Effect of enzyme supplementation on wheat or barley based diets on layer performance. (Abstract)

Abstract

176 Effect of Enzyme Supplementation on Wheat or Barley Based Diets on Layer Performance A. Kumar and J.G. Dingle Department of Animal Production, The University of Queensland, Gatton College, QLD 4343 Metabolizable energy is a major nutrient requirement of poultry. This is most cheaply provided by carbohydrates in cereals such as wheat or barley. However non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in wheat (pentosans, 6.1%) and barley (beta-glucans, 7.6%) (Choct and Annison, 1992) increase gastrointestinal (GI) viscosity. Increased viscosity in the intestine prevents the action of digestive enzymes on substrate molecules, increases the food transit time in the intestine, and reduces digestibility and absorption rate. The net effect is poor flock performance (Morgan and Bedford, 1995). Enzyme supplementation of barley based diets in USA has shown a positive response for energy bioavailability (ME), egg production and feed conversion ratio of layers (Wyatt and Goodman, 1993). The present study was undertaken to fmd the effect of enzyme supplementation of wheat or barley based diets on layer performance. A total of 48 layers, 34 weeks old, were kept in single bird metabolism cages in an open-sided sawtooth shed. Six birds were allotted randomly to each treatment. Experimental diets consisted of 70% wheat or barley mixed with different commercial enzyme mixes (at the recommended 1evels)and fed ad libitum to individual birds for thirteen weeks. Overall production (88.5%) from all the groups was good. Each enzyme supplement improved all egg production parameters but these were not significant. The results indicated that, provided a larger number of replications is used, further investigation of the effect of enzymes in wheat and barley. References Choct, M & Annison, G. (1992). The inhibitions of nutrient digestions by wheat pentosans. British Journal of Nutrition 67:123-128. Morgan, A.J. & Bedford, M.R. (1995). Advances in the development and application of feed enzymes. Proceedings of Australian Poultry Science Symposium 7,109-l 15 Wyatt, C.C. & Goodman, T. (1993). Utilisation of feed enzymes in laying hen rations. Journal ofApplied Poultry Research 2: 1,68-74. Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition in Australia: July 1995 University of New England, Armidale NSW 2351, Australia