Broiler Feed Conversion Research Articles

Hubungan Konsumsi Pakan Dengan Pertumbuhan dan Konversi Pakan Broiler Pada Kemitraan PT Mitra Sinar Jaya

This research aims to determine the relationship between feed consumption and growth and feed conversion of broilers in the PT Mitra Sinar Jaya partnership. The research material is the broiler strain CP-707 which is kept in open house cages with a population of 6,500 in the 4 cages and commercial feed S10, S11, and S12. This panel research was carried out for 35 days and reared broilers at PT Mitra Sinar Jaya partnership breeders in Seri Village, Nusaniwe District, Ambon City. The method used in this research is survey and observation (direct observation in the field) to collect data related to the performance of the CP-707 broiler strain. The variables observed in this research were feed consumption, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR). The data obtained was analyzed using a simple linear regression method. The research results showed a relationship between feed consumption and body weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) with R2 values ​​of 0.9802 and 0.0228 respectively, with an average feed consumption of 514.13 g/head, UN of 311 .04 g/head, and an FCR value of 1.65.

Synbiotic supplements as antibiotic alternatives in broiler diets

Antibiotics can contribute to bacterial resistance, posing a significant public health concern. Synbiotics represent an effective alternative to antibiotics, promoting the balance of intestinal microbiota and creating a conducive environment for beneficial bacteria growth. This study aimed to assess the utility of the synbiotic supplement (+Poultry) as a substitute for antibiotics in broiler diets from 1 to 42 days of age. We evaluated its impact on performance during two stages: 1 to 21 days and 1 to 42 days, digestibility coefficients, metabolizable energy, duodenum and jejunum morphometry, carcass yield, and hematological parameters. A total of 440 Ross 308 strain broiler chicks, both males and females, were accommodated in 2m² cages from day 1 to day 42. The birds were randomly assigned to four treatments, with each treatment having five replications consisting of 22 birds, thus forming 20 experimental plots. The treatment groups were as follows: Basal diet (BD) without the addition of antibiotics or synbiotics, BD with 150ppm zinc bacitracin (BCZ), BD with 0.5kg/t of synbiotic, and BD with 1kg/t of synbiotic. The synbiotic supplement (+Poultry) used in this experiment, provided by Nutri+, contained amino acids, minerals, probiotic culture, prebiotic additives, and flavoring additives. Throughout the experiment, all birds were subjected to a weekly sanitary challenge, which involved using reused litter and water contaminated with litter. Treatment effects were observed on feed conversion (P = 0.0100) of broilers aged 1 to 21 days, indicating improved feed conversion in broilers consuming BD + 1kg/t synbiotic compared to BD alone. Consequently, we recommend the incorporation of a synbiotic supplement at a rate of 1kg/t as a viable antibiotic replacement for chickens aged 1 to 21 days. The tested synbiotic supplement shows promise as an antibiotic alternative in broiler diets at all life stages, maintaining both performance and bird health.

The Effect of Papaya Leaf Meal on Broiler Productivity

Feed is one of the factors that greatly affect the productivity of livestock. Livestock productivity can be known from the performance of livestock. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of papaya leaf meal on livestock performance which includes body weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion. This study used 100 DOC of Lohman strain broilers with four ration treatments which as follows: T1 (ration without papaya leaf meal), T2 (ration with 1.5% papaya leaf meal), T3 (ration with 2.5% papaya leaf meal). The results of this study are the treatment has a significant affect to the body weight gain and feed conversion (P<0.05) but there was no significant affect to the ration consumption (P>0.05). T3 (ration with 2.5% papaya leaf meal) can increase body weight gain up to 274.59±20.26 g/head/day and reduce the feed conversion value up to 1.62±0.10. T3 also can reduce ration consumption up to 435.22±20.80 g/head/day. The conclusion of this study is that giving papaya leaf meals up to 2.5% can increase body weight gain, reduce ration consumption and feed conversion of broilers.

