The Effect of Dietary Fermacto on Layer Hen Performance1

01941Applied Poultry Science. I n c

THEEFFECT OF DIETARY FERMACTO ON LAYER HENPERFORMANCE^

Primary Audience: Nutritionists, Production Managers, Flock Supervisors

trials [3]. It is difficult to estimate on an anDESCRIPTION OF PROBLEMnual or industry basis the total losses in proThe protein level and quality of soybean meal delivered to poultry mills can vary 111. Animal protein meals can also vary in quality due to variations in raw ingredients, processing conditions, and storage conditions [2]. Performance losses due to poor quality feed ingredients can be documented in feeding 1

2

duction attributable to feeding poor quality feed ingredients to poultry and livestock. Because of the nutritional importance of protein and specific amino acids, decreased protein meal quality has the potential to cause signiticant losses in poultry production.

The use of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement by the South Carolina or North Carolina Agricultural Research service of the products mentioned, nor criticism of similar products not mentioned. To whom correspondence should be addressed

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J. L. GRIMES Department of Poultry Science, Box 7608 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7608 D. V. MAURICE2 and S. E LIGHTSEY Depawent of Animal & Veterinary Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 296340361 Phone: (864) 656-4023 F M : (864) 656-1033 J. G. LOPEZ Pet Ag., Inc., 201 Keyes Ave., P. 0.Box 396, Hampshire, IL 60140

FERMACTO AND LAYER HENS

400

MEASUREMENTS Egg production and feed consumption were recorded. In the last 10 days of the experiment all eggs produced were labeled, weighed, and stored. The 10-day collection of eggs was transported about 10 miles to a commercial egg packing plant for grading. In the last week of the study chromic oxide was added to the diets as a marker. Prior to adding chromic oxide to the diets, gastrointestinal transit time was determined [lo] using ferric oxide. Eight days after feeding diets with chromic oxide, excreta samples were collected and dried for chemical analysis, bomb calorimetry, and computation of lipid digestibility [lo, 111.At the termination of the experiment birds from each treatment were killed by cervical dislocation and digesta collected from a 5-cm portion just proximal to the ileocecal junction for determination of apparent protein digestibility.

MATERIALS AND METHODS ANIMALS & HUSBANDRY A commercial strain (Hy-Line W-36) of Single Comb White Leghorn chicken was used. Young (25 wk of age) and old (66 wk of age) hens were obtained from a commercial table egg company [9]. The birds were caged in flat-deck wire-floor cages (three birdslcage of 1100 cm2) in an open-sided poultry house and provided 17 hr of light per day. The buds were allowed to acclimate to the new environment for 2 wk. During this period they were fed a standard layer diet and performance was recorded. At the end of 2 wk, healthy buds in egg production from each age group were randomly divided into 32 groups of 12 birds each. A set of 12 birds was assigned to four contiguous cages with a common feed trough. Water was provided in cup drinkers with birds in each cage having access to two cups. The duration of the experiment was 16 wk. DIETS Corn-soybean diets (Table 1) were formulated on the basis of feed intake recorded during the 2-wk adjustment period. The standard diet within each age group was designated as normal. The protein-compromised situation was simulated by replacing 10% of the 48.5% crude protein soybean meal with ground soybean hulls; this diet was called compromised. The two diets for each age group were fed with and without Fermacto included at 0.2%.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN & STATISTICAL ANALYSIS The four treatments (2 levels of dietary protein x 2 levels of FER) in each age group were arranged in a randomized complete block design with eight blocks. A set of four contiguous cages with three birds per cage and a common feed trough constituted the experimental unit. The data were subjected to analysis of variance [12] and the criterion used for detecting mean effects was based on a level of protection against type I error set at P c .05 (unless otherwise stated).

RESULTSAND DISCUSSION Young hens receiving the proteincompromised diet consumed more feed (Table 2), as evidenced by the increase in feed conversion (1.44 vs. 1.49). FER supplementation resulted in improved feed conversion ( P < .02) in both young and old hens fed normal and protein-compromised diets. Neither egg production nor egg weight was affected by dietary treatments. Egg shell strength, as measured by shell surface density, was not influenced by dietary treatments in young hens. In old hens, FER supplementation of the normal diet slightly decreased shell strength ( P c .06). However, the incidence of cracked eggs (Table 3) failed to support the negative effect of FER on shell strength in old hens fed the normal diet. In

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Research indicates that Fermacto 500 (FER) [4] acts as a digestive aid in monogastric animals, including turkeys and laying hens [5,6,7,8]. FER alters or affects intestinal microflora to alleviate nutrient deficiencies that would otherwise result in decreased performance. Soybean meal constitutes 25% or more of poultry diets [3].Thus this study was intended to determine the efficacy of FER as a nutritional aid in alleviating protein deficiency precipitated by a decrease in soybean meal quality for two ages of layer hens and to determine the gut transit time, protein and lipid digestibility, and metabolizable energy of diets supplemented with FER.

