Foods like yogurt and sauerkraut are highly regarded for their probiotics , intestine - supporting bacterium that amend digestion . Now , a poultry scientist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center is testing enzyme added to broiler provender to bring about standardised benefits in chicken .
Like probiotics , the enzymes Dr. Jason Lee is test act within the catgut to improve digestibility of food chickens eat and occur course , though the analogy is imperfect . While probiotics are hot bacteria , the enzymes are non - living proteins .
ameliorate digestibleness of poultry rations is authoritative for commercial producer for two rationality , Lee allege . First , improved digestibility mean improved feed efficiency — less feed is required for each pound of weighting addition . Digestibility of soy meal by poultry is already high , 80 to 85 per centum , accord to Lee , but he wants to make it high .
According to the National Chicken Council , U.S. companionship produce nearly 9 billion chicken for kernel consumption in 2010 , most of which were broilers , with a small per centum from breeding strain and spent level sight . This equals more than 5 billion pound of meat , most of which was consumed domestically .
“ The poultry industry is very competitive , ” Lee says . “ With feed beginning , such as soy repast and corn , buy the farm up [ in terms ] every year , only a small percentage of addition in efficiency can intend adult savings to the industry . ”
In addition to improving provender efficiency , ameliorate digestibility has environmental ramifications . Nine billion chickens produce large amounts of manure , which when mixed with spill feed , plume and bedding cloth , can be transformed into a plant food call chicken litter . However , the nitrogen content available in Gallus gallus bedding material is less concentrated than in chemical fertilizer and can be lose quickly . Nitrate overspill is usually not a problem with volaille litter fertilizer as it is with manure from other confined beast operation , but P can be .
“ Phosphorus is an of the essence nutrient required for proper osseous tissue development and for effective fowl production , ” Lee say . “ The failure to assemble a razz ’s requirement of daystar can lead to many bird - wellness problems , including keep down bird performance , increased leg disorders and increase wench fatality rate . ”
To keep off these health problems in chickens , companies used to include a phosphorus “ guard margin ” when formulating feeds , Lee say . Over - subjunction can head to excess atomic number 15 in poulet litter fertilizer . craw can only employ so much Lucifer at a give fourth dimension , and this excess finally runs off to the water tabular array .
Environmental concerns , as well as ascend toll of inorganic phosphate sources , has motivated producers to consider alternative strategies to reduce the total atomic number 15 engrossment in broiler diets , Lee says . His master strategy to lessen P levels in broiler diet is to supply enzymes that utilize the P in plant sources like corn and soybean .
A form of phosphorus call phytate can account for as much as 70 percent of the entire morning star feel in plant life , he enounce . However , fowl do not have the power to digest phytate . Ruminant animals , such as beef cattle , have bacteria in their rumens that course grow an enzyme call in phytase that allows them to convert the phytate into constituent phosphorus . Phytase can be produced relatively chintzily and easily to sum up to poultry feed , but that solves only one aspect of the job .
“ Another anti - nutritive factor found in food grain grains used in broiler dieting include the presence of non - starch polysaccharide ( NSP ) , which are sinewy material found in plant cell walls , ” Lee allege . “ Chickens lack the digestive capacity of ruminant beast and the mien of NSP in the dieting increase intestinal viscousness result in decreased digestibleness of the dieting . ”
Fortunately , agree to Lee , another enzyme , carbohydrase , can help increase digestibility of high - fibre broiler diet . Both enzymes need to be add at low rates , typically from 0.25 to 1 pound per ton of feed .
But one question persist : Which strains of the two enzyme are the best combinations for chicken wellness and provender - transition efficiency ?
To decide this , Lee has been carry studies comparing how multiple levels of phytase affects the bio - availability of phytate with and without non - starch polysaccharides . The provender tested was a combination of corn and soybean meal with added vitamin and micronutrients — a standard poultry ration . The relationship between the effects of the two enzymes turn out to be more complicated than expected . Non - starch polysaccharides increased the bioavailability of phosphorus but at only one of the three grade of phytase concentration tested .
The results of Lee ’s study will give commercial-grade poultry producers information they need to fine - tune feed mixture to reduce Lucifer runoff from volaille bedding material without expose flock health .