Penambahan ekstrak buah Mengkudu (Morinda citrifolia) dalam air minum terhadap performa broiler

Mengkudu fruit contains antioxidant substances to increase endurance, increase appetite, and reduce fat. This study aims to determine the effect of using noni fruit extract (Morinda Citrifolia) to improve broiler performance. The study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 treatments and 4 replicates of 5 birds each. Treatments based on the concentration of mengkudu extract (EM) consisted of P0: control, P1: 10% EM, P2 12.5% EM, and P3: 15% EM. The treatment was given when the DOC was 1 day old until 28 days old. The research parameters were feed consumption, body weight gain, and feed conversion. The results showed that the use of noni extract in drinking water had no effect on broiler performance, body weight gain, and feed conversion. The use of mengkudu extract in drinking water from the level of 10 to 15% decreased feed consumption, increased body weight gain, and decreased broiler feed conversion significantly compared to the control. The addition of mengkudu extract in drinking water up to 15% improved broiler performance.

Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Phytogenic Feed Additives on Broiler Feed Conversion Efficiency and Immune Response against Infectious Bursal Disease Vaccine

The ban on antibiotic growth promoters in livestock feeding has encouraged the utilization of phytogenic feed additives. These phytogenics recently attracted much attention and are generally recognized as residue-free ideal feed additives in animal Production. The current study was conducted to investigate the effects of the phytogenic herbs on feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and immune responses associated with the infectious bursal disease (IBD) vaccine in broiler chickens. For this study, 360 day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to six feeding trials, each with three replicates containing 20 chicks. The control group (T1) was only fed a basal diet alone, while the treatment groups were given the basal diet supplemented with 1% of basil (T2), lemongrass (T3), peppermint (T4), rosemary (T5), and thyme (T6) leaves powder, respectively. Body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were recorded. All chicks were vaccinated against IBD on days 7 and 19. A serology test was conducted to check the antibody titer against the IBD vaccine. The findings of this study showed that chickens in group T2 had significantly consumed more feed, followed by T1 and T6. During the overall study period, chickens in group T4 had significantly better feed conversion efficiency, followed by T3 and T6. Chickens in groups T5 and T6 showed a more pronounced antibody titer against the IBD vaccine at days 21 and 42 of the experiment. Therefore, these findings indicated that supplementation of basil leaf powder improved feed intake. Moreover, peppermint and lemongrass leaf powder improved the feed conversion ratio. In addition, supplementation of rosemary and thyme enhances the immune status of broiler chickens and could be considered a natural growth promoter feed additive. Therefore, further studies should be done to discover their beneficial effects to use as alternative feed additives in broiler chickens. Keywords: Body weight, Broiler chicken, Feed conversion, Feed intake, Immune response, Infectious bursa disease

Proficiencies of different fuzzy inference systems in predicting the production performance of broiler chickens

Animal farming is a complex biological system because the responses of animal performance are nonlinear. In addition, thermal variables and management practices interact dynamically, making it difficult to ensure animal welfare and performance. As a result, modeling production performance under different thermal conditions is a complex task that requires predictive models. This study compared fuzzy models developed with different configurations using Mamdani and Sugeno inferences applied to the prediction of feed conversion in broilers. An experiment was conducted in four stages with a total of 240 Cobb 500 broiler chicks. The broilers were housed in climate-controlled wind tunnels and subjected to different temperatures (24, 27, 30, or 33 °C) and exposure times (1, 2, 3, or 4 days) inside cages equipped with feeders and drinkers. Feed intake and weight gain were quantified after 21 days. In both inference methods, the input variables (temperature and exposure time) were represented by both triangular and Gaussian functions. The output variable (feed conversion) was represented by singleton functions in the Sugeno inference system and by triangular and Gaussian functions in the Mamdani inference system. In addition to varying the types of membership functions in the representation of the data, all defuzzification methods of each methodology were also used. A comparison of the values predicted by each model and those obtained experimentally demonstrated that both the type of membership function and the defuzzification method influenced the final result of the prediction, with the triangular functions being better suited to the Sugeno system and the Gaussian functions being better suited to the Mamdani system for all defuzzification methods.

