Supplemental protease with phytase and xylanase and cereal grain source affected nutrient digestibility and performance of broilers

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplemental protease and cereal grain type on nutrient digestibility (jejunum and ileum) and performance of broilers offered diets with reduced amino acid concentrations and supplemental xylanase and phytase. A total of 624 male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly distributed into 48 floor pens (13 chicks/pen; 0.07 m²/bird) and offered one of six dietary treatments with eight replicates per treatment. Dietary treatments were either maize- or wheat-based with a positive control (PC) reference diet, a negative control diet without protease (NC; 60 g/kg lower amino acid density than PC), and an NC diet with protease. The reduction in amino acid density affected (PPPPPP<0.05) affected performance, whereby broilers offered maize-based diets had better performance than those fed wheat-based diets.