Effect of enzyme supplementation and pelleting in maize-soybean based diet on broilers performance

An experiment (42 days) was conducted on broiler chicks to study their performance in terms of average body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency and performance index by feeding maize soybean based mash and pelleted feed without or with enzyme supplementation. Day old broiler chicks (n=160) were randomly distributed into four treatments having two replicates each. Control T₁ (Maizesoybean based mash diet) was as per BIS (1992), T₂- T--₁+ multienzyme, T₃- Maize-soybean based pelleted diet and T₄ -T₃ + multienzyme. The prestarter(0-2weeks) and starter ration (2–4 weeks) and finisher ration (4-6weeks) were formulated. Body weight gain (P<0.05) remained similar in all the treatments during different growth period. Whereas significantly reduced feed intake, improved feed conversion ratio, improved performance index and higher protein efficiency were observed in T₃ and T₄ as compare to control. Improved performance index were also observed in enzyme supplemented mash diet during finisher phase in T₂ as compare to control. It can be concluded that pelleting of feed significantly reduces the feed intake and improves the feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency and performance index.