NUTRITION ▶▶▶
Benefits of seaweed- based pellet binders in broiler diets
BY MATTHEW WEDZERAI B
esides improving bird performance, the feed in- dustry aims for feed quality that lowers the cost of production by reducing feed dustiness and wast- age. There are several factors that affect pellet
quality but the main one is feed formulation which involves the raw materials and additives used in the formulation. Some feed ingredients have a positive impact on pellet quality, while others can adversely affect quality. In previous studies it has been observed that feed formulation and grinding have a greater impact (60%) on physical pellet quality than other factors related to the pelleting process (40%). However, use of synthetic pellet binders, such as cal- cium lignosulfonate and bentonite, have no specific bene- fits in terms of the growth performance of the bird. In addi- tion to bird performance, pellet binders from natural sources like seaweed can contribute to a better environ- ment and possibly to improved preference for the meat product.
Hydrocolloids Seaweed is an important source of hydrocolloids, such as agar, alginate, and carrageenan. These hydrocolloids can be described as water-soluble carbohydrates used to in- crease the viscosity of solutions to form gels. Based on these seaweed properties, researchers from the University of Malaysia Pahang carried out a study to evalu- ate the benefits of using seaweed-based pellet binders in relation to a number of parameters. In this study two sea- weed species Kappaphycus alvarzeii and Sargassum poly- cystum were used as pellet binders to evaluate their bene- fits on pellet quality, growth performance, feed efficiency and the carcass characteristics of broilers from a day old to 35 days of age. The diets consisted of a control (no addi- tive), a commercial binder and three levels of each sea- weed; Seaweed 1: basal diet + S. polycystum at 2%, 5%, and 10% and Seaweed 2: basal diet + K. alvarezii at 2%, 5%, and 10%.
High quality pellets withstand rough handling, such as during transport, storage, and due to conveyance in feed lines. A recent study has shown that the use of binding agents from natural sources like seaweed not only help achieve the desired pellet quality but also improve bird performance.
Pellet quality Pellet quality was measured using the Pellet Durability Index (PDI), along with pellet hardness for all the diets. PDI mainly indicates the ability of the pellet to resist attrition during stor- age and transport. In terms of pellet hardness, it is generally accepted that harder pellets will also be more durable. The re- sults of the PDI and pellet hardness measurements per- formed on the pellets produced with the addition of seaweed powder (K. alvarezii and S. polycystum) indicated an improve- ment in pellet quality. The treatment with S. polycystum add- ed showed a higher PDI score than the control, the K. alvarezii and the commercial binder diets. While the PDI of both the K. alvarezii and the commercial binder were no better than the control diet. For both seaweed species, the PDI values were
Table 1 – Effect of seaweed pellet binders on pellet durability index (PDI) and pellet hardness, and seaweed differences on swelling capacity (SWC) and water retention capacity (WRC).
Treatment Control
2% S. polycystum 5%
K.alvarezii
10% 2% 5%
10% Commercial binder PDI
86.33 87.93 87.73 80.37 65.87 48.13 35.63 37.23
Hardness (N) 19.08 19.42 16.00 19.00 16.07 24.93 22.73 19.97
SWC (mL/g) -
13.3 34.2 - ▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 5/6, 2021
WRC (g/g) -
8.2 10.0 - 31
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