January 28, 2009

Broiler producers looking for lower feed costs with distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) can use the latest developments in enzyme technology, reported Dr David Ledoux at the 2009 International Poultry Scientific Forum, Atlanta, US, January 26-27, 2009.

The use of DDGS in animal feed has increased with the growth of the bio-ethanol industry. Whilst DDGS is potentially a cost effective and valuable feed ingredient, its use in pig and poultry feed can be limited by the low and often variable digestibility of amino acids and other nutrients in DDGS.

Dr David Ledoux, Professor of Animal Nutrition, University of Missouri, US, presented a paper ''Effects of Avizyme 1500, Phyzyme XP and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on nutrient digestibility by broilers'' which outlined how the latest developments in enzyme technology can improve the nutrient digestibility of broiler diets containing up to 18 percent DDGS.

The paper summarised a trial where broilers were fed corn soy-based diets containing various levels of DDGS (0 percent, 6 percent, 12 percent and 18 percent). Diets were either fed without enzyme, or supplemented with a new-generation bacterial phytase with or without a combination of xylanase, amylase and protease enzymes. Diets were fed to broilers up to 21 days of age. Feed intake, body weight gain, ileal digestibility and retention of calcium and phosphorus, and ileal amino acid digestibility were measured.

Dr Ledoux concluded that the data indicated that broilers can be fed corn soy diets containing up to 18 percent DDGS in the starter phase without negatively affecting bodyweight gain and feed conversion.

The important finding of this research was that a combination of phytase, xylanase, amylase and protease enzymes resulted in significantly higher phosphorus and amino acid digestibility, compared to adding only a phytase enzyme to the diet. The substantial improvement in nutrient digestibility from phytase, xylanase, amylase and protease could therefore prove to be a useful tool to reduce feed cost in diets with up to 18 percent DDGS, resulting in more profit to the producer.