AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program RD&E Snapshot
As we head into a new research, development and extension (RD&E) period for the Australian chicken meat industry (2022–2027), it is timely to reflect on...
CHICKEN MEAT
Final report summary: The response of broilers to insoluble fibre and exogenous enzymes in low protein diets
6 pages
Published: 14 Feb 2022
Author(s): Shubiao Wu, Nishchal Sharma, Sarbast Kheravii
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This project investigated whether adding fibre sources and/or protease to low protein broiler diets can mitigate the poorer performance and gut health outcomes associated with such diets.
The study showed that reducing dietary crude protein by 20 g/kg or less negatively affects the growth performance of broilers and increases abdominal fat pad, even when diets are supplemented with crystalline amino acids (AA) to meet the minimum required digestible AA content.
However, the supplementation of sugarcane bagasse at 20 g/kg in both normal and low crude protein (CP) diets decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR) and increased weight gain and relative gizzard weight of birds. Thus, the performance loss in broilers associated with a 20 g/kg reduction in dietary CP can be fully restored for FCR and partly restored for body weight.
Furthermore, the study showed that including exogenous protease in low protein diets improves performance in broilers.
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