Broiler Starter Diets Research Articles

Effect of dietary supplementation of selenium and vitamin E on growth performance and hematology of broiler chicken under heat stress

Nine dietary treatments using three levels of each selenium (0.15, 0.35 and 0.45 mg/kg diet) and Vitamin E (50, 100 and 150 IU/kg diet) were formulated as broiler starter (0–3 weeks) and finisher (4–6 weeks) diets to evaluate growth performance and hematology of broiler chicken. The experiment was carried out in an ambience of relatively higher temperature humidity index (83.94) during the August-September period. The results of the present study revealed that under heat stress better growth performance was recorded in the birds fed higher vitamin E levels (100 and 150 IU/kg diet) and 0.3 mg Se/kg diet. The RBC count, Hb (%), packed cell volume (%), and lymphocyte (%) were significantly better in birds supplemented with 0.3 mg Se/kg diet and 100 IU vitamin E/kg diet. Better H: L ratio was observed in birds fed 0.3 mg Se/kg diet with 100 IU vitamin E/kg diet. It can be concluded that the supplementation of the 0.3 mg Se/kg diet and 100 IU vitamin E/kg diet resulted in better growth performance and blood homeostasis in broiler chicken.

Effects of quantitative feed restriction on the performance of broiler chickens

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of quantitative feed restriction on the performance and the production cost of broiler chickens. A total of 120, Indian River, day-old broiler chicks were randomly allocated into four dietary treatment groups such as 100% diet as control treatment and 90%, 80% and 70% diets, in floor pens. All treatments were replicated thrice with 10 birds each in a Completely Randomized Design. Broiler chickens were fed broiler starter diet from day 1 to day 21 and broiler finisher diet from day 22 to day 42. The results revealed that the body weight gain in the birds fed with 90% diet was significantly higher than those of control diet during finisher and overall phases and vice-versa during starter period. The feed intakes of birds were significantly decreased with the severity of feed restriction during all periods. However, significantly the lowest overall feed conversion ratio was reported in the birds fed with 70% diet. Furthermore, higher relative liver and lung weights were observed in the control treatment while they had lower relative heart weight. The spleen was significantly increased in the birds fed with 90% diet. It could be concluded that giving 90% of the recommended diet to the broiler chickens increases growth, immunity and income.

Influence of different yeast cell wall preparations and their components on performance and immune and metabolic pathways in Clostridium perfringens-challenged broiler chicks.

A study was conducted to evaluate the influence of the purification of yeast cell wall (YCW) preparations on broiler performance and immunogenic and metabolic pathways under microbial challenge. A total of 240 (day old) chicks were distributed among two battery brooder units (48 pens; 5 birds/pen; 8 replicates/treatment). A basal starter diet was divided into 5 batches to create 6 dietary treatments; non-challenge (NCh-C) and challenge (Ch-C) controls, semi-purified YCW containing cytosol contents (SPYCW; 250mg/kg), purified YCW (PYCW; 250mg/kg), 50% purified beta-glucan (BG; 130mg/kg), and 99.9% purified mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS; 53mg/kg). All birds were immunocompromised with infectious bursal disease vaccine (10× the recommended dose) on day 10 and then all birds except NCh-C birds were challenged with Clostridium perfringens (Cp) (107 cfu/mL) via oral gavage on days 16 and 17. On day 21, tissue samples were collected from the jejunum and duodenum for analysis with chicken-specific, peptide arrays to study the influence of YCW supplementation on immune and metabolic kinase pathways. On day 16, SPYCW had significantly lower body weight (BW) and weight gain (WG) than other treatments except BG (P < 0.05). The productivity index (PI) was lower in SPYCW and BG than in NCh-C, Ch-C, and PYCW. On day 21, after the Cp challenge, NCh-C was higher than Ch-C, SPYCW, and BG in BW, WG, and PI (P = 0.03). The PI of PYCW was similar to NCh-C. The addition of purified YCW to the starter broiler diets influenced the immune and metabolic pathways in the gut. A total of 459 and 367 peptides in the duodenum and jejunum, respectively, were changed due to the Cp challenge. The YCW treatments had different degrees of influence on these peptides for both the duodenum and jejunum. These results suggest that relative purification of YCW and specific fractions of the YCW can influence broiler performance differently during microbial challenges and can alleviate the impact of these stressors.

