Effect of fat source, energy level and enzyme supplementation and their interactions on broiler performance

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing soybean oil (SBO), typical in broiler diets, with a less expensive commercial fat blend, Kofat (KOF). A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experimental design was used to study the interactions of the two fat sources, SBO and KOF, at two levels of metabolizable energy (ME) (low and normal) with the inclusion or not of an enzyme, Tomoko (TOM), in broiler diets. The broilers were fed ad libitum in cages from 1 to 30 days of age. Two hundred one-day-old male (Ross 308) chicks were distributed among 40 cages with five replicates per treatment, and received a starter diet from 1 to 16 days and a finisher diet for days 17 to 30. Cumulative feed intake was not influenced by fat source, energy level or TOM supplementation for the starter, finisher or total periods. For the total period (1 to 30 days), energy x enzyme interaction was significant for bodyweight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). The TOM supplementation had a positive effect on the low energy diet and a negative effect on the normal energy diet with respect to BWG and FCR. The TOM enzyme was able to restore the nutritional value in the low energy diet. Fat source had no influence on performance of broilers during the experiment period. It was concluded that KOF as a source of fat and the enzyme, TOM at a rate of 0.05%, can be included in a broiler diet where the ME level has been reduced by 414 kJ/kg during the starter and finisher periods.Keywords: Broilers, energy level, Kofat, performance, soybean oil, Tomok

Effects of the Dietary Inclusion of a Probiotic, a Prebiotic or their Combinations on the Growth Performance of Broiler Chickens

ABSTRACT A total of 350-one-day old chicks were placed in 70 cages, with 14 cages per treatment. The following five treatment diets were fed for 14 days: T1 = non-supplemented, control diet (CONT); T2 = diet with antimicrobial growth promoter (AGP); T3 = diet with a probiotic (PROB); T4 = diet with a prebiotic(PREB), and T5 = diet with the probiotic and the prebiotic (SYM). The growth experiment was carried out from 1 to 14 days of age. Feed and water were provided ad libitum and birds were maintained at 24-h light schedule. Diets were formulated to contain 3000 kcalME/kg and 21.5% crude protein, and the test materials were added on top. The cumulative results of1 to 14 days of age revealed that broiler fed the AGP and PREB diets presented the highest BWG (305.5 and 297.3 g, respectively), while those fed the CONT diet had the lowest BWG (273.2 g) (p<0.05). On the other hand, the best FCR was obtained in broilers AGP and PROB (1.296 and 1.299 g:g, respectively), while chicks on the CONT and SYM diet had the worst FCR (1.423 and 1.372 g:g, respectively) (p<0.01). The results showed broilers fed the non-supplemented diet consistently presented poor performance. It was concluded that PROB or PREB can serve as alternatives to antibiotic in broiler starter feeds, with no performance impairment

Effects of organic acid supplementation on antioxidant capacity and immune responses of broilers challenged orally with Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Typhimurium

Four commercial organic acids and a reference antibiotic, Neoxyval, were administered to commercial broilers to evaluate the efficacy of these products during pre- and post-challenge with Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) on selected indicators of their antioxidant status and immune responses in serum. Two hundred and eight broilers received one of the following seven treatments: positive control group (CTL+); negative control (CTL.); antibiotic Neoxyval, (NEOX); Gallimix (GALI); FormaXOL (FORMA); Fysal (FYS); and Selko-pH in drinking water (SELK). The chicks in treatments T2 to T7 were challenged with (3 x109 cfu/mL) of S. Typhimurium on day 16. Each treatment consisted of 10 cage replicates with four birds per cage for a starter (0 - 14 days of age) and a finisher (15 - 42 days of age) period. The results revealed that the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) value was highest when birds were supplemented with organic acids, with the highest value for FORMA (0.70 mM), which was not different from those of the FYS (0.67 mM), SELK (0.66 mM) and GALI (0.64 mM) treatments. Birds receiving treatment, CTL., produced the highest H2O2 value (75.9 ìM), while, FYS, FORMA and SELK lowered H2O2 concentration significantly (51.1, 53.8 and 55.0 ìM, respectively). Anti-Salmonella titre was significantly improved by dietary organic acid supplementation. The highest Salmonella titre was recorded for birds that received FORMA (1.54) as compared with all other treatments. Week of sampling showed a significant effect on Salmonella and Newcastle disease titres. In summary, the tested organic acids, especially FORMA, had a positive influence on TAC and Salmonella titres and reduced the H2O2 concentration in serum.Keywords: Broilers, immune responses, organic acids, oxidative stress, total antioxidant capacit

Effect of Two Strains of Probiotics on the Antioxidant Capacity, Oxidative Stress, and Immune Responses of Salmonella-Challenged Broilers

Abstract The present study aimed at evaluating the effect of two strains of probiotics (Bacillus subtilis PB6 and Bacillus Cereus var. toyoi) on selected indicators of the antioxidant status and immune responses of broilers before and after challenge with Salmonella enterica subsp. Typhimurium (S. typhimurium). Birds were distributed into the following five treatments: negative control (CTL−); negative control+S. typhimurium (CTL+); antibiotic+S. typhimurium, (AB); Toyocerin(r)+S. typhimurium (TOYO); and CloSTATTM+ S. typhimurium (CLOS). Birds in all treatments, except for CTL−, were orally challenged with 3 x109 CFUS. typhimurium at 16 days of age. The results showed that total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) values were similar among all groups. The antibody titers against S. typhimurium and Newcastle disease (ND) were not affected by the treatments (p>0.05). However, S. typhimurium and ND titers were influenced by the interaction between week and treatment (p<0.01, p<0.05, respectively) and by week (p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively). In conclusion, S. typhimurium challenge had an impact on anti-Salmonella and NC titers. Both probiotics did not affect the broilers' antioxidant capacity