This study was carried out with the purpose of evaluating the effect of supplementing hens’ diets with trace minerals from inorganic or organic sourc

The growing restriction of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) use in farming animals has raised a concern regarding the viability of the animal production system. In this new context, feed additives with proven positive impact on intestinal health may be used as strategy to avoid losses on performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a protected blend of organic acids and essential oils [P(OA+EO)] on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal health of broiler chickens. A total of 1,080 Cobb × Cobb 500 male broilers were randomly distributed in four treatments with 10 replicates (27 birds/each). Treatments were as follow: non-challenged control; challenged control; AGP (enramycin at 10 g/t); and P(OA+EO) at 300 g/t. All birds on challenged groups were challenged with Eimeria spp. at 1 day and with Clostridium perfringens at 11, 12, and 13 days. Body weight gain (BWG), feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were evaluated until 42 days. At 17 days, one bird per pen was orally gavaged with fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-d) and blood samples were collected for FITC-d detection to assess intestinal permeability. At 21 days, apparent ileal nutrient and energy (IDE) digestibility, intestinal macroscopic and histologic alterations (ISI) and, expression of mucin2 (MUC2), claudin1 (CLDN1), and occludin (OCLN) genes in the jejunum were evaluated. From 1 to 42 days, birds from the non-challenged and P(OA+EO) groups had greater (P < 0.001) BWG compared to challenged control and AGP groups. The challenged control group presented the worst FCR (P < 0.001). IDE was 106 kcal/kg greater when broilers were fed P(OA+EO) compared to the challenged control group. Broilers supplemented with P(OA+EO) had improved intestinal integrity with lower blood FITC-d concentration and ISI scores, and greater expression of MUC2, CLDN1, and OCLN genes compared to the challenged control group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the P(OA+EO) and the AGP led to increased growth performance, nutrient digestibility and intestinal health of challenged broilers. A marked difference occurred in favor of the P(OA+EO), suggesting that this blend may be used to improve intestinal health and broiler growth performance in AGP free programs.

Two experiments (Exp.) were conducted to evaluate effects of a lysophospholipid-based bio-emulsifier (LPL) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and energy utilization of broilers as well as the return on investment (ROI). In Exp. 1, 392 chicks were housed in battery cages in a completely randomized design with 8 treatments and 7 replicates of 7 birds each from d 0 to 21 posthatch. In Exp. 2, 1,400 chicks were allocated in floor pens and fed the same 8 treatments, with 7 replicates and 25 birds each from d 0 to 43 posthatch. Treatments consisted of 6 degummed soybean oil-based diets: positive control (PC1); PC1 formulated with 500 g/ton LPL (PC1+LPL on top); PC1 formulated with 60 kcal LPL matrix (PC1+LPL60); PC1 formulated with 100 kcal LPL matrix (PC1+LPL100); and two negative controls NC-60 and NC-100 with reductions of 60 and 100 kcal/kg ME, respectively. Two other diets were formulated with acid soybean oil: positive control (PC2) and PC2 formulated with 60 kcal LPL matrix (PC2+LPL60). In Exp. 1, performance was evaluated from d 0 to 21, ME and ileal digestibility of DM, CP and energy were determined on d 21. In Exp. 2, growth performance was evaluated from d 0 to 42, and on d 43 carcass and abdominal fat yields were calculated. There were no effects of soybean oil sources in any parameter. Inclusion of LPL increased (P < 0.05) BW gain and ileal digestibility of DM, fat and CP. Broilers fed the PC1+LPL on top diet had increased (P < 0.05) performance, ileal digestibility and energy utilization as well as decreased abdominal fat compared to NC-60 or NC-100. The use of LPL on top had a ROI of 8:1 vs. PC1, considering the gains in revenue of the slaughtered broilers in relation to the investment with LPL in feed. In conclusion, a lysophospholipid-based bio-emulsifier increased performance, digestibility and return on investment of broilers fed standard or reformulated diets.

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary α-amylase and β-xylanase supplementation of corn-soy diets, formulated with or without suppl

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of an exogenous protease added to diets having soybean meal (SBM) from two geographic areas in Brazil (South or North). Evaluation was conducted on energy utilisation and nutrient digestibility using 224 slow feathering Cobb×Cobb 500 male broilers. Birds were fed a common starter diet to d 15. Semi-purified experimental diets containing 555g/kg SBM and 408g/kg maize starch plus minerals and vitamins were provided afterwards until 24 d. Diets had 0.1g/kg phytase and 10g/kg Celite (indigestible marker). Birds were randomly distributed in a 2×2 factorial arrangement of the two SBM with or without protease supplementations (0 or 15,000 protease units/kg) from 17 to 24 d. Excreta were collected from 21 to 23 d and ileal content was collected from all birds. Samples of feed, excreta, and ileal content were analysed for determination of total tract retention and ileal apparent digestibility. No interactions between SBM and protease were observed. Broilers fed semi-purified diets formulated with South SBM had lower (P<0.05) ileal digestibility of crude protein and also from most amino acids (AA) when compared with birds fed North SBM. Ileal digestible energy was increased (P<0.01) by 0.51MJ/kg when birds were fed the diet supplemented with protease. Indispensable and dispensable AA digestibility also increased (P<0.05) with protease supplementation. Ileal digestibility coefficients of Met, Lys, Thr and Val were increased (P<0.05) by 3.1%, 3.1%, 4.8%, and 3.3%, respectively when birds were fed the diet supplemented with protease. Results from this experiment show that utilisation of energy and AA from SBM depends on its origin, but protease supplementation improved their utilisation regardless of the SBM source

Three experiments were conducted separately to estimate the digestible Lys (dig. Lys) requirements of Cobb × Cobb 500 male broilers using different statistical models. For each experiment, 1,200 chicks were housed in 48 floor pens in a completely randomized design with 6 treatments and 8 replicates. Broilers were fed diets with increasing dig. Lys levels from 1 to 12 d (Exp. 1), from 12 to 28 d (Exp. 2), and 28 to 42 d (Exp. 3). Increasing dig. Lys levels were equally spaced from 0.97 to 1.37% in Exp. 1, 0.77 to 1.17% in Exp. 2, and 0.68 to 1.07% in Exp. 3. The lowest dig. Lys diets were not supplemented with L-Lysine and all other essential AA met or exceeded recommendations. In Exp. 3, six birds per pen were randomly selected from each replication to evaluate carcass and breast yields. Digestible Lys requirements were estimated by quadratic polynomial (QP), linear broken-line (LBL), quadratic broken-line (QBL), and exponential asymptotic (EA) models. Overall, dig. Lys requirements varied among response variables and statistical models. Increasing dietary dig. Lys had a positive effect on BW, carcass and breast yields. Levels of dig. Lys that optimized performance using QP, LBL, QBL, and EA models were 1.207, 1.036, 1.113, and 1.204% for BWG and 1.190, 1.027, 1.100, and 1.172% for FCR in Exp. 1; 1.019, 0.853, 0.944; 1.025% for BWG and 1.050, 0.879, 1.032, and 1.167% for FCR in Exp. 2; and 0.960, 0.835, 0.933, and 1.077% for BWG, 0.981, 0.857, 0.963, and 1.146% for FCR in Exp. 3. The QP, LBL, QBL, and EA also estimated dig. Lys requirements as 0.941, 0.846, 0.925, and 1.070% for breast meat yield in Exp. 3. In conclusion, Lys requirements vary greatly according to the statistical analysis utilized; therefore, the origin of requirement estimation must be taken into account in order to allow adequate comparisons between references.