New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts

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The effect of feed enzyme supplementation on the performance of meat-chickens fed enzyme-responsive barley- and wheat/maize-based diets

R. D. KING
P. J. MOUGHAN

Monogastric Research Centre
Department of Animal Science
Massey University
Private Bag 11222
Palmerston North, New Zealand

Abstract  The effect of a commercial feed enzyme complex on the performance of meat-chickens fed barley- and wheat/maize-based pelleted diets was investigated using a variety of barley whose true metabolisable energy (TME) was found to be responsive to enzyme addition and a feed grade wheat and maize. Bioassays for TME of three varieties of barley and of wheat and maize, showed Fleet barley to be responsive to enzyme addition at 100 ppm (P < 0.01) and 200 ppm (P < 0.05). The liveweight, liveweight gain, and feed conversion ratio of meat-chickens receiving Fleet barley-based diets supplemented with an enzyme complex (Roxazyme G) at either 0, 100, or 150 ppm or a wheat/maize-based dietary control with no enzyme inclusion (W/M), was significantly improved by enzyme addition.

Enzyme supplementation at 100 and 150 ppm of a W/M-based control diet had no significant effect on the performance of meat-chickens grown to 39 days.

Use of feed enzymes may permit greater use of barley in meat-chicken diets and is a strategy capable of conferring performance-enhancing effects in appropriate circumstances.

Keywords  Feed enzymes; barley; meat-chicken performance; true metabolisable energy

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1998, Vol. 41: 395-403

0028-8233/98/4103-0395 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 1998

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (710K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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