Abstract:
The effect of feeding low dietary crude protein (CP) with different levels of
supplemental protease enzyme on commercial broilers was investigated. Three hundred broiler chicks were divided into five treatments with six replicates in a
completely randomized design. The experimental diets were positive control
(recommended CP levels, T1), negative control (level of CP reduced by 5%, T2),
negative control + 300 g t
-1 protease (T3), negative control + 400 g t
-1 protease
(T4) and negative control + 500 g t
-1 protease (T5). Growth, blood serum, carcass
quality and meat quality parameters were measured. Data were analysed using
one-way Analysis of Variance. The highest live weight (2.86 ± 0.07 kg), weight gain
(2.66 ± 0.05 kg) and the lowest feed conversion ratio (1.84 ± 0.06) were observed
in birds fed with T5. There was no influence of treatments (p>0.05) on NH3
emission from litter, dressing percentage, meat quality and blood serum
parameters. The feed cost per producing 1 kg of live weight and sellable carcass
weight was significantly low (p<0.05) in T5. Thus, it can be concluded that low
protein diets supplemented with protease enzyme at 500 g t
-1 support better
growth performances in broiler chicken with a lower cost of production.
