The influence of date waste meal supplemented with either enzymes, probiotics or their combination on broiler performance [electronic resouce].

Includes references.

A 35 days feeding trial, utilizing 480 unsexed seven day old broiler chicks was conducted to study the effects of five inclusion levels (0,7,14,21 and 28%) date waste meal (DWM), as a replacement of yellow corn without or with either enzymes, probiotics or their combination on productive performance, carcass yield and digestion coefficients of crude fiber and ash. Birds were randomly divided into 20 groups of 24 chicks each. Each group received one of the five experimental diets without or with one of studied feed additives containing equal ratio of calorie : protein (C/P) under the same managerial conditions. Results obtained during the entire period (35 days) were as follows: 1- The proximate analysis showed that dietary date waste contains substantial amount of nutrients indicating its feeding value as an ingredient in feeding broiler chicks and a promising sources of energy. 2- Dietary date waste may be used at a level up to 21% without adverse effects on live body weight and weight gain. 3- Supplemented diets with a mixture of enzymes and probiotics gave the heaviest LBW compared with the other studied treatments. 4- Replacing yellow corn by date waste meal up to 21 % had no deleterious effects on parameter of feed intake over all the studied growth period. Enzymes and probiotics mixtures supplementation gave statistically equal values in this respect. 5- Substitution of yellow corn by date waste meal without or with either enzymes, probiotics or their combination did not yield any deterioration on feed conversion ratio. Differences among treatments in this respect were insignificant, expect for those during the first period (7 days old). 6- Carcass characteristics, breast %, thigh% and water holding capacity (WHC) were not significantly affected by the different experimental treatments of date waste meal. The opposite was true for feed additives addition in respect to thigh percentage. A different trend was observed for abdominal fat percentage where increasing dietary date waste up to 28% increased the abdominal fat % compared with the control group. 7- Increasing dietary date waste meal up to 28% significantly decreased the crude fiber digestibility, whereas that of ash was increased. Feed additives had a beneficial effect on crude fiber and ash digestibility. In conclusion, date waste meal could be included in broiler chicks diet up to 21% without any bad effects on the productive performance. In addition a 28% dietary date waste meal plus enzymes and probiotics mixture supplementation could be ideal for the achieving of optimum broiler performance.

Summary in Arabic.

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