Effect of Supplementing Feed Emulsifier on the Digestibility of Energy and Performance of Broiler Chicken Fed Sub-Optimal Levels of Metabolizable Energy

Feed emulsifier (FE) improves the digestibility of the feed, thereby reducing dietary nutrient requirements. An experiment was conducted to study the effect of supplementing graded concentrations of FE on the growth performance, carcass traits, and ileal digestibility of energy in broiler chicken (1-42d of age) fed sub-optimal levels (less 100 kcal/kg) of metabolizable energy (ME). Broiler male chicks (n=1250; Cobb-430) at day old were randomly allotted to five dietary groups, each with 10 replicates having 25 broiler chicks in each pen. Maize-soybean meal-based diet with the recommended concentrations of nutrients (control diet, CD) was prepared. A basal diet (BD) with sub-optimal concentrations of ME was prepared. A commercial FE (combination of equal concentration of 5% lyso-phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidylcholine) was supplemented to the BD at four graded concentrations (0, 100, 200, and 300g/ton). All the diets were fed ad libitum from day 1 to 42d of age. The performance data indicated a trend of linear (P =0.056) increase in feed efficiency with the dose of FE. Contrast analysis revealed that the FE at the highest concentration (300g/ton) was comparable to that of the control group. The breast meat weight was reduced in groups fed the BD. The ileal digestibility of energy improved with the emulsifier supplementation (100 or 200g/ton) compared to those fed the CD. Based on the results, it is concluded that supplementation of the feed emulsifier (300g/ton) could reduce the dietary requirement of ME (by 100 kcal/kg) in the broiler chicken diet without affecting feed efficiency and carcass traits. The beneficial effects of feed emulsifier may partly be associated with the increased ileal digestibility of dietary energy.