Chapters authored
Nontraditional Feedstuffs as an Alternative in Poultry Feed
Soybean meal and yellow corn are conventional feedstuffs used as the main ingredients in poultry feeds due to their high nutrients availability. On the other hand, these two feedstuffs are high in demand by other animals (soybean meal) and humans (yellow corn). By the year 2050, the world’s population is expected to increase up to 9.1 billion. Global consumption of poultry products, such as meat or eggs is increasing predominantly in developing countries. Consequently, the global demand for poultry feedstuffs would increase. The availability of feedstuffs for poultry nutrition nowadays is becoming more competitive. Thus, food security, especially in the developing countries, would be threatened. Currently, efforts are being made to use alternative feedstuffs to substitute portion of soybean meal and yellow corn in poultry diets. This chapter discusses the alternative feedstuffs that can be incorporated in poultry feeds. In addition, the nutritive content and availability are examined as well as how to improve the nutritive quality of such nontraditional feedstuffs.
Part of the book: Advances in Poultry Nutrition Research
Enzymes in Poultry Feed
Since the use of non-traditional feedstuffs has become more popular in poultry production, the use of exogenous enzymes has become more crucial. In order to lower the cost of ration formulation, low protein diets and unconventional feedstuffs are now being used. Therefore, enzyme supplementation or fermented feedstuffs could release certain nutrients and increase their availability. In conclusion, the supplementation of exogenous enzymes may introduce a positive development in terms of poultry nutrition. For instance, it has been discovered that phytase supplementation may release phosphorus from phytate and reduce phosphorus excretion in broiler manure. In addition, fiber-degrading enzymes have been proven to improve broiler performance and reduce intestinal viscosity. Likewise, protein-degrading enzymes are beneficial in low-protein diets, as they decrease anti-nutritional factors in soybean meal, increase crude protein, amino acids digestibility and reduce nitrogen excretion and ammonia emission in broiler manure, which positively impacts the environment. The supplementation of mixed exogenous enzymes to broiler feed may lead to better utilization of the nutrients on behalf of the chickens. This chapter discusses the most common enzymes in the field of poultry production, such as β-glucanase, xylanase, mannanase, phytase, and protease.
Part of the book: Feed Additives