Addition of avocado (persea americana) leaf extract and carrot (daucus carota) leaf extract in starter phase broiler feed for production of low-fat meat for elderly

High-fat meat causes fatty liver, hypertension, stroke, and heart attack becomes less safe for the elderly. The research used plants that have the potential to reduce fat synthesis. This study was conducted in the starter phase to provide an overview of performance and fatty conditions in the finisher phase. In vivo testing of 84 broilers using a completely randomized design with seven treatments used commercial feed as basal feed, avocado leaf extract, and carrot leaf extract. The treatment is as follows: T1: basal feed (control) did not add ALE and CLE; T2: basal feed + (2.5% ALE and 2.5% CLE); T3: basal feed + (5% ALE and 5% CLE), T4: basal feed + (5% ALE and 0% CLE), T5: basal feed + (5% ALE and 2.5% CLE); T6: basal feed + (0% ALE and 5% CLE); T7: basal feed + (2.5% ALE and 5% CLE). The treatment is carried out for 21 days, and the parameters of the study were feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion. The diet with a CLE at 5% gave the lowest feed conversion in the first and the third weeks (P<0.05). Feed consumption and body weight gain in the first and second weeks were highest in the use of ALE and CLE at 2.5% respectively increasing the body weight in the first and the second weeks. The avocado leaf extract and carrot leaf extract used in the diet improve the feed conversion of broilers in the starter phase.

Does the Use of Emulsifier or Lipase Improve Weight Gain and Feed Conversion in Broilers? A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

Does the Use of Emulsifier or Lipase Improve Weight Gain and Feed Conversion in Broilers? A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

Chitosan complex in the technology of feeding broiler chickens

The aim of the study was to study the effectiveness of using a domestic feed additive based on chitosan (chitosan complex KX-1). The three control houses had 118,000 chicks at the start of the experiment, and the three experimental houses had 117,906 chicks. Broilers of experienced poultry houses were injected with a chitosan complex at the rate of 70 g per 1 ton of compound feed during the entire growing period (38-40 days). In the control poultry houses, broilers received feed with nutritional value according to the VNITIP standards. It was found that the gross production of broilers for slaughter in live weight in three control poultry houses was 254,120 kg, in three experimental ones - 255,830 kg, and the production of poultry meat in slaughter weight - 193,950 kg and 197,957 kg, respectively. In poultry houses where the chitosan complex was used in feed for broiler chickens, 4007 kg (2.02%) more meat was obtained than in the control. This was achieved due to the higher viability and safety of broiler chickens in all experimental poultry houses - 93.14%, and in control - 91.83%. The superiority in feed conversion of broilers grown in experimental poultry houses in comparison with the control ones was established. The fat content in the pectoral and leg muscles of the control and experimental broilers was low - 1.42-1.12% and 3.84-3.42%, respectively. At the same time, in the pectoral and femoral muscles of the experimental broilers, the fat content was 0.30% (P&lt;0.05) and 0.42% (P&lt;0.05) less compared to the control ones, which indicates an increase in the dietary properties of meat with use of the chitosan complex in poultry feeding.

Mixed Solid-State Fermentation of Okara and Copra Meal by Probiotics with Non-Starch Polysaccharide Enzymes and Its Effects on the Growth Performance and Ileal Microbiota in Broilers

With the global shortage of feed ingredients, the use of agricultural by-products has become an alternative to animal feed. Okara, a by-product of soymilk and tofu processing, is high in nutrients but contains non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and has a high-water content, which are disadvantages in animal feed. Herein, we mixed okara and copra meal (CM) with probiotics (Lactobacillus species and Clostridium butyricum) and NSP enzymes (NSPases) for solid-state fermentation (SSF) to enhance okara feed value; the optimal parameters of fermented okara and CM (FOCM) and their effects on broiler growth performance and ileal microbiota were investigated. The result showed that FOCM in combination with NSPases and probiotics at 55% of the initial moisture content and 60 h fermentation time at 37 °C were able to degrade NSP and reduce sugar content. After fermentation, the total viable counts, lactic acid, and butyric acid contents in the FOCM were 8.6 log CFU/g, 3.7%, and 17.15%, respectively. During the fifth week of the feeding period and over the whole feeding period, broilers fed with 1.25% and 2.5% FOCM had a better feed conversion ratio (p &lt; 0.05); both groups increased the duodenal villus length (p &lt; 0.05). Further microbiome analysis suggested that FOCM significantly increased the abundance of the phylum Firmicutes and reduced the abundance of Escherichia-Shigella in the ileal content (p &lt; 0.05). Collectively, supplementation of probiotics and enzymes during SSF was found to be effective in enhancing the nutritional value of FOCM. Moreover, dietary supplementation of FOCM improved the broiler feed conversion ratio, gut morphology, and ileal microbiota.