Research Report GRIMES et al.

401

TABLE 1. Composition of experimental diets ~

INGREDIENT

YOUNG HENSA

OLD HENS*

Dietary Protein

Dietary Protein

High

Low

High

Low

Yellow corn

59.75

59.75

70.20

70.20

Soybean meal

70

25.50

22.95

19.00

17.10

Poultry fat

2.80

2.80

0.50

0.50

Defl. phosphate

1.60

1.60

1.25

1.25

Limestone

950

9.50

8.25

8.25

Salt

0.45

0.45

0.45

0.45

0.25

0.25

0.25

0.05

0.05

0.05

0.05

DL-methionine

0.10

0.10

0.05

0.05

Ground soybean hulls

-

2.55

-

1.90

ME, kcal/g

2.85

2.79

2.85

2.81

Vitamin premixB C

Crude protein, 70

17.72

16.49

15.44

14.52

Calcium, %

4.18

4.18

3.58

3.58

Phosphorus, Yo

0.60

0.60

0.54

0.54

ME, kcaVg

2.77

2.85

2.79

2.76

17.24

16.09

14.96

14.10

Crude protein

%itamin mix provided per kg of diet: retinyl acetate, 2.27 mg; cholecalciferol, 0.04 mg; DLa-toco hero1 acetate 5.5 mg;menadione sodium bisulphite, 1.45 mg; riboflavin, 6.6 mg; pantothenic acid, 11mg; cyanocobaf)amin,0.01 rng choline, 550 mg; folic acid, 0.7 mg; thiamin mononitrate, 1.1mg; pyridoxine, 1.1mg; and niacin, 33 mg. ‘Mineral mix supplied per kg of diet: manganese, 65 mg; zinc, 40 m& copper, 5 mg; and iodine, 0.5 mg.

the presence of FER there was a shift in egg size profile from large to extra large eggs in buds fed the protein-compromised diet. Table 4 shows the effects of age and dietary treatment on gastrointestinal transit time and feed utilization. FER supplementation resulted in feed staying for a longer period in the gastrointestinal tract (212 vs. 196k4.6 min). Even though significant differences were not detected in protein and lipid digestibilities within each age group, the authors suggest that the consistent trend of improved digestibility and metabolizable energy might be responsible for the improvement in feed efficiency of birds fed FER. The improved performance of hens fed FER in this study substantiates other research. Potter [ Afed diets containing 0 or0.25% FER to Medium White male and female turkeys from day of hatch to 8 wk. Feeding FER, in the

absence of antibiotics, resulted in significant (P < .OS) increases in BW, feed consumption, and feed efficiency. Potter and Shelton [6] reported that with the addition of 0.125 or 0.250% FER to the diets of Large and Medium White turkeys raised to 7 or 8 wk of age, respectively, BW was increased 5.6%, feed consumption was increased 2.2%, and feed efficiency was improved 3.5% (P < .OS). Waldroup et al. [8] compared four diets fed to Large White turkey hens beginning at 30 wk of age for five 28-day periods. The diets were: 1) a corn-soybean meal basal diet, 2) a diet containing 5% fish meal, 3) Diet 1with 0.075% FER, and 4) Diet 2 with 0.075% FER. Turkey hens fed FER and fish meal laid 11.7 more eggs (P < .OS) than turkey hens fed the 5% fish meal diet (66 vs. 54.3 eggshen). There was no difference in egg production for turkey hens fed the corn-soy diet (53.1eggshen) or the 5%

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0.25

Trace mineral mix

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402

TABLE 2. Performance of layers led normal and protein-compromiseddiets with (+) and without (-) Fermacto

74.6

73.8

73.9

74.0

0.33

Egg weight, g

63.8

63.7

63.9

64.7

0.04

S S D ~mg/cm.cm ,

73.2

70.7D

71.4

71.7

0.72

Egg output, g/bird-day

47.6

47.0

47.2

47.8

1.80

Feedldoz eggs, kg

1.71'

1.82

1.74'

