Effects of Dietary Levels of Brewers’ Dried Grain Supplemented with Commercial Enzymes on Performance, Nutrient Retention and Gastro-intestinal Tract Characteristics of Arbor Acres Broilers

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of dietary inclusion of brewer’ dried grain (BDG) supplemented with commercial enzyme on performance, nutrient retention and gastro-intestinal tract characteristics of Arbor acres broilers. The experimental design was a 2×4 factorial combination of two dietary levels of brewers’ dried grain (0 or 25%) with four levels of different commercial enzymes 0E (without enzyme 0ppm), 100E (100ppm of Roxazyme G), 150E (150ppm of Nutrase xyla) or 350E (350ppm of Grindazyme). BDG was added at the expense of maize in the control diet, and each experimental diet was tested during a 56day feeding trial in triplicate. One hundred and ninety-two (192) one-day old unsexed Arbor acres chicks were used in the trial. Experimental diet and water were supplied ad-libitum to the birds from the first day to day 56 and the birds were subjected to the recommended routine vaccination programmed. A nutrient digestibility trial was undertaken when the birds were 3 weeks old. At the end of the feeding trial, 3 birds per replicate were randomly selected, euthanatized by neck decapitation, then eviscerated, and the crop, proventriculus, gizzard, liver and pancreas weights were determined. The results showed that an increase in the dietary level of BDG without commercial enzyme supplementation significant decrease (p < 0.05) weight gain, feed conversion ratio and nutrient digestibility. There were significant (p < 0.05) interaction between dietary levels of brewers’ dried grain and commercial enzyme on performance, nutrient digestibility and gastro-intestinal tract characteristics of chicks. Hypertrophy of the digestive organs was observed in the birds fed brewers’ dried grain without enzyme supplementation. However, this effect was attenuated with the inclusion of commercial enzymes. Results obtained showed that birds fed brewers’ dried grain supplemented with commercial enzymes performed better in all parameters tested than those fed brewers’ dried grain diets without commercial enzyme. The use of commercial enzyme is advantageous in the utilization of high-fibre diets for chicks. The dietary supplementation with commercial enzymes increased the weight gain feed conversion ratio and improved nutrient digestibility in broilers, which supposes a beneficial reduction in the production cost.