Review on the use of probiotics in poultry production (Layers and broilers) as feed additives

In this paper, recent developments in the use and mechanism of probiotics (direct-fed microbial) in poultry are reviewed. Probiotics have been shown to enhance growth performance and feed conversion in broilers as well as egg mass, egg weight, and egg size in layers when added to the diet. The mode of action of probiotics in poultry includes maintaining normal intestinal microflora through competitive exclusion and antagonistic interactions; (ii) altering metabolism by increasing digestive enzyme activity and decreasing bacterial enzyme activity and ammonia production; (iii) improving feed intake and digestion; and (iv) neutralising enterotoxins and enhancing the immune system. Nutritional benefits include higher laying and egg quality, greater daily increments, and improved feed conversion ratio in flocks treated with probiotics (FCR). The quality of meat has also increased. This demonstrates how employing probiotics can improve production outcomes for producers. Poultry immunity is enhanced in addition to these advantages for production by giving the organism the ability to better protect itself against illnesses and stress. The versatility of probiotics and the fact that the bacteria used in their production are an essential component of animal digestive tracts make them safe feed additives, but more research is needed to address the lack of accuracy in the formulation of non-European preparations due to unknown interactions between probiotic bacteria strains as well as their metabolites.

Protease supplementation reduced the heat increment of feed and improved energy and nitrogen partitioning in broilers fed maize-based diets with supplemental phytase and xylanase.

An experiment was conducted to explore the effects of digestible amino acid (dAA) concentrations and supplemental protease on live performance and energy partitioning in broilers. Ross 308 male broilers (n = 288) were distributed into 24 floor pens and offered 1 of 4 dietary treatments with 6 replicates from 1 to 35 d of age. Dietary treatments consisted of a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with dAA concentrations (standard and reduced [34 g/kg below standard]) and supplemental protease (without or with) as the main factors. At 1, 15, 28, and 35 d of age, feed and broilers were weighed to determine live performance. From 20 to 23 d of age, a total of 32 birds (2 birds/chamber, 4 replicates) were placed in closed-calorimeter chambers to determine respiratory exchange (heat production, HP), apparent metabolisable energy (AME), retained energy (RE), and net energy (NE). From 29 to 35 d of age, supplemental protease in the reduced-dAA diet decreased broiler feed conversion ratio (FCR) by 5.6 points, whereas protease supplementation in the standard-dAA diet increased FCR by 5.8 points. The indirect calorimetry assay revealed that supplemental protease decreased (P < 0.05) the heat increment of feed (HIF) by 0.22 MJ/kg. Also, from 20 to 23 d of age, broilers offered the reduced-dAA diet with supplemental protease had a higher daily body weight gain (BWG) (+10.4%), N intake (+7.1%), and N retention (+8.2%) than those offered the standard-dAA with supplemental protease. Broilers offered the reduced-dAA without supplemental protease exhibited a 3.6% higher AME-to-crude protein (CP) ratio than those offered other treatments. Protease supplementation in the standard- and reduced-dAA diets resulted in 2.7% and 5.6% lower AME intake-to-N retention ratios, respectively, compared with the unsupplemented controls. Reduced-dAA increased (P < 0.05) AME intake (+4.8%), RE (+9.8%), NE intake (+5.8%), NE intake-to-CP ratio (+3.0%), and RE fat-to-RE ratio (+8.6%). Protease supplementation increased (P < 0.05) respiratory quotient (+1.2%) and N retention-to-N intake ratio (+2.2%), NE-to-AME ratio (+1.9%), and reduced HP (−3.6%), heat increment (−7.4%), and NE intake-to-N retention (−2.5%). In conclusion, protease positively affected FCR and energy partitioning in broilers; responses were most apparent in diets with reduced-dAA concentrations.