Nutritive value and the maximum inclusion level of pennycress meal for broiler chickens

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritive value and maximum safe level (MSL) of pennycress meal (PM) for broiler chicks. In experiment 1, a total of 480 chicks was fed either mash or crumbled diets containing zero, 5, 10, or 15% PM for 18 d (8 diets; 6 replications per diet). In experiment 2, a total of 660 chicks was fed mash diets containing zero, 3, 6, 9, 12, or 15% of either PM or canola meal (CM; a comparative reference) for 14 d (11 diets; 6 replications per diet). Analytical results show that PM is a good source of protein (∼31% CP) and it is very comparable to CM (∼36% CP). However, it contains higher erucic acid (∼1.68 vs. < 0.021%), glucosinolates (sinigrin) (∼63.5 vs. <0.163 μmol /g), and crude fiber (18.60 vs. 9.27%) compared to CM. In experiment 1, increasing PM from zero to 15% resulted in linear reductions (P < 0.05) in FI, BWG, and FCR at 10 days. Above 10%, performance responses were affected for FI and BWG at 18 d, respectively. An estimated MSL of 10% PM based on orthogonal contrast was optimal for satisfactory FI and BWG. The MSL as estimated by broken-line linear (BLL) and broken-line quadratic (BLQ) models was 9.12 ± 0.50 and 7.0 ± 1.27%, respectively. In experiment 2, growth performance at 14 d was reduced above 9% due to PM inclusion. CM inclusion did not affect growth performance at 14 d, suggesting 15% to be safe. The MSL for maximum growth performance varied depending on the statistical analysis as follows: 12% by orthogonal contrast and LSD, 15% by the Scheffé test, 10.84 ± 0.57 by BLL, and 8.61 ± 1.29 by BLQ. In conclusion, PM can be included in broiler starter diets as a protein source but its inclusion should be limited to no more than 8.5%. Different statistical procedures give different MSL and this should be considered when interpreting the data.

Effect of graded levels of dietary corn steep liquor on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, haematology and histopathology of broilers

This experiment was conducted to assess nutritional potential of corn steep liquor (CSL) as an alternative protein source in broiler's diet. A total of 280-day-old unsexed broiler chicks were randomly distributed into four experimental groups in a simple randomised experimental design (each group had seven replicates; 10 birds per each). Four iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric broiler starter and finisher diets (C, LCSL, MCSL and HCSL) were formulated containing 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% CSL respectively. Results revealed that chicks fed MCSL diet had significantly (p≤.05) the heaviest Body weight, highest Body weight gain and the lowest feed conversion ratio followed by those fed HCSL diet. In the starter period, LCSL and MCSL diets resulted in better (p≤.05) dry matter (DM) (89.57%) and crude protein (67.67%) digestibilities respectively. In the finisher period, DM, crude fibre and fat digestibilities were not affected by CSL inclusion levels; while crude protein digestibility was significantly (p≤.05) high in the groups fed LCSL and HCSL diets. The CSL inclusion had no effect on blood haematology except serum uric acid, which tended to increase with increasing CSL levels. No microscopic changes were exhibited on liver, heart, kidneys and intestine of birds across all dietary treatments. However, crops in birds fed HCSL diet showed moderate to severe hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the mucosal lining. The study showed that CSL could be added up to 15% in broiler's diet without any adverse effect on bird's performance.

Energy values of canola meal, cottonseed meal, bakery meal, and peanut flour meal for broiler chickens determined using the regression method

