A feeding trial was carried out using 576 Ross 308 male chickens to test the effects of an amorphous lignocellulose (LC) product (Arbocel). Three dietary treatments (control, 0.5% LC (LC 0.5), and 0.8% LC (LC 0.8) were used, and the diets were fed in eight replicate pens of 24 chickens. The LC treatments did not modify the weight gain of the chickens, but they tended to decrease the feed intake and FCR in the grower phase. The high swelling characteristics of LC resulted in lower dry matter (DM) contents in the crop (p < 0.002) and gizzard (p < 0.047) on day 14 and day 24, respectively. The lower pH in the gizzard and duodenum of LC diets suggests longer retention time and more HCl secretion in the proventriculus and gizzard. Except for α-amylase on day 24, the treatments did not modify the digestive enzyme content of the jejunum. The microbiota diversity and microbiota composition of ileal contents were affected only by the age of birds. The results suggest that the LC product can exert its potential positive effects mainly in the upper part of the digestive tract due to its special physical characteristics. LC can slow down the passage rate in the gizzard and modify the digestion and the dynamics of water absorption from the jejunum and ileum.

Sunflower meal (SM) is an economically important, inexpensive, and locally abundant alternative protein source in the Eurozone. The study aimed at investigating the effects of feeding two forms of SM on the production traits, carcass composition, nutrient digestibility, and some gut parameters of broiler chickens. A total of 600-day-old Ross 308 male broilers were fed five isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets. Besides the control diet (C), the high- and low-fibre SMs (HFSM and LFSM) were fed at 20% (HFSM20 and LFSM20) and 30% (HFSM30 and LFSM30). Compared to the C, feeding the SM-containing diets did not affect the feed intake (FI) of birds. In the finisher phase, the HFSM30 treatment resulted in significantly higher, while the LFSM30 diet in significantly lower body weight gain. All SM treatments impaired FCR, but the difference was significant only in the grower phase. In comparison with the C, the SM treatments failed to modify carcass composition. The fat digestibility and the AMEn content increased, while the starch digestibility decreased when SM was fed. Except the LFSM30 treatment in the grower phase, the Nitrogen retention of birds was not affected. The SM-containing diets reduced the urinary N excretion, and the total N excretion of growers. Furthermore, the HFSM30 reduced the jejunal viscosity during the grower and finisher phases. The treatments did not modify the short-chain fatty acid contents of the caeca. In conclusion, SM can be used even at 20 and 30% in the nutrition of broiler chickens. However, the responses are affected by the age and the fibre content of SM.

The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the effects of oats, with and without hulls, on the histomorphometry parameters of the jejunum and ileum, the viscosity of the jejunal content and the ileal microbiota composition of broilers. A floor pen trial was carried out with 576 one-day-old Ross 308 broilers. Aside from a maize–soybean-based control diet (C), the two other treatments contained whole oats (WO) or dehulled oats (DO) in the starter (10%), grower (10%) and finisher (20%) phases. On day 39, eight chickens per treatment were slaughtered, and gut samples were collected for histology, jejunal chymus viscosity and ileal chymus microbiota analysis. Feeding the WO and DO diets increased the thickness of lamina propria in the jejunum, without affecting villus height and crypt depth. WO increased, while DO decreased, villus height in the ileum, and both forms of oats decreased crypt depth. The oat treatments failed to result in significant changes in the jejunal viscosity, although DO tended to increase this parameter. As a result of WO and DO treatments, the Lactococcus genus showed a decreasing tendency in the ileum. In conclusion, feeding WO and DO to broiler chickens results only in slight changes in the small intestine.

Sunflower meal (SFM) is an alternative protein source for poultry. It is locally available and cheap, and its protein is rich in methionine and cystine. The high fibre and phytate content of SFM are, however, limitation factors. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of feeding SFM and using superdosing phytase (1500 FTU) on the production performance and nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens. A total of 576-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were fed four iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric diets: control (C), C with superdosing phytase (CP), SFM, and SFM with superdosing phytase (SFMP). SFM was included at 20% and 30% in the grower and finisher phases, respectively. Neither SFM nor phytase superdosing affected the production traits in the grower phase. However, in the finisher phase, SFM significantly increased body weight gain (BWG) and decreased the feed conversion ratio (FCR). This positive result was also true for the cumulative performance of birds. On day 42, feeding SFM increased fat digestibility and the AMEn content of diets, but decreased the digestion of starch. Superdosing phytase increased both fat and starch digestion, as well as the AMEn and the N-retention of chickens. SFM was found to have no effect on the apparent ileal amino acid (AA) digestibility. Conversely, the phytase treatment significantly increased the absorption of several essential AAs. In conclusion, not only is fibre SFM tolerated by broiler chickens, but it can also improve production traits. Although superdosing phytase positively affects the digestibility of nutrients, it fails to cause changes in the BWG or FCR of chickens.

A feeding trial was carried out with Tetra SL laying hens for 6 weeks in order to evaluate the effects of and insect larvae meal on the production traits and egg quality parameters. A product, developed for human nutrition (AdalbaPro) was used, containing Alphitobius diaperinus larvae meal (ADM). ADM was incorporated at 10 (ADM10) and 15% (ADM15) on the expense of soybean meal. The control (C) and ADM containing diets were fed with 16 replicate hens kept in individual cages. The production traits and egg quality parameters, including also the electronic nose technique were evaluated. Among the production traits (weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, egg production percentage, egg weight) only egg weight was affected by the dietary treatments. Both ADM diets decreased the egg weight in comparison with the control. Beside egg weight, none of the other egg quality parameters were affected. ADM failed to modify the fat content of egg yolk but resulted significant changes in the fatty acid composition of the yolk fat. Feeding ADM increased the lauric, stearic and linoleic acid and decreased the oleic and α-linolenic acid concentrations of the yolk. The results of the electronic nose proved, that ADM resulted specific volatile compound structure, that can be used for the identification of the insect meal eggs. Among the identified compounds ADM reduced the intensity of dimethyl sulphide, ethyl acetate and acetaldehyde in comparison with the control eggs. The tasting and organoleptic evaluation of boiled eggs by the volunteers resulted higher quality scores and acceptance of the ADM eggs. From the results it can be concluded that insect meal can be used efficiently even at high incorporation rates in layer diets. The reason of the egg weight reduction needs further investigation.