EVALUATION OF THE OPTIMUM INCLUSION LEVELS OF MYCOFIX® AND BIOTRONIC® SE AS FEED ADDITIVES ON THE PERFOFRMANCE OF BROILER CHICKENS
EVALUATION OF THE OPTIMUM INCLUSION LEVELS OF MYCOFIX® AND BIOTRONIC® SE AS FEED ADDITIVES ON THE PERFOFRMANCE OF BROILER CHICKENS
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Date
2017-12
Authors
KEHINDE, Wayebo Hannah
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Abstract
A preliminary study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Aflatoxin B1
(AfB1) contamination and common moulds growing in some selected poultry feed
ingredients in Zaria town, Nigeria. Twenty-five (25) samples of five different feed
ingredients, which included Maize (MZ), soybean cake (SBC), groundnut cake (GNC),
brewers dried grain (BDG) and maize offal (M/O) were collected. Samples were
collected in March from four commercial feed mills and the open market. The common
moulds isolated from the samples were Mucor spp., Aspergillus s pp., Fusarium spp.,
Penicillum spp., Curvularia spp. and Rhizopus spp. Aflatoxin B1 contamination
showed that maize and soya bean cake were less than the 20 parts per billion (ppb)
permissible limits for AfB1 in poultry feed ingredients, while BDG, M/O and GNC
were 40, 60 and 80 % respectively above 20 ppb permissible limits. Three feeding
trials were conducted using broiler chickens. The first experiment was conducted to
evaluate the effect of four levels of Mycofix® in diets of broiler chickens, experiment
two evaluated the response of broiler chickens fed diets containing four levels of
Biotronic
®
SE and experiment three evaluated the response of broiler chickens fed
diets containing single and combined levels of Mycofix® and Biotronic ® SE. In
experiment one; 330 day old Ross broiler chicks were used for the feeding trial. The
chicks were allotted in a completely randomized design (CRD) to five dietary
treatments replicated thrice with 22 chicks per replicate. Treatment one was the control
diet without Mycofix®, while treatments 2, 3, 4 and 5 had Mycofix® included at the
rate of 100, 200, 300 and 400 g / 100kg diet respectively. In experiments two and three,
a total of 396 day old Ross chicks each were used. In experiment 2, Treatment one was
the positive control diet without Biotronic® SE and Oxytetracycline, treatments, 2, 3, 4,
5 had Biotronic® SE at the rate of 200, 300, 400, 500g Biotronic® SE / 100kg diet and
Tretment 6 (negative control) had 100g Oxytetracycline/100kg feed. Experiment 3,
Treatment one was the postive control diet without Mycofix®, Biotronic® SE and
Oxytetracycline, treatments 2, 3, 4, 5 had 400g Mycofix®, 500g Biotronic® SE,
200gMycofix® + 250 Biotronic® SE, 400g Mycofix®+ 400g Biotronic® SE and
treatment 6 (negative control) 100g Oxyteracycline/ 100kg of feed respectively. The
diets were formulated to meet standard requirements for starter and finisher broiler
chickens. Feed and water were given to the birds ad libitum for the experimentl
periods. Data collected included the average of body weight gain, feed intake, feed
conversion ratio, carcass percentage, nutrient digestibility; others were haematological,
biochemical indices, kidney function test, microbial analysis of digesta, drug residue in
meat samples and villi morphometerics. Data collected were subjected to Analysis of
Variance (ANOVA) using General Linear Model procedure of SAS and significant
differences among treatment means were compared using Dunnette test of significance.
Experiment One, starter phase showed that dietary treatments had significant effect (P
< 0.05) on final weight gain, feed conversion ratio, feed cost and feed cost per
kilogram gain. Birds fed 400g/100kg diet Mycofix® had the best final body weight gain
at both starter (839.67g) and finisher phases (2350.34g) respectively. The feed
conversion ratio at the starter phase was significantly (P<0.05) lower in the
experimental treatments and at the finisher phase, 400g Mycofix® treatment had a
significantly (P<0.05) lower feed conversion ratio. There were no significant
differences (P<0.05) across treatments for cut parts and organ weights of carcass.
Haematological and biochemical indices were not significantly affected by dietary
treatments as parameters were within the normal reference range for broiler chickens.
