In this article we summarise the results of our feeding trials conducted with our AMINO broiler diets. With these trials our objective was to determine how our AMINO broiler diets of reduced crude protein content and our recently developed AMINO prestarter diet affect the performance parameters of broiler chickens.
The trials took place at the Herceghalom premises of the Nutritional Physiology Group of the Institute of Physiology and Nutrition, Kaposvár Campus, of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
The trials were conducted in six replications, using 50 cockerels of ROSS 308 genotype per treatment, as described below:
- Control – Control (4 phases)
- Control + P – Control + Prestarter (5 phases)
- AMINO – AMINO broiler diets (4 phases)
- AMINO + P – AMINO broiler diets + AMINO prestarter (5 phases)
The most important nutrients contained by the diets are presented in Table 1. The commercially available Platinum broiler diet range of Bonafarm-Bábolna Feed Ltd. served as control diet. The diets fed in the same feeding phases of the different treatments differed only in their crude protein ratios. In the case of the control and the AMINO diet range we applied four feeding phases (starter: from days 1–10, grower I: days 11–20; grower II: days 21–30; finisher: days 31–42), while in the groups consuming also a prestarter diet the AMINO prestarter diet was fed over a period of five days (from day 1 to day 6) at the start of the trial, and then they were switched over to the feeding of the starter diet. The times of the other phase changes were the same as for the other treatments.
Table 1: The most important nutrient contents of the diets fed during the trials
Results and evaluation
In Figure 1, the blue columns represent the data of the groups fed the control diet range, while the green columns show that data of the groups reared on the AMINO broiler diet. It could be established in the case of both the control and the AMINO diet range that the groups fed also the AMINO prestarter diet achieved a statistically significantly higher body weight gain by the end of the prestarter phase. The groups fed also the prestarter diet achieved 9 grams higher while the AMINO groups 19 grams higher body weight gain.
Also when comparing the data of the four treatments, it was found that the groups fed also the prestarter diet achieved a significantly higher body weight gain, while no statistically significant differences could be demonstrated between the control and the AMINO and between the control + P and AMINO + P treatments.
Figure 1. Body weight of the broiler chickens at the end of the prestarter phase (5 days)
Explanation of the symbols A, B, a and b: ‘A’ and ‘B’ denote the significant difference obtained as a result of feeding the AMINO prestarter diet in groups consuming the same diet range, while ‘a’ and ‘b’ represent the statistically significant differences found between the data of the four treatments. The selected level of significance is p<0.05 in both cases.Explanation of the symbols A, B, a and b: ‘A’ and ‘B’ denote the significant difference obtained as a result of feeding the AMINO prestarter diet in groups consuming the same diet range, while ‘a’ and ‘b’ represent the statistically significant differences found between the data of the four treatments. The selected level of significance is p<0.05 in both cases.
Studying the data measured at the end of the finishing period and comparing the groups consuming the same diet range, the groups receiving the prestarter diet were 44 grams heavier in the case of the control diets and 177 grams heavier in the case of the AMINO diets; however, the difference was of statistically significant level (p<0.05) only in the case of the AMINO diet range.
Comparing the results obtained with the four different treatments, it was found that the AMINO + P treatment achieved the best result with 3,489 grams, which differed statistically significantly (p<0.05) from the results of all the other groups. At the same time, no significant differences were found between the results of the other treatments.
Figure 2. Body weight of the broiler chickens at the end of the finishing phase (at 42 days of age)
Explanation of the symbols A, B, a and b: ‘A’ and ‘B’ denote the significant difference obtained as a result of feeding the AMINO prestarter diet in groups consuming the same diet range, while ‘a’ and ‘b’ represent the statistically significant differences found between the data of the four treatments. The selected level of significance is p<0.05 in both cases.Explanation of the symbols A, B, a and b: ‘A’ and ‘B’ denote the significant difference obtained as a result of feeding the AMINO prestarter diet in groups consuming the same diet range, while ‘a’ and ‘b’ represent the statistically significant differences found between the data of the four treatments. The selected level of significance is p<0.05 in both cases.
During the evaluation of the data, we examined the feed conversion ratios obtained for the different treatments (Figure 3). In general, it can be stated that the values obtained with the different treatments were within a narrow range (1.48–1.55). The results of data analysis did not show a statistically significant difference attributable to feeding the AMINO prestarter diet in the groups consuming the same diet range, and no significant differences were demonstrated when comparing the data of the four treatments either.
Figure 3. Feed conversion ratio at the end of the finishing phase (at 42 days of age)
Explanation of the symbols A and a: No significant differences were demonstrated at the level of p<0.05 when comparing the differences (‘A’) resulting from feeding the AMINO prestarter diet in the groups consuming the same diet range; nor was there a significant difference of p<0.05 level when comparing the data of the four different treatments (‘a’).Summary
In summary, it can be stated that, compared to the treatments without the prestarter diet, feeding of the AMINO prestarter diet increased the body weight gain measured at the end of the prestarter phase in a statistically significant degree in both the control groups consuming the Platinum diets and in the experimental groups of broiler chickens, i.e. those reared on the AMINO diet range. In the case of the control diets, there was a 44-gram difference in body weight in favour of the groups receiving the prestarter diet, while in the case of the AMINO diet range this difference was 177 grams; the latter difference was of statistically significant level (p<0.05).
In general, it can be established that during the finishing phase all treatments achieved favourable production results exceeding those specified in the ROSS 308 technology. The highest body weight gain (3,498 grams) and the most favourable feed conversion ratio (1.48 kg/kg) were obtained in the groups fed the AMINO diet range and receiving also the AMINO prestarter diet.
Dr. Attila Tanai
Development Manager
Bonafarm-Bábolna Feed Ltd.