Effect of Sunflower Meal with the Supplementation of Enzyme on the Performance of Broilers.

Two hundred and forty commercial, day-old broiler chicks were randomly distributed into 6 groups with 2 replicates of 20 birds each to study the effect of replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with sunflower meal (SFM), with or without multi-enzyme supplementation on their performance. Maize and SBM based starter (0–4 weeks) and finisher (4–6 weeks) rations was formulated as control (T₁). Other rations were: T ₂ (control + multi-enzyme), T₃ (10% SBM replaced with SFM), T₄ (T₃ + multi-enzyme), T₅ (20% SBM replaced with SFM), and T₆ (T₅ + multi-enzyme). Body weight gain, feed intake, FCR, performance index and protein efficiency were estimated during 0–4 week and overall growth period (0- 6week). Body weight gain was lower (P<0.05) in group T₅ than in group T₁ (control). Feed intake did not vary significantly among groups T₁, T₃ and T ₅, therefore, FCR was significantly higher in groups T₃ and T ₅ during overall growth period. Performance index was lower (P<0.05) in group T₅, whereas protein efficiency did not differ significantly amongst groups T₁, T₃ and T5. DM and gross energy metabolizability was reduced significantly in group T5. Body weight gain, feed intake, FCR, PI and PE and metabolizability of DM and gross energy (except in T₄) were not affected by the supplementation of enzymes to SFM containing diets, which resulted in reduced (P<0.05) nitrogen retention and increased (P<0.05) intestinal viscosity. Dressed, eviscerated, giblet and drawn yield were statistically similar among the dietary treatments. Present study suggested that 10% SBM can be replaced with SFM in broiler's diets.