Influence of Trichoderma viride enzyme complex on nutrient utilization and performance of laying hens in diets with and without antibiotic supplementation

Pasture, multi-enzymes, benzoic acid and essential oils positively influence performance, intestinal organ weight and egg quality in free-range laying hens

1. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of range type, multi-enzyme applications, and a combination of benzoic acid (BA) and essential oils (EO) on the productive performance, organ weight and egg quality of free-range laying hens. 2. Three hundred laying hens were evaluated for the short-term (6 weeks) and long-term (12 weeks) effects of range type (G = no pasture, P = pasture) and feed additives (T1 = control; T2 = betaglucanase/pectinase/protease; T3 = BA/EO). Body weight, feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg production (EP), digestive organ weight, and egg quality (EQ) were evaluated. Data were analysed using SPSS 2.2 in a 2×2×3 factorial arrangement. 3. Hens that ranged on pasture were significantly heavier (2043 g vs. 1996 g; p < 0.001), laid heavier eggs (61.9 g vs. 60.3 g; p < 0.001) and produced darker yolk colour (4.3 vs. 7.0; p < 0.001) compared to hens ranged on gravel. Hens fed T2 were significantly heavier (2050 g) compared to hens fed T1 (2005 g) or T3 (2008 g). Organ weights (gizzard, liver and pancreas) were significantly heavier in hens ranged on pasture (16.8 g/kg BW, 22.3 g/kg BW and 1.89 g/kg BW, respectively) compared to hens ranged on gravel (14.2 g/kg BW, 21.7 g/kg BW and 1.83 g/kg BW, respectively). Over time, body weight (1970-2070 g; p < 0.001) and egg weight (59.5-62.8 g; p < 0.001) increased, FI (123-120 g; p = 0.024) was reduced and FCR (2.36-2.10; p = 0.002) improved 4. In conclusion, hens housed on pasture and fed multi-enzyme supplemented diets had significantly heavier body weight and produced heavier eggs with darker yolk colour. Pasture intake and enzyme supplementation increased digestive organ weight significantly.

Exogenous enzymes for pigs and poultry

Many feed ingredients in use in monogastric diets contain significant quantities of antinutritional factors (ANF) which limit both their feed value and their use. Almost all enzymes currently being used address such factors to varying degrees, allowing for more economic utilization of raw materials. However, animal response to xylanase, β-glucanase and even phytase utilization reported in the literature tends to vary. Factors such as enzyme source, ingredient variety and environment under which the ingredient was grown, stored and processed into animal feed, age of animal, interaction with other dietary ingredients, and health status are shown to affect significantly the response obtained. As a result, the mode of action of xylanases and β-glucanases is still debated due to too much emphasis being placed on interpretation of individual trial results without regard to the interactive factors or the literature dataset as a whole. Better understanding of such factors will improve data interpretation. While results with phytase are not subject to such extreme variation, they are nevertheless inconsistent in the degree to which inorganic phosphorus can be replaced by this enzyme. Greater understanding of the ANF and factors which interact to govern the response to added exogenous enzymes will undoubtedly improve the economic return and confidence in their use. Improved knowledge of ANF structure will result in development of enzymes directed towards far more specific targets, which enhances the likelihood of success and should reduce the overall enzyme usage.

Influence of enzymes on performance and digestive parameters of broilers fed rye-based diets

An experiment was conducted to study the influence of enzyme supplementation (ES) to rye-based diets on rate of food passage through the digestive tract, viscosity of jejunum content, volatile fatty acid concentration in ceca, and performance of broilers. There were seven treatments; six diets arranged factorially with three varieties of rye (Petkus, Prima, and Saratov V) and two levels of ES (0 or 500 ppm of an enzyme complex containing 858 IU of beta-glucanase and 864 IU of xylanase/g) and an additional control diet based on corn. Each treatment was replicated seven times (12 chicks caged together), and the trial lasted 25 d. Rye feeding increased intestinal viscosity and impaired bird performance at 25 d (P < 0.001). Among rye diets the greatest feed intake and weight gain were obtained with Petkus variety, which also produced the lowest intestinal viscosity. Enzyme addition reduced the time needed to recover 1% (0.78 vs. 0.98 h; P < 0.05) and 50% (4.2 vs. 6.5 h; P < 0.01) of the marker in feces and reduced the mean retention time of marker in the gastrointestinal tract (17.1 vs. 18.8 h; P < 0.05). Also, ES reduced intestinal viscosity (P < 0.001) and improved feed intake, daily gain, and feed conversion of birds from 4 to 25 d (P < 0.01) but did not modify volatile fatty acid concentration in ceca. We concluded that ES added to rye diets decreased intestinal viscosity and accelerated digestive transit, improving productive performance of broilers.