Effect of Metabolizable Energy and Crumble Quality of the Diet on Growth Performance of Broilers

In order to optimize the growth performance of broilers, diets are formulated to a recommended ME concentration. In addition, broilers (chicks) are often fed diets in the form of crumbles in early production to improve growth performance. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of ME concentration in diets and if removal of crumble fines influenced the growth performance response of broilers. At hatch, a total of 300 one-day-old male broilers (Cobb 500, initial BW 0.093 lb) were used in an 18-day study. Broilers were housed in 3 Petersime batteries with ad libitum access to feed and water. Treatments were randomly assigned to 60 cages balanced by location, resulting in 10 cages per treatment with 5 broilers per cage. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial of ME content (1,376 and 1,346 ME, kcal/lb) and crumbled diets with or without fines (removed particles < 1,532 µm or < 864 µm). Crumble treatments were fed with no sifting (NS) or sifted using either a screen with 0.06-in. openings (removed particles < 1,532 µm) or a screen with 0.03-in. openings (removed particles < 864 µm). Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS (v. 9.4, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC). There was no evidence of an interaction between crumble fines removal and ME or main effect of ME. Body weight gain (BWG) and total feed intake (TFI) increased (P < 0.05) when broilers were fed crumbles sifted with a 0.06-in. screen compared to NS and crumbles sifted with a 0.03-in. screen. Broiler feed conversion ratio (FCR) improved (P < 0.001) when broilers were fed crumbles sifted with a 0.06-in. screen compared to those fed NS and sifted with a 0.03-in. screen. In conclusion, broilers fed crumbles with particles < 1,532 µm removed had an improved FCR and an increased BWG and TFI regardless of the ME content of the diet. Increasing ME from 1,346 to 1,376 kcal/lb did not influence growth performance of broilers from d 0 to 18 d of age.

Improving the fattening and meat traits of broiler chickens

In order to save the cost of expensive compound feed, a number of biologically active substances (vitamins and amino acids) and improve the digestibility of nutrients for the first time in poultry meat using laser technology there is a real possibility of “transferring” the studied amino acids (methionine, glycine) and all water-soluble vitamins using a laser beam through the skin in the breast area of broiler chickens. The research has been carried out in Belgrankorm-Veliky Novgorod LLC in the Krestetsky district in the Novgorod region with a large-cage housing method of broiler chickens of the cross Hubbard. The duration of broilers rearing was 39 days, 4 recipes of compound feed based on wheat grain, corn, soybeen meal with the inclusion of fish flour, sunflower oil, corn gluten, sunflower meal, meat and bone meal and mineral additives (monocalcium phosphate, lime flour) have been used. For better assimilation of nutrients and biologically active substances by the body amino acids (methionine, glycine) and water-soluble vitamins Undevit, both individually and in combination with them in a ratio of 1:1 (by weight), in the form of powders passed through an infra-red laser beam in a spatial modulator, which were attached to two emitters (simultaneously) of the “Uzor-2K-Super” laser in the chest area have been used. Broilers of the experimental groups ate feed more often and faster than the herdmates of the control group. Air ozonation in the poultry house and broilers has been carried out in a mobile way using the Rios ozonator of the Decont series (mode 3, with a capacity of 20 g/m3 ). Innovative methods of influencing on the body caused the increase in the intensity of metabolic processes, growth and development, fattening and meat traits, and feed conversion in broilers.

Inositol and gradient phytase supplementation in broiler diets during a 6-week production period: 1. effects on growth performance and meat yield

