The Effect of Using Enzyme-Added Wheat Instead of Corn in the Diet on the Performance and Slaughtering Characteristics of Broilers

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effects of diets containing 50 and 100% wheat supplemented with 300 g/ton enzymes (phytase, xylanase, glucanase, amylase and protease) instead of corn on the performance, carcass characteristics and visceral weights of male broilers. In the study, 120 male Ross 308 chicks of day-old age were distributed into 3 treatment groups with 4 subgroups of 10 birds each. Treatment groups were composed of diets containing corn as the grain source (Wheat0), wheat with 300 g/ton enzyme added as 50% of corn (Wheat50) and wheat with 300 g/ton enzyme added as 100% of corn (Wheat100). Performance parameters were determined on the 10^th, 25^th and 42^nd days, and carcass and visceral weights were determined at the end of the study (42^nd day).

The effect of using enzyme-added wheat in the diet on feed intake was statistically insignificant except for the 0-10^th days period (P>0.05). Compared to the control group (Wheat0), body weight and feed conversion ratio were improved with the use of enzyme-added wheat in the diet (P<0.05). The use of enzyme-added wheat instead of corn in the diet reduced the relative abdominal fat weight, and the relative liver weight increased in the Wheat100 group (P<0.05), but other slaughtering parameters were not affected by the treatment groups (P>0.05).  According to the results of this study, it was determined that the use of wheat instead of all corn (100%) with the addition of enzymes in male broiler diets improved performance and reduced fatness.