Nutrient digestibility was significantly improved at 400g inclusion. Experiment Two,
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starter phase results showed similar (P>0.05) weight gain in birds on 500g Biotronic®
SE and100g Oxytetracycline. The birds fed 500g Biotronic® SE had the best feed
conversion ratio (1.7) and feed cost per kilogram gain (₦151.42) values. The finisher
phase result showed no significant (P>0.05) differences in weight gain among
Treatments 3, 4, 5 and 6. Birds on 400g Biotronic® SE had a lower (P > 0.05) FCR and
feed cost per kilogram gain.The dressing percentage for the carcass was best in 500g
Biotronic® SE and Oxytetracycline treatments. Prime cuts: breast, drumstick and wings
were better in birds on 400g Biotronic® SE. Haematological parameters were not
affected by dietary treatments. The values of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were
significantly (P>0.05) higher in the experimental treatments, alanine amino transferase
(ALT) values was significantly (P>0.05) higher in the antibiotic treatment while
aspartate aminotransferase (AST) values was significantly (P > 0.05) higher in birds on
400g Biotronic® SE and Oxytetracycline group. The crude protein values (86.54, 89.31
and 94.50 %) for nutrient digestibility was significantly (P<0.05) higher in 200, 300
and 400g Biotronic® SE groups respectively. The crude fibre (76.43 %) and ether
extract (89.82 %) values were significantly (P<0.05) lower across treatments. The
levels of Biotronic® SE was more effective in increasing aerobic plate count and
coliform counts in both ileum and ceacum of broiler chicks. Birds fed the control diet
showed no drug detected, while birds fed 200, 300, 400 and 500g Biotronic® SE were
low and Oxytetracycline treatment showed high concentration of drug. In experiment
three, results of the starter phase showed no significant (P>0.05) differences in most of
the parameters measured across treatments. Birds on Oxytetracycline treatment had a
significantly (P <0.05) higher feed intake (1920.44g) from the rest treatment groups
and control. At the finisher phase, birds on 100g Oxytetracycline had a significantly (P
< 0.05) higher weight gain, average daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio and
least feed cost /kilogram gain Carcass result showed better breast weight for birds fed
diets with Oxytetracycline and better drum stick for birds fed diets with 400g
Biotronic® SE. No significant (P>0.05) differences for organ weights across
treatments. No significant (P>0.05) differences were recorded across treatments for
haematological profile, liver and Kidney function tests. Nutrient digestibility for birds
fed 400g Biotronic® SE was better (P<0.05) in its percentage composition for dry
matter, crude protein, crude fibre and ash content across treatments but similar to
control. Results of villi morphometrics of sections of the jejunum showed that birds fed
400g® Mycofix and 400g Biotronic® SE had a significantly (P<0.05) higher villi crypt
across treatment groups and control. Villi roundness for birds on control diet was
significantly (P<0.05) higher other rest treatment groups. The study concludes the
growth of fungi spp. in feed ingredients samples and presence of AfB1. The findings of
the feeding trials concludes that the use of Mycofix® a toxin binder, improved
performance significantly at both starter and finisher phases at the rate of 4kg/tone
which was above the recommended level of 2-3kg /tone. The use of Biotronic® SE as a
gut acidifier gave a better result for all the growth performance parameters above the
control; at 500g/100kg for starter phase and 400g/kg at finisher phase. It had a positive
effect on maintenance of normal microbial activity of ileum and ceacum and no
residues in meat samples. The combined and single use of Mycofix® and Biotronic®
SE did not significantly improve growth of broiler chickens, but performed comparable
to the antibiotic treatment in all the parameters measured. The combinations had no
adverse effect on measured performance parameters, haematological parameters, liver
and kidney function tests and improved villi crypt an evidence of a positive synergy in
their combination. It is recommended that Mycofix® can be singly used at 400g/100kg
and 500g/100kg feed of Biotronic ® SE as a means of alleviating the incidences of mycotoxins in feed and improving gut health.The combined inclusion recommended is at 200g Mycofix® and 200g Biotronic ® SE/100kg feed.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN ANIMAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE,
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
Keywords
OPTIMU,, MYCOFIX,, BIOTRONIC,, SE AS FEED ADDITIVES,, PERFOFRMANCE OF BROILER CHICKENS