An experiment was conducted to study the effect of adding a
commercial enzyme (Nutrase Xylan) to diets of male broiler chicks on
their productive performance. The enzyme is of bacterial origin
(Bacilluis subtilis) which contains Endo-1,4-β-xylanase combined
with α-amylase. The enzyme was added to a balanced corn/soy diet at
two levels, (0.05% and 0.1%). The experiment was designed to test
two different energy levels against a normal energy requirement
(recommended oil addition).
A total number of 150 one-day old male Ross chicks was
individually weighed and randomly distributed among five groups of
30 chicks each. The control was fed a starter-grower diet (0-28 day
old) which contained 22% CP and 3100 Kcal ME/kg feed, 1.72% oil
and a finisher diet (28-42 day old) which contained 19% CP and 3200
Kcal ME/kg feed and 3.51% oil. The control group were fed dites
which contained normal energy, 3100 and 3200 Kcal ME for
starter/grower and finisher, respectiviley. The Control group compared
with four treated groups as follows: En 1/0.05 (3040 and 3060 Kcal
ME/ Kg diet) with 0.05% enzyme; En 1/0.10 same as En 1/0.05 but
with 0.10% enzyme; En 2/0.05 (2970 and 2920 Kcal)l with 0.05%
enzyme and En 2/0.10 same as En 2/0.05 but with 0.10% enzyme.
/The results obtained were as follow:
- No significant difference was found between supplementation of
enzyme at 0.05% or 0.1% levels over all the experiment.
- No significant increase in body weight (BW) between the control
group and En1 groups in either of starter/grower or finisher: 953g
vs. 946g and 945g; 1791g vs. 1764g and 1743g, respectively. No
significant differences in BW were found between both En 2 groups
overall the experiment.
- Feed intake (FI) showed no significant difference between the
control group and En1 treated groups in starting/growing and
finishing periods. In addition, in the whole period, no significant
difference in FI was found between En2 groups.
- Weight gain (WG) showed no significant difference in starting/
growing and finishing periods between the control group and En1
groups (911g vs. 904 and 903g). No significant difference in WG
was found between En2 treated groups through out the experiment.
- The enzyme treated groups containing low energy levels (En 1/0.05
and En 1/0.1) gave similar results of body weight as obtained from
the control group (normal energy or recommended oil requirement).
However, starter/grower and finisher diets had 1.99% and 4.4%
reduction in ME/kg values (DM), respectively.