Page 26 - AWA Vol.36-No.5

POULTRY

BROILER NUTRITION, FUTURE EFFICIENCY

By: Edward Diehl, Nutritionist, Cobb Europe

acids. A second example is formulating first limiting amino acids are assumed to
with more alternative ingredients: this be static. Recent studies have shown that
can result in a reduction of costs while broilers respond differently compared
increasing resource efficiency. Finding to the expectation or historic data on,
major points to improve on resource ef- for example, energy. While the ongoing
ficiency or cost in the future will be diffi- genetic improvement from year to year
cult and it will probably take quite some is unlikely to demand constant changes
We all want the best possible return time. in the nutritional requirement of broiler
while investing as little as possible: effi- There have been significant improve- chickens, over a decade a change in
ciency is the keyword to success and is ments in feed formulation associated requirement could be expected. When
becoming increasingly important. Not with amino acid (AA) research that have compared to mammalian livestock such
only in poultry, but in any sector varying greatly improved growth efficiency. For as pigs and cattle that are limited by
from agriculture to software engineer- example, one of the first significant im- long intervals for reproductive matura-
ing. Efficiency comes in many forms and provements in broiler nutrition dates tion and decreased quantity of offspring
ranges from continuous improvement back to the 1950s with the combination per dam and sire, the rate of genetic
to a specific targeted improvement for of linear programming for least-cost improvement for broiler chickens is ex-
one industry challenge. In poultry, the formulation and the usage of available ceptionally fast. There is no doubt that
two go side by side. In the field of genet- synthetic amino acids. This innovative
ics, constant improvements are made to feed formulation revealed that feed
ensure an increase in efficiency in the costs could be reduced by supplement-
next generation of chicks. Improvement ing methionine (Met), the first limiting
in efficiency caused by innovations in amino acid for poultry. This was followed
the field of science and technology are in the 1970’s by supplementing diets
less frequent, but equally important to with lysine (Lys), the second limiting
the overall increase of efficiency. These amino acid for poultry, and in the 1990’s
science and technology improvements with threonine (Thr) as the third limiting
often concern the hatchery, farm, envir- AA. There appears to be a trend spacing
onment and feed aspects of the agricul- each discovery or improvement about
tural sector. 20 years apart; therefore, it is expec-
ted that the fourth limiting amino acid
should be determined in the near future. continued focus on genetics will result
There are three prime candidates for the in broiler improvements including lower
fourth limiting amino acid: Valine (Val), feed conversion ratios (FCR) and more
Isoleucine (Iso), and Arginine (Arg). The efficient growth due to the bird’s ability
introduction of Valine and Arginine as to more effectively utilize the feed ration
synthetic amino acids has already led provided. However, the poultry industry
to a reduction of crude protein, which must also continue to focus efforts on the
makes it more urgent for nutritionists key aspects of energy content and crude
to find the correct ratio of amino acids. protein in each stage of broiler diets.
Determination of the amino acid ratio Energy and crude protein will continue
When considering resource efficiency (requirements) has shown inconsist- to be the primary drivers for improving
feed formulation in order to make ad-
and cost reduction in broiler feeds, the encies in the results, some indicate, for vances in resource efficiency and cost
two most relevant points to focus on are example, a requirement of valine that reduction, and additional understanding
energy and crude protein. Energy con- resulted in a ratio of 80% valine to 100% of other limiting amino acids for poultry
tent in broiler feed rations is primarily lysine, and others show levels of 70%. should help facilitate these improve-
driven by the goal of optimizing energy Recent studies performed by the Univer- ments.
efficiency that is determined by the net sity of Arkansas and Cobb-Vantress have
energy broilers require in each stage of possibly revealed the reason for the in- In the future, the focus of broiler effi-
production. By focusing on the expec- consistencies. Reactions of broiler chick- ciency in the poultry industry will con-
ted feed conversion of energy that the ens to lysine, methionine and threonine tinue to emphasize carcass yield and
broiler has in each production stage, nu- has always been quite straight forward. saleable meat while feeding the same
tritionists can optimize available meta- For the fourth limiting amino acids it ap- primary ingredients (maize, wheat and
bolizable energy in each ration (starter, pears that there are delicate interactions soy) in poultry diets. Due to the poultry
grower, finisher) and thus allow broilers amongst the candidates. Everything industry’s interest in further improving
to be increasing more efficient during has been further complicated by the the efficiency of broiler production, now
each state of growth and development. introduction of valine and arginine as is the time to re-evaluate the AA require-
The latter is driven by the amino acid synthetic amino acids, it has led to intro- ments for the modern broiler and to ad-
balance in the feed. When the dietary duction of new possible candidates or just feed formulations in each stage in
crude protein is adjusted, there are additional limiting amino acids such as production. But keep in mind that from
several things that should carefully be glycine and serine. an efficiency or economic point of view
considered. An example is the correct With the focus on the 4th limiting AA the basic nutritional elements will still
amino acid balance: this will increase and other feed parameters to improve have the biggest impact.
performance and make better use of the efficiency, the basic nutritional ele-
available natural and synthetic amino ments such as energy, protein and the Circle 33 on enquiry card
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