0.40

0.019

BSSD = Shell surface density (measure of shell strength). 'Statistically significant effect (P < .02) of Fermacto detected in young and old hens. DProtein x Fermacto interaction detected (P < .M).

tion; however, sigdcant differences between means were not denoted in the appropriate tables. In Single Comb White Leghorn layer hens fed a basal diet with 0.5% sulfur amino acids, adding FER at a level of 454 g/ton partially alleviated the depression in performance with increased egg production and feed efficiency; however, in the presence of 0.030.13% added methionine an effect of FER was not detected [SI.

fish meal diet (54.3eggshen). The turkey hens fed the corn-soy plus FER diet were intermediate in egg production (58.5 eggshen). FER also resulted in increased egg size when added to the corn-soy basal diet but not when added to the 5% fish meal diet. The authors noted that the amount of feed consumed per turkey hen was reduced when FER was added to the diet even though added FER was associated with an improved rate of egg produc-

DIETARY PROTEIN Normal Compromised

SEM

FERMACTO

LARGE*

EXTRA LARGE^

CRACKED

%

%

%

-

39.3

48.0

5.1

+

41.8

46.6

4.6

-

40.9

46.3

5.3

+

32.7

54.3

5.5

2.44

2.23

0.87

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Egg production, 950

Research Report 403

GRIMES etal.

TABLE 4. Gastrointestinal transit time, digestibility, and metabolizable energy (ME) of normal an Drotein-comoromised diets with (+) and without f-) Fermacto

NORMAL

COMPROMISED

SEM

CONCLUSIONS AND APPLICATIONS 1. FER supplementation improved feed efficiency in young and old Single Comb White

Leghorn layer hens. Neither egg production nor egg weight was affected. 2. The use of FER in diets of young and old hens delayed transit time of feed through the gastrointestinal tract. This was associated with a trend toward improved feed utilization. 3. FER functioned as a nutritional aid in layer diets. The response in feed efficiency was associatedwith longer retention of feedin the digestive tract and statisticallynonsignificant, but small and consistent, improvements in nutrient digestibility. ~~~

~

~

REFERENCES AND NOTES 1. Jones, Frank T., 1984. A survey of soybean meal used in poultry feeds 1976 to 1982. Poultry Sci. 63:14621463.

7. Potter, LM., 1972. Effects of erythromycin, Fermacto-500, hemng fish meal, and taurine in diets of young turkeys. Poultry Sci. 51:325-331.

2. Johnston, J. and C.N. Coon, 1979. Acomparison of six protein quality assays using commercially available protein meals. Poultry Sci. 58:919-927.

8. Waldroup, P.W., D.E Greene, LW. Luther, and B.D. Jones, 1972. Response of turkey breeder hens to Vigofac and Fermacto supplementation. PoultIy Sci. 51510-513.

3. McNaughton, J . L and F.N. Reese, 1980. Effect of moisture content and cooking time on soybean meal urease index, trypsin inhibitor content, and broiler growth. Poultry S a . 592300-2306.

9. ISE of America, Inc., P.O. Box 758, Newberry, SC 29108.

4. Pet Ag., Inc., 30W432, Route 20, Elgin, IL 601209527. Fennacto is a primaly fermentation product proQWas duced from # L s r n r m and which has been dried and ground.

10. Golian, A. andD.V. Maurice, 1992. Dietarypoultly fat and gastrointestinal transit time of feed and fat utilization in broiler chickens. Poultry Sci. 71:1357-1363.

5. Harms, RH. and R D . Miles, 1988. Research note: Influence of Fermacto on the performance of laying hens when fed dietswith different levels of methionine. Poultry Sci. 67842444.

11. Maurice, D.V., J.E. Jones, M.A. Hall, D.J. Castaldo, J . E Whisenhunt, and J.C. McConnell, 1985. Chemical composition and nutritive value of naked oats &L.)in broiler diets. Poultry Sci. 64529-535.

6. Potter, LM. and J.R Shelton, 1984. Methionine, cystine, sodium sulfate, and Fermacto-500 su plementation of practical-type diets for young turkeys. goultry Sci. 63~987-992.

12. Mead, R andRM. Curnow, 1983. Particular questions about treatments. Pages 79-83 in: Statistical Methods in Agriculture and Experimental Biology. Chapman and Hall, New York, NY.

(a

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*Young hens were 25 wk of age and old hens were 66 wk of age at the beginning of the study.

1 BStatistically . . . . significant effect of Fermacto detected (P < .02) 196 vs. 212k4.6.