Three 4x2 factorial experiments were carried out to reevaluate the response
of Hubbard broiler chicks to feeding on isocaloric (ME; 3100 kcal!kg) and
isonitrogenous (about 19% CP) diets; containing graded levels [0.0 (control). 15, 20 or
25%] of each of cereal grain byproducts (CGB), namely rice bran (RB) in experiment
1, wheat bran (WB) in experiment 2 or their combination (RWB) in experiment 3, with
or without exogenous enzyme (EA) mixture [Phytase, 150 g/ton and Avizyme-1500
(xyianase, amylase and protease), 1.5 kg/ton), from 2 to 6 weeks of age. Criteria of
response were the performance of chicks for body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI)
and feed conversion (FC), economic efflcency (EEF), nutrients digestibility, some
carcass traits, and certain blood plasma constituents (glucose, total protein, total
lipids, cholesterol, Ca and inorganic P). The results obtained can be summarized as
follows: Regardless of dietary EA, increasing dietary level of RB UP to 20 or 25%
significantly increased FI and decreased FC; digestibilities of DM and 0M also
increased with the highest inclusion level of RB, whereas all other criteria were not
affected. Feeding diets containing up to 25% WB, however, significantly improved EE
digestibility but negatively affected EEF, all other measurements were not affected.
On the other hand, feeding up to 20 or 25% of RWB-containing diets significantly
depressed FC and EEF but had no effect on all other parameters. Dietary EA,
independent of dietary type and level of CGBI significantly depressed EEF but had no
effect on all other parameters. No significant CGB by EA interactions were observed
for all criteria measured. Generally; from an economic point of view, it may be
concluded thai, rice bran, wheat bran or their combination can be incorporated into
broilers' diets at an inclusion rate of 15°/e, with no detrimental effects on the
performance of chicks for growth and feed conversion. Also , under the conditions of
the present study, the dietary supplementation with the exogenous enzyme mixture
was an undue extravagance and failed to elicit any effect on either performance of
chicks or nutrients digestibility. Thus it can be recommended that, such enzyme
preparations should be subjected to an in vitro laboratory test to make sure of its
activity; prior to using it in the application field as a feed supplement.