The effect of protease supplementation on the production performance of laying hens

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of protease enzyme supplementation on performance parameters and eggshell quality in laying hens. 240 44-week-old commercial laying hens of the Isa Brown breed were used in this experiment. A completely randomized design called split-plot (5 periods of 21 days) with 4 treatments and six replications (10 chickens per replication) was used. Experimental diets were prepared according to the breed’s needs. The parameters that were evaluated included: egg production, feed intake, feed conversion, average egg weight, uneatable eggs, percentage and thickness of eggshell. After collection, data were analyzed using the SISVAR statistical package, and means were compared with the SNK test with a probability of 5%. It was concluded that supplementation of low-nutrient diets with 500 g of protease per 1 ton of feed could provide egg production and feed conversion ratios similar to those obtained in laying hens fed with the recommended feed level appropriate to the breed. However, protease supplementation did not affect eggshell quality.

Introduction

With the continuous reduction of arable land in the world, the global demand for feed has increased over the years. This increase in demand has led to an increase in the cost of the main inputs used in poultry farming and, consequently, higher production costs. In this context, it is necessary for farmers to use techniques that enable rational use of inputs, and to compensate for the increase in production costs by managing to improve feed efficiency. The need for food production is a concern worldwide, which has led to the development and availability of new techniques that improve the conversion of feed into products. Throughout the entire poultry production chain, significant technological progress has been achieved, with the development of highly specialized synthetic enzymes that serve important purposes in animal nutrition and enhance the endogenous digestive enzymes produced in the digestive tract of animals. The use of synthetic enzymes, also called exogenous enzymes, has become an increasingly essential technique used in poultry farming, as it allows for a more rational and better formulation of diets and feeds, while simultaneously reducing the level of excreted nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Exogenous enzymes increase the digestibility of nutrients, especially protein and minerals, and reduce the anti-nutritional effect of amino acid and phosphorus complexes. Another important aspect regarding the use of synthetic enzymes is the increasing use of alternative feeds or by-products from processed cereals, which are used to maintain the production performance of birds and to provide nutritional quality in diets using alternative ingredients, similar to the quality of conventional diets using corn and soybean meal. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of protease supplementation in commercial laying hen diets and its effects on egg performance and quality.

Conclusion

In terms of egg performance and egg shell quality variables, no significant differences were observed between treatments and experimental periods (P> 0.05). Table 2 shows the results of production performance and shell quality in experimental treatments.

Table2. Feed intake (FI),eggs production (EP), average weight (AEW), feed conversion rate (FCR), specific gravity (SG), shell ratio (SR), shell thickness (ST) of eggs of semi-weighted laying hens aged 44 to 50 weeks fed diet with enzyme supplementation

There was no significant effect of dietary enzyme supplementation on feed intake (P > 0.05). There was no significant effect on egg production of the treated hens. The lowest egg production was shown by the reduction in feed intake, the effect of which was the reduction in metabolizable energy, crude protein and amino acids by the negative control group, when compared with the positive control group. Such a reduction in the level of nutrients in the negative control compromised the supply of nutrients required to maintain egg production and showed lower egg production. Other treatments were not different from each other.

The egg production data show that the protease used in the experiments helps to improve the intake of calories and amino acids in the diets, considering that egg production changes mainly with the change in energy level.

According to the results, it is possible to reduce the nutritional level by using enzyme supplementation at the rate used in the present study, without causing problems in egg production. A significant difference was observed in the variable mean egg weight (P < 0.05). The egg weight of treatment group 4 was lower than that of other treatments. There was a significant effect on feed conversion (P < 0.05). Negative control birds decreased this variable as a function of reduced egg production and lower egg laying rate, factors that collectively contribute to this result. According to the results found, birds fed the protease-containing diets (treatments 3 and 4). showed a similar performance to birds fed the positive control diet, indicating the effectiveness of enzyme supplementation. However, no significant difference was found from enzyme supplementation in eggshell quality (P> 0.05).

Table 3 presents the results of the experimental periods.

Table 3. Feed intake (FI), eggs production (EP) (% hen-1 day-1), feed conversion (FCR), average eggs weight (AEW), shell ratio (SR), shell thickness (ST) and specific gravity (SG) of semi weighted laying hens per experimental period.

There was a significant effect of training periods on feed intake, egg production and feed conversion (p < 0.05). There was a significant effect of training periods on egg production, where such a variable showed a decrease in treatments V and IV. According to the results obtained, with increasing age of birds there was a significant decrease in feed intake and lower feed conversion (P < 0.05). The average weight of eggs did not differ in the experimental period (P> 0.05). There was a significant effect of experimental periods on eggshell ratio and its lowest percentage was found in experiment III (P < 0.05). The shell thickness and specific gravity of eggs were affected by the experimental periods (P < 0.05), such that treatments II and V showed the lowest eggshell thickness and period III showed the lowest egg specific gravity. The use of enzymes is considered as a nutritional benefit, which can maintain body balance and, under better conditions, be effective for higher performance and egg production.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that adding protease supplement at a rate of 500 g/1 ton of feed in diets with low energy efficiency and poor appearance quality in eggs, is approximately equivalent to the diets recommended in the breed feeding guidelines in laying hens fed this diet.

The main production indicators that changed due to the dietary supplementation with protease were egg production and feed conversion, these results were similar to the positive control, proving the effectiveness of enzyme supplementation. However, the use of protease supplement was not able to change the related indicators of eggshell.

Reference:

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