feed formulation in commercial broiler production. Table values for the total amino acid (TAA) contents of feed ingredients are the most common source of information in commercial feed formulation. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is a tool for rapid and cost-effective prediction of the composition of plant and animal tissue and can be calibrated to predict the nutrient content of ingredients. A total of 1,400 one-day-old Ross 308 mixed-sex broiler chickens were fed diets formulated in 2 feeding phases, starter (1–21 d) and finisher (22–48 d). Four strategies of feed formulation were compared, using TAA table values (T1), using TAA values from NIRS (T2), using digestible amino acids (DAA) values from NIRS (T3), and using DAA and ME values from NIRS (T4). At 21 d, BW was significantly heavier for T3 and T4 birds compared with T1 birds (0.708 and 0.698 vs. 0.688 kg, respectively). Feed conversion ratio was significantly lower for T3 versus T1 birds (1.524 vs. 1.611, respectively). No differences were detected for feed intake and mortality. At 42 d, T3 and T4 birds were significantly heavier than T1 birds (2.296 and 2.296 vs. 2.226 kg, respectively). Feed intake was higher in T3 birds than in T1 and T2 birds (4.121 vs. 4.032 and 4.039 kg, respectively), but no difference in FCR was observed between treatments. No differences were detected for BW, feed intake, FCR, mortality, carcass yield (%), breast yield (%), or breast-to-carcass ratio at 48 d. Feed formulation using NIRS as the source of information for ingredient AA content (T2, T3, and T4) improved broiler BW at 21 and 42 d without affecting FCR.