An experiment was conducted to evaluate effects of inositol and gradient phytase supplementation on growth performance and meat yield of broilers from 1 to 41 d of age. A total of 1,920 Yield Plus × Ross 708 male chicks were placed in 64 floor pens (30 birds per pen). Each pen received one of the 8 dietary treatments (8 replicate pens) from 1 to 15, 16 to 29, and 30 to 40 d of age. Treatment 1 was formulated to contain 0.165 and 0.150% lower calcium and phosphorus, respectively, than treatment 7 (positive control). Phytase was added to treatment 1 at concentration of 500, 1,500, 4,500, 13,500, and 40,500 phytase units (FTU)/kg to establish treatments 2 to 6, respectively. Treatment 8 was formulated by adding inositol to treatment 7 based on the expected inositol liberation in treatment 6. Feed and birds were weighed at 1, 15, 29, and 40 d of age to determine BW gain, feed intake, and feed conversion. Twelve birds per pen were processed at 41 d of age to determine carcass characteristics. From 1 to 40 d of age, log-quadratic effects of phytase (treatments 1–6) were observed for BW gain (P = 0.002) and feed conversion in broilers (P = 0.018), whereas feed intake increased log-linearly (P = 0.045). The addition of 40,500 FTU/kg of phytase increased cumulative BW gain (P = 0.001) and decreased cumulative feed conversion (P = 0.005) by 4.7 and 2.6%, respectively, compared with birds subjected to treatment 8. Log-quadratic effects of phytase additions were observed for carcass (P < 0.001) and breast meat weights (P = 0.004). Growth performance and carcass characteristics of broilers subjected to treatment 7 were similar (P > 0.05) to those of birds subjected to treatment 8. These data demonstrate that the extraphosphoric effects of phytase may be associated with increased feed intake of broilers. Inositol supplementation did not provide additional benefits to broilers in this study.

Effects of ND vaccination combined LPS on growth performance, antioxidant performance and lipid metabolism of broiler

Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) is the important pathogen of Newcastle Disease (ND) attacking chicken, turkey and other birds. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effects of immune stress induced by ND vaccination and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on growth performance, antioxidant ability, and lipid metabolism of broilers. In total, 128 one-day-old broilers were randomly assigned to the following four groups and were treated as indicated: normal control (NC); vaccinated with live LaSota ND vaccine (CV); administered ND vaccine and 0.25 mg/kg body weight (BW) LPS (L-LPS); and administered ND vaccine and 0.5 mg/kg BW LPS (H-LPS). The results demonstrated that broiler feed conversion ratio (FCR) was increased in the groups CV, L-LPS and H-LPS from d 0 to 42 days compared with the group NC. The antioxidant function of broilers was decreased as indicated by the malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels in the serum of the treated groups. ND vaccination combined LPS increased the concentration of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), but decreased the concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) compared with the group NC. The reverse transcription (RT)-PCR results revealed that the mRNA expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase gene (ACC) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase (HMGR) in the liver were downregulated, whereas the mRNA expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α were upregulated compared with the group NC. These results suggest that ND vaccination combined LPS reduced broiler growth performance and antioxidant ability, whereas it activated AMPK-mediated lipid metabolism.

Efficiency of Dietary Supplementation of Flavonoid (Quercetin), Vegetable Oil and Its Combination on Growth Traits and Feed Conversion in Broilers

The study was conducted to investigate the efficiency of dietary supplementation of Flavonoid (Quercetin) compound, vegetable oil and its combination on feed intake, growth traits and feed conversion in broiler chickens. Four dietary treatments were assigned in to 192 Vencob-400 strain broiler chicks for the 35 days duration (7th-42nd days). The treatments were control (T1) without any supplementation, whereas T2, T3 and T4 supplemented with Quercetin (1g kg−1), vegetable oil (>10% of ME recommendation) and combination of Quercetin with vegetable oil, respectively. Each group comprised of four replicates (12 birds in each). All the treatment groups were fed similar corn soya based basal diet. Daily and weekly feed intake throughout the experimental period was found comparable among the dietary treatment groups except the period of 4th week, where higher (P<0.05) feed intake was observed in control (T1). During starter phase weekly body weight gain (g/bird/week) and weekly growth rate (g/bird/d) was significantly (P<0.01) differ amongst the group, which was highest in T4; while these parameters were found comparable in finisher phase. However, the cumulative weight gains and cumulative growth rate were significantly (P<0.01) higher in T3 and T4 group. Similarly, Quercetin supplementation (T2) had also revealed higher cumulative weekly weight gain and growth rate over control group (P<0.01). The feed conversion ratio was revealed better (P<0.05) in T4 group during 4th and 6th week and also for overall experiment. Thus, the supplementation of Quercetin or vegetable oil or its combination in broilers had shown a better growth performance and improvement in feed conversion ratio.

Broiler FCR Optimization Using Norm Optimal Terminal Iterative Learning Control

Broiler feed conversion rate (FCR) optimization reduces the amount of feed, water, and electricity required to produce a mature broiler, where temperature control is one of the most influential factors. Iterative learning control (ILC) provides a potential solution given the repeated nature of the production process, as it has been especially developed for systems that make repeated executions of the same finite duration task. Dynamic neural network models provide a basis for control synthesis, as no first-principle mathematical models of the broiler growth process exist. The final FCR at slaughter is one of the primary performance parameters for broiler production, and it is minimized using a modified terminal ILC law in this article. Simulation evaluation of the new designs is undertaken using a heuristic broiler growth model based on the knowledge of a broiler application expert and experimentally on a state-of-the-art broiler house that produces approximately 40000 broilers per batch.

Effect of dietary inclusion of guanidinoacetic acid on broiler performance

Background: Creatine and its precursor, guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), decrease protein degradation, avoiding amino acid offset to gluconeogenesis. Objective: To evaluate the inclusion of GAA in the pre-initial diet (1 to 7 days) on performance, digestibility, and blood parameters of broilers from one to 21 days of age. Methods: 252 male broiler chickens aged one day were distributed in a completely randomized design with seven replicates and 12 animals per experimental unit. Treatments consisted of a basal diet, and the basal added with 0.10 and 0.20% GAA. Results: From days 1 to 7, a tendency on improved feed conversion (FC) was observed for broilers receiving 0.20% GAA (p&lt;0.10). Between 7 and 14 days, FC improved, as well as a tendency was observed on improved weight gain in animals fed 0.20% GAA. Animals that received 0.20% GAA showed higher blood concentrations of creatine kinase. Blood creatine and blood glucose did not differ between treatments at day six. The assimilation coefficient of crude protein increased during days 3 to 7 for animals receiving 0.20% GAA. On the period between 17 and 21 days, no difference was observed between treatments. Intestinal weight and length did not show significant differences. Conclusion: Dietary inclusion of 0.20% GAA during the pre-initial stage could improve weight gain and feed conversion of broilers between 1 and 14 days of age.

Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation improves feed conversion in broilers subjected to heat stress associated with muscle creatine loading and arginine sparing

It was hypothesized that dietary guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), the precursor of creatine (Cr), would be beneficial to heat-stressed finisher broilers owing to improved cellular energy status and arginine sparing effects. A total of 720 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were allocated to 3 treatments, 0 (control), 0.6, or 1.2 g/kg of GAA added to complete corn–soybean meal diets, and were fed for 39 D, with 12 replicates (20 birds each) per treatment. A chronic cyclic heat stress model (at a temperature of 34°C and 50 to 60% relative humidity for 7 h daily) was applied in the finisher phase (day 25–39). Samples were taken on day 26 and 39 to determine thrombocyte, white blood cell, corticosterone, protein and amino acid levels in blood and Cr, phosphocreatine (PCr), and adenosine triphosphate levels in the breast muscle. Meat quality was assessed on day 40 after overnight fasting. Guanidinoacetic acid at a dose of 1.2 g/kg decreased feed-to-gain ratio compared with the control in the grower phase (1.32 vs. 1.35, respectively; P <0.05). In the finisher period, the supplementation of 1.2 g/kg of GAA reduced feed intake compared with the control (–3.3%, P <0.05), whereas both GAA supplementation levels improved feed efficiency markedly (1.76, 1.66, and 1.67 for 0 [control], 0.6, and 1.2 g/kg of GAA, respectively, P <0.05). Mortality outcomes highlight that GAA feeding improved survival during heat stress, supported by lower panting frequency (linear effect, P <0.05). Plasma arginine was higher with increase in dietary GAA concentration on day 26 (+18.3 and + 30.8% for 0.6 and 1.2 g/kg of GAA, respectively; P <0.05). This suggests enhanced availability of arginine for other metabolic purposes than de novo GAA formation. In the breast muscle, PCr (day 39, P <0.05), free Cr (day 39, P <0.05), total Cr (both days, P <0.05), and PCr-to-adenosine triphosphate ratio (day 39, P <0.05) levels were increased with higher GAA content in diet. Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation improved feed conversion and survival during chronic cyclic heat stress, which may be associated with enhanced breast muscle energy status and arginine sparing effect.