Performance Characteristics Of Broilers Research Articles

Effect of Using Raw and Treated Quinoa Seeds (Chenopodium Quinoa) in the Diet on the Productive Performance Characteristics of Broilers

The experiment aimed to study the use of different proportions of raw and treated Chenopodium quinoa seeds by soaking in the diet in order to identify the effect on the productive performance characteristics of broilers of 42 days of age. A 336 sexed broilers (Ross 308) were distributed randomly at one-day old, with an average initial weight of 39 g/chick, divided into seven treatments, 48 chicks/treatment, each treatment included three replicates, 16 chicks/replicate (8 males and 8 females). The chicks were fed on the starter diet (1-14) days of age, the grower diet of (15-28) days of age, and finisher diet (29-42) days of age, supplemented with raw quinoa seeds and treated by soaking as the first treatment (T1) was a control treatment without any addition. (T2) added 0.5% raw quinoa seeds, (T3) added 1% raw quinoa seeds, (T4) added 1.5% raw quinoa seeds, (T5) added 0.5% quinoa seeds treated with soaking, (T6) added 1% quinoa seeds treated with soaking, (T7) added 1. 5% quinoa seeds treated with soaking. The results showed a significant superiority (P<0.05) in the production performance in the final body weight rate, the total weight gain, and the cumulative feed consumption for the treatments of using raw and treated quinoa seeds (T2, T4, T5, T6, and T7) compared to the control treatment. It is concluded from the current study that the raw and treated quinoa seeds used in the broiler diet, and by increasing the concentrations, improved the production performance. Besides, this improvement appears obviously at the level of 1.5% of the seeds treated by soaking.

Effects of steam-exploded wood as an insoluble dietary fiber source on the performance characteristics of broilers

Effects of modified insoluble fiber originating from steam-exploded Quercus mongolica were studied relative to growth performance, blood parameters, intestinal morphology, and other intestinal characteristics in poultry broilers. First, the effect of steam-explosion on physicochemical properties of insoluble fiber from Q. mongolica was investigated. Steam-explosion (severity factor Log (Ro) = 3.94) was found to increase the physical properties (water-holding capacity, oil-holding capacity, and swelling capacity) of Q. mongolica chip to different extents. Effects of feeding different concentrations of steam-exploded Q. mongolica on performance characteristics of broilers were investigated. Experimental diets of broilers consisted of a control diet (free of steam-exploded Q. mongolica), and four diets containing 0.5% to 2.0% steam-exploded Q. mongolica (severity factor Log (Ro) = 3.94). A diet containing 1.0% steam-exploded Q. mongolica promoted broiler growth performance (body weight (858.9 g) and improved blood characteristics (130.0 mg/dL), intestinal morphology (V:C ratio 7.50), and organ weights (length of intestine 17.6 cm/100 g body weight).

The effect of reduced calorie diets, with and without fat, and the use of xylanase on performance characteristics of broilers between 0 and 42 days

When decreasing the energy value of broiler diets, nonstarch polysaccharide degrading enzymes, such as xylanase, are often used. In doing so, they are assigned an energy value and considered to contribute energy to the diet. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of decreasing energy in a broiler diet by 100 kCal/kg on performance and whether the expected drop in performance could be recovered with the use of xylanase. Two formulations were used to provide decreased energy diets, both with and without supplementary fat. Six hundred 1-d-old male Cobb broilers were placed in a 2 × 3 full factorial design in 5 randomized complete blocks. The treatments were enzyme dose at 0 or 16,000 U/kg, and the 3 different diets [positive control (PC), negative control 1, without fat (NC1), and negative control 2 with fat (NC2)]. At no point were there any interactions between diet type and enzyme inclusion; where there was an effect of xylanase, it was consistent regardless of the diet type. There was a significant effect of diet type on feed intake between d 0 to 35; NC1 and NC2 had significantly increased feed intake compared with the PC (P = 0.006). The feed conversion ratio was significantly increased in birds fed the negative control diets during 0 to 35 d and 0 to 42 d (P = 0.003 and P = 0.002, respectively). However, feed conversion ratio was significantly improved by the addition of enzyme during periods 0 to 35 d and 0 to 42 d. There were no significant main effects between d 0 and 21 (all responses P > 0.1). Liveability was not affected by any of the treatments (P > 0.1). Decreasing energy in broiler diets results in worsened performance. The use of xylanase may improve feed conversion ratio. The use of some fat may help, so the whole diet composition should be considered in conjunction with enzyme dose to achieve the best advantage.