The energy values of canola meal (CM), cottonseed meal (CSM), bakery meal (BM), and peanut flour meal (PFM) for broiler chickens were determined in 2 experiments with Ross 708 broiler chickens from d 21 to 28 posthatch. The birds were fed a standard broiler starter diet from d 0 to 21 posthatch. In each experiment, 320 birds were grouped by weight into 8 blocks of 5 cages with 8 birds per cage and assigned to 5 diets. Each experiment used a corn-soybean meal reference diet and 4 test diets in which test ingredients partly replaced the energy sources in the reference diet. The test diets in Exp. 1 consisted of 125 g CM, 250 g CM, 100 g CSM, or 200 g CSM/kg. In Exp. 2, the test diets consisted of 200 g BM, 400 g BM, 100 g PFM, or 200 g PFM/kg. The ileal digestible energy (IDE), metabolizable energy (ME), and nitrogen-corrected metabolizable energy (MEn) of all the test ingredients were determined by the regression method. The DM of CM, CSM, BM and PFM were 883, 878, 878, and 964 g/kg, respectively and the respective gross energies (GE) were 4,143, 4,237, 4,060, and 5,783 kcal/kg DM. In Exp. 1, the IDE were 2,132 and 2,197 kcal/kg DM for CM and CSM, respectively. The ME were 2,286 and 2,568 kcal/kg DM for CM and CSM, respectively. The MEn were 1,931 kcal/kg DM for CM and 2,078 kcal/ kg DM for CSM. In Exp. 2, IDE values were 3,412 kcal/kg DM for BM and 4,801 kcal/kg DM for PFM; ME values were 3,176 and 4,601 kcal/kg DM for BM and PFM, respectively, and the MEn values were 3,093 kcal/kg DM for BM and 4,112 kcal/kg DM for PFM. In conclusion, the current study showed that chickens can utilize a considerable amount of energy from these 4 ingredients, and also provided the energy values of CM, CSM, BM and PFM for broiler chickens.

Use of Soy Protein Concentrate in Pre-Starter and Starter Diets for Broilers

ABSTRACT Two experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of using soy protein concentrate (SPC) in pre-starter and starter diets for broilers. In the first experiment, 600 male Cobb broilers, between one and 40 days of age, were distributed in a completely randomized design, with four treatments and six replications of 25 birds each. Treatments were ofered to broilers in the pre-starter and starter diets and consisted of inclusion of soy protein concentrate (0,3,6 and 9%) in diets. The parameters evaluated were: body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, consumption of ration, enzyme production in the pancreas, villus: crypt ratio, leukocyte count and immunoglobulin A (IgA) dosage. Aimed to determine the coefficient of nutrient metabolization of feeds, 144 male Cobb chicks were distributed, between 14 and 21 days of age, with four treatments and six replications of six birds per experimental unit. Treatments were the same as in the first experiment. The use of 3 and 9% of SPC did not affect weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion or viability of the poultry. The use of 6% of SPC provided an increase in trypsin activity, villi length and crypt depth; the coefficient of dry matter metabolization increased linearly; but no differences were observed in performance or immunological parameters.

Influence of soybean bioactive peptides on growth performance, nutrient utilisation, digestive tract development and intestinal histology in broilers

SummaryA biologically active peptide derived from soybeans by enzymatic hydrolysis was evaluated for its potential benefits on chicken growth performance, apparent ileal nutrient digestibility and intestinal histology in young broilers. Seven broiler starter diets, based on maize and soybean meal, were formulated to contain 0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 g/kg of a commercial soybean bioactive peptide (SBP) product (Fortide, Chengdu Mytech Biotech Co. Ltd., Chengdu, Sichuan, China). All diets were equivalent in respect of energy density, and digestible protein, amino acids, and other nutrients. A total of 336, one-day-old male broilers (Ross 308) were allocated to 42 cages (eight birds/cage), which were randomly assigned to the six dietary treatments. There was no significant effect of SBP on weight gain and feed intake of the birds. A significant (P &lt; 0.01) effect of SBP was observed for FCR. Inclusion of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 g SBP/kg of feed resulted in similar FCR values to the diet with no SBP, addition of SBP to the diets at 5.0 and 6.0 g/kg of feed resulted in lower (P &lt; 0.05) FCR compared to the diet with no SBP. Inclusion of SBP had no effect (P &gt; 0.05) on apparent ileal digestibility of nutrients and energy utilisation. Though not statistically significant, SBP inclusion, regardless of level, resulted in 5.7% and 6.3% increases in digestibility of dry matter and nitrogen, respectively. Birds receiving no SBP had the shortest villi and those fed SBP at 3.0 and 6.0 g/kg of feed tended (P = 0.075) to have the greatest villus height. The current findings suggested that including SBP in broiler diets may benefit production through improving feed efficiency, and, to some extent, nutrient digestion and intestinal histology parameters.

Response of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with selenium during hotdry summer

In the process of understanding patho-physiology and developing packages for mitigation of heat stress during extreme summer (hot-dry) Selenium was tried individually in broiler pre-starter (0-14d), starter (14-21d) and finisher diets (21-42d of age) at four supplementary levels (0-control, 0.15, 0.3 and 0.45 mg/kg) during hot-dry (April-May, 29.0±0.700 to 36.0±1.400C, Rh,%: 61.0±1.3–70.1±0.82) conditions and the efficacy was judged through growth performance, carcass traits and feed-cost of production at 42nd day of age in broiler chickens. Therefore, total numbers of treatments were four. Each dietary treatment was fed to four replicated groups of 8 birds each. There was difference (P 0.05) due to dietary treatments during any growth phase. Supplementation of Se did not alter the yield of visceral organs and abdominal fat but supplemental Se increased (P<0.05) breast and eviscerated yields. Feed-cost per unit body weight gain or per kg meat yield did not differ statistically but numerically lower cost was incurred in Se supplemented groups than control.

Impacts of dietary humic acid supplementation on growth performance, some blood metabolites and carcass traits of broiler chicks

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of graded levels of humic acid (HA) supplementation on broiler performance. Day-old broiler chicks (300) were randomly divided into 5 groups under completely randomized design (CRD). Five iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous broiler starter and finisher diets (HA0, HA1, HA2, HA3 and HA4) containing 0, 0.75, 1.5, 2.25 and 3 g/kg HA, respectively, were formulated and were randomly allotted to each group. Results indicated that, during starter phase highest weight gain (WG) was observed in chicks fed HA2 diet, but during finisher phase it was observed in birds fed HA3 diet. Weight gain during whole experiment was also highest in broiler fed HA3 diet. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR) was also observed in broiler fed HA3 diets. There were no influences of humic acid on carcass weight, liver weight, heart weight, gut length, breast weight, thigh weight and abdominal fat weight. Blood glucose, urea, Ca, P, creatinine, red blood cells, white blood cells and haemoglobin were not affected by humic acid supplementation but blood cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) level were significantly reduced (P&lt;0.05) in HA3 and HA4 diets. Therefore, it could be concluded that humic acid as an organic feed additive could improve growth performance of broiler chicks and reduce levels of total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood. The best level of HA to be recommended is 2.25 g/kg diet.

Comparative Effects of Graded Levels of Moringa Leaf Meal on Haematological and Serum Biochemical Profile of Broiler Chickens

This study was carried out to determine the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on the haematological and serum biochemical profile of broiler chickens. Fresh Moringa leaves (FML) were shade – dried for four (04) days and milled into meal. A total of two hundred (200) unsexed broiler chickens (Anak strain) with a mean body weight of 49.16 g/bird ± 0.09 were allotted to five (05) treatments at forty (40) birds per each in a completely randomized design experiment.Each treatment group was further divided into five (05) replicates. Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) was incorporated into the broiler starter and finisher diets at 0%, 5%, 10% 15% and 20% levels respectively. The chemical composition of the MOLM showed higher values of crude protein, crude fibre, calcium, iron, tannin, phytic acid, saponin and oxalate contents than FML. The haematological profile in birds fed 5% and 15% MOLM showed higher (P&lt;0.05) packed cellvolume than those fed 20% MOLM. The haemoglobin values were similar (P&gt;0.05) between birds fed 5%, 10% and 15% MOLM - based diets, but reduced significantly (P&lt;0.05) in birds fed 20% MOLM. The white blood cell count was significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher in birds fed 15% MOLM, while the lowest was obtained in those fed with 20% MOLM. The serum biochemical indices in birds fed 20% MOLM showed significant reductions (P&lt;0.05) in albumin, total protein, uric acid, aspartate amino transferase and alanine amino transferase contents. The creatinine content was significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher in birds fed 20% MOLM -based diet. The present study concluded that MOLM can be incorporated into broiler diets at 15% level without adverse effects on the haematological and serum biochemical indices of the broiler chickens.

English

Chemical analysis, apparent metabolizable energy (MEn), and one feeding trial were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of Java plum seeds (JPS) that had been subjected to a combination of soaking, boiling, and fermentation (SBF). Five broiler starter diets were formulated with the processed Java plum seed meal (JPSM) comprising 0, 80, 160, 240, and 320 g/kg of the diet. The JPS before and after processing contained 910±5.30 and 888±6.10 g DM; 44.2±0.940 and 48.1±1.02 g CP; 886±9.90 and 888±6.54 g NFE; and 13.2± 0.165 and 13.3±0.154 MJ calculated metabolizable energy; 24.4±1.33 and 9.17±0.940 g tannins per kg, respectively. The MEn value of the processed JPSM was 14.7±0.973 MJ/kg. Feed intake (FI), weight gain (WG), and feed efficiency (FCR) of broiler chicks decreased (R2 Eƒ 0.850) with increasing JPSM in the diet. At 80 and 320 g/kg inclusion, FI, WG, and FCR were depressed by 16.0 and 34.1%, 20.2 and 42.5%, and 4.90 and 12.5%, respectively. Liver, heart, and pancreas weights relative to body weight were not significantly (P Eƒ 0.05) affected. However, caecum, gizzard, and intestine weights increased (R2 Eƒ 0.800), while the heart weight decreased (R2 = 0.772) with increasing JPSM in the diet. At 80 and 320 g/kg JPSM inclusion, weights of caecum, intestine, and gizzard increased by 48.5 and 68.2%, 18.8 and 43.5%, and 9.55 and 19.2%, respectively. Inclusion of JPSM in chick diets adversely (P < 0.05) affected nitrogen retention (NR), nitrogen digestibility (ND), dry matter digestibility (DMD), and excreta water content (EWC). At 320 g/kg JPSM inclusion, NR, ND, DMD, and EWC were depressed by 30.8, 12.6, 0.42, and 2.45%, respectively. No mortality was recorded at 320 g/kg JPSM inclusion. The SBF did not improve the nutritional value of JPS for poultry production. Key words: Anti-nutrients, broiler performance, nutrient utilization, organ weights, processing.

Respuesta de crecimiento y parámetros bioquímicos del suero en broilers de iniciación alimentados con harina de semillas tostadas de ñame africano y suplementación enzimática

Este estudio se llevó a cabo empleando 150 pollos broiler de un día de la cepa Marshal (R) para determinar la respuesta de crecimiento y los parámetros bioquímicos del suero, empleando harina de semillas tostadas de ñame africano (AYBSM) en sustitución de harina de semilla de soja al 0, 5, 10, 15 y 20 % (dietas 1, 2, 3, 4 y 5). Las dietas 2, 3, 4, y 5 fueron suplementadas con enzimas en la proporción de 100 g/1000 Kg de pienso. Las aves fueron aleatoriamente asignadas a los cinco grupos dietéticos en un diseño experimental completamente aleatorizado. Cada tratamiento incluyó 30 aves con tres replicaciones de diez aves cada una. Las variables medidas fueron: peso corporal, ingestión de alimento, conversión alimenticia, ganancia de peso, mortalidad, proteína total, albúmina, globulina, creatinina, colesterol, aspartato amino transferasa, fosfatasa alcalina y aminotransferasa. El experimento tuvo una duración de cinco semanas. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto que los grupos sometidos a las dietas experimentales rindieron mejor que el control (0 %). Así, las dietas probadas oscilaron entre 929,77 (g)-1216,51(g) mientras el control alcanzó 800 g. Un 20 por cien de AYBSM tuvo una conversión alimenticia (FCR) menor (2,03) que el control (0 % AYBSM) que fue de 2,97. No hubo diferencias significativas en la bioquímica del suero analizada, salvo para albúmina y proteína total que fueron afectadas significativamente (p

The Potential of Jack Bean (Canavalia ensiformis) as a Replacement for Soybean (Glycine max) in Broiler Starter and Finisher Diets

The Potential of Jack Bean (Canavalia ensiformis) as a Replacement for Soybean (Glycine max) in Broiler Starter and Finisher Diets

Effect of Moringa Leaf Meal Supplementation on Haematological and Serum Biochemical Profile of Broiler Chicken

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on the haematological and serum biochemical profile of broiler chicken. A total of two hundred broiler unsexed chickens (Anak strain) were randomly allotted to five treatments. Each treatment onsisted of forty birds in five replicates. Shade dried MOLM was incorporated into the broiler starter and finisher diets at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% levels, respectively. The contents of tannin, phytic acid, saponin and oxalate were higher in the MOLM than fresh moringa leaves (FML). Dietary level of MOLM showed negative correlation with packed cell volume and haemoglobin and values were reported lowest in 20% MOLM fed birds. However, white blood cell and neutrophil counts were found significantly (P<0.05) higher in 15% MOLM incorporated group. Mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin was significantly (P<0.05) higher in birds fed 10 and 15% MOLM diets compared to control, 5 and 20% MOLM group. Plasma total protein and albumin concentration was greater in control followed by 5, 10 and 15% MOLM fed birds while lowest (P<0.05) in those fed 20% MOLM. Birds fed on 20% MOLM diet had significantly (P<0.05) higher uric acid concentration. Treatments showed negative correlation with AST and ALT activity and positive correlation with serum creatinine level. Inclusion of different levels of MOLM in the diet of birds did not exert any effect on red blood cell and monocyte count. In conclusion, MOLM could be incorporated into broiler diets up to 15% level without adverse effects on the haematological and serum biochemical indices.

Effects of Dietary L-Glutamine or L-Glutamine Plus L-Glutamic Acid Supplementation Programs on the Performance and Breast Meat Yield Uniformity of 42-d-Old Broilers

This study aimed at evaluating four dietary L-Glutamine (L-Gln) or L-Gln plus L-Glutamate (L-Glu) supplementation programs on the performance, breast yield, and uniformity of broilers. A total of 2,112 one-d-old male Cobb 500(r) broilers were distributed according to a randomized block design in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement (L-Gln or L-Gln plus L-Glu × 4 supplementation programs), totaling eight treatments with 12 replicates of 22 broilers each. The supplementation programs consisted of the dietary inclusion or not of 0.4% of L-Gln or L-Gln plus L-Glu for four different periods: 0 days (negative control), 9d, 21d, and 42d. Feed intake (FI, g), body weight gain (BWG, g), feed conversion ratio (FCR, kg/kg), coefficient of variation of body weight (CV, %), body weight uniformity (UNIF, %), breast weight (BW, g), breast yield (BY, %), coefficient of variation of breast weight (CVB), breast uniformity (UNIFB), coefficient of variation of breast yield (CVBY), and breast yield uniformity (UNIFBY) were evaluated. Birds fed the diets treatments supplemented with L-Gln or L-Gln plus L-Glu for 9d presented 3% higher BWG (p<0.05) compared with the controls. The L-Gln or L-Gln plus L-Glu supplementation until broilers were 21 days old resulted in 14, 10, 16, and 12% improvements (p<0.05) in CV, UNIF, CVBY, UNIFBY, respectively. The supplementation of 0.4% L-Gln (L-Gln 99%) or L-Gln plus L-Glu (minimum 95%) to pre-starter and starter broiler diets is recommended to improve body weight gain and uniformity.

Assessment of the nutrient contents of broiler starter and finisher diets in Nigeria

The study was conducted to assess the proximate composition and amino acid profiles of six (6) commercial broiler starter and finisher diets. Four samples of each feed type were procured from different feed vendors within Abuja metropolis and subjected to proximate and amino acid analyses. The dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, crude fat and ash contents of broiler starter and finisher diets were observed to be within the levels of 92.2 – 94.4%, 21.5-24.6%, 4.0 – 8.7%, 5.5 – 8.7% and 7.9 – 12.0% and 91.64-94.38%, 19.06-22.63%, 4.41-8.77%, 5.37-8.41% and 7.87-11.25%, respectively, and were within the ranges quoted on the labels of the feeds analyzed. The results also showed that there was no significant (P>0.05) difference in the crude protein (4), arginine, methionine, isoleucine, threonine and valine contents of the broiler starter diets compared with the vatusin the nutrient tables of NRC., Except for methionine+cystein which was lower (P 0.05), leucine, valine, phenylalaline+thyrocine and glycine+serine values of the test finisher diets were significantly (P<0.05) different from NRC recommendation for broilers aged 3-6 weeks. Except for arginine, isoleucine and threonine which were similar (P<0.05) to NRC requirement table for broilers aged 6-8 weeks, CP and the other amino acid vatus of the test finisher diets were higher (P<0.05). Although, estimated chemical scores of analyzed diets revealed a generally high trend, methionine plus cystine appeared limiting in the broiler starter diets compared with recommended levels for birds aged 1-3 weeks; threonine, valine or isoeucine may be limiting in some broiler finisher diets when compared with requirement for broilers aged 3-6 weeks. Keywords : Broiler starter, broiler finisher, finished feeds, proximate composition, amino acid profile

Effects of algae incorporation into broiler starter diet formulations on nutrient digestibility and 3 to 21 d bird performance

