NUTRITION ▶▶▶
Nutritionist solutions in times of soaring ingredient prices
BY LEONEL MEJIA, COBB VANTRESS T
he poultry industry continues to face many chal- lenges, not least in obtaining maximum profits. It is an industry that relies on maximum efficiency and small margins. Feed accounts for nearly 70% of the
total production cost. The impact of feed cost on input costs and profitability is therefore constantly under scrutiny and is considered by many as a ‘pressure point’ in decