The effects of date presscakes supplemented with exogenous enzyme on the growth performance, gastrointestinal and nutrient digestibility of broiler chicks

ABSTRACT This study was designed to investigate the effects of adding different levels of date presscakes (DP), with and without enzyme supplementation (ES), on the ileal digestibility and growth performance of broiler. A completely randomized design containing 2 × 5 factorial arrangement of treatments (with and without enzyme supplementation and 5 levels of DP) was used. The enzyme complex contained 3500 U ß –glucanase, 600 U xylanase and 10.2 U cellulase activities per g of product. Five experimental diets with similar composition as the control were prepared by partial replacements of corn by DP at the levels of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/kg diet. Dayold male broiler chicks were allocated into 40 cages at random (4 replicates per treatment, 10 birds per cage). Body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and apparent ileal digestibility of nutrients were determined. Substitution of corn by 75 and 100g DP/kg increased (linear, P lt;0.05) the body weight gain and feed intake. Enzyme supplementation of the diets at 50, 75 and 100g DP/kg improved (P lt;0.05) the daily gain of birds as compared with the birds that were fed the control diet without enzyme. Enzyme supplementation at 0, 50 and 75 g DP/kg diet improved (P lt;0.05) the crude protein digestibility. The data indicated that DP with ES, included at the levels of up to 100g/kg diet might enhance the growth performance of broilers..