Algae, a human supplement and alternative fuel source, has potential as a feed ingredient for poultry. Three studies were conducted with the following objectives: determine digestible nutrient values for a commercially availableSpirulina algae (Study 1), formulate and pellet a practical broiler starter diet using these data (Study 2), and assess feeding diet formulations with varying levels of algae on Hubbard X Cobb 500 broiler performance and apparent ileal amino acid digestibility (AIAAD; Study 3).Spirulina algae TMEn (2,839 kcal/kg) and true amino acid digestibility (TAAD) values (2.10, 1.07, 0.42, and 1.97% lysine, methionine, cysteine, and threonine, respectively) from Study 1 were used to formulate a practical broiler starter diet containing 21% algae. A diet containing 0% algae was also formulated. Both diets were pelleted, ground, and mixed at different ratios to create diets containing 6, 11, and 16% algae. The 21% algae diet resulted in a nominally lower production rate and an increase in hot pellet temperature and pellet durability compared to the 0% algae diet. Diets containing up to 16% algae resulted in statistically similar ending parameter compared birds fed the 0% algae diet: ending bird weight (EBW), live weight gain, and feed intake (P > 0.05). The 16% algae diet resulted in the highest level of digestible cysteine and lysine (P < 0.0001). All diets containing algae resulted in higher digestible methionine values compared to the 0% algae diet (P < 0.0001). Descriptive feed manufacture, performance, and AIAAD data demonstrated value in algae incorporation into practical diet formulations.

Influence of separate feeding of calcium on nutrient digestibility, energy utilisation and performance of young broilers fed pelleted wheat-based diets

Six broiler starter diets, based on wheat and soybean meal, were formulated to contain 1.1 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0 and 10.0g calcium (Ca)/kg. All diets were equivalent in respect of total and non-phytate phosphorus contents (5.4 and 3.0g/kg, respectively). The influence of dietary treatments on the growth performance, coefficient of apparent ileal digestibility (CAID) of nitrogen (N), starch, fat and phosphorus (P), Ca retention and apparent metabolisable energy (AME) in broiler starters was evaluated. A total of 288, one-day-old male broilers (Ross 308) were allocated to 36 cages (8birds/cage), and cages were randomly assigned to 6 dietary treatments. Birds were also provided with a source of Ca in a separate feed trough. Birds fed the diet with 1.1g Ca/kg gained more (P<0.05) weight and tended (P=0.08) to have higher feed intake than those fed the diets with 8.0 and 10.0g Ca/kg. Increasing dietary Ca concentrations from 1.1 to 8.0g/kg increased (P<0.05) feed per unit gain, but diets with 1.1 and 10.0g/kg Ca resulted in similar (P>0.05) feed per unit gain. During d 8 to 14, d 15 to 21, and over the entire trial period of 21 d, birds fed Ca-deficient (6.0g Ca/kg and less) diets consumed more (P<0.001) of the separate Ca source. During the third week and over the 21 d trial period, total Ca intake (Ca from feed plus Ca from separate source) of birds fed Ca-insufficient diets was higher (P<0.05) than those fed diets with higher dietary Ca concentrations. Diets with 1.1g Ca/kg resulted in the highest (P<0.05) CAID of P. There was no effect (P>0.05) of dietary Ca on the retention of Ca and ash, AME and toe ash. The present data suggest that feeding broilers low Ca diets with access to a separate Ca source, is advantageous in terms of broiler performance, while maintaining bone mineralisation. The data also demonstrate that the provision of separate Ca source may hold promise for reducing the dietary P contents.

Replacement value of sweet orange (Citrus Sinensis) peels for wheat offals in the performance of broiler starter diets

Two-hundred (200) day old broiler chicks of Anak 2000 breed from a commercial hatchery were used to investigate the effect of replacing wheat offals with sweet orange peel meal in broiler rations. The birds were fed on 0%, 50%, 75% and 100% dietary inclusion of sweet orange peel meal as replacement for wheat offals in a 28 day feeding trial. Significant interaction between dietary levels of sweet orange peel meal and wheat offals were observed on feed efficiency and weight gain (p<0.05). Increase in dietary levels of sweet orange peel meal reduced feed transit time in gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) (p<0.05) while supplementary wheat offal had the opposite effect (p<0.05). It was concluded that broiler chicks could tolerate up to 75% dietary levels of sweet orange peel meal without wheat offal added to such a diet, performance was comparable to that of birds fed a standard diet with money saved in the process.