Energy sparing effect of emulsifier in broiler chickens fed with low energy diet

This study was carried out to determine the energy sparing effect of emulsifier on the performance of broilers chickens fed with low energy diet. A total of 150 day-old broiler chicks were divided into three treatments with five replicates of ten chicks each. Three experimental diets including a basal control diet (C), the control diet supplemented with fat emulsifier at the rate of 250 g/ton of feed (T₁), and the T₁ diet with a reduced (by 80 kcal) energy (T₂). There was a significant difference (P<0.05) in cumulative body weight noticed between control and treatment groups during different stages of growth. At the marketable age, the highest body weight was recorded in the T₁ (2590g) group, followed by the T₂ (2579g) and C (2412g) groups. Overall, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in feed intake among the dietary groups. However, there was a significant (P<0.05) improvement seen in the feed conversion ratio in the emulsifier supplemented groups T₁ (1.74) and T₂ (1.73) compared to the control (1.81) group. There were no significant differences apparent in carcass traits and serum biochemical parameters among the three groups. It is concluded that a low-energy diet with the inclusion of an emulsifier at the rate of 250g per metric tonne of feed can be formulated to improve the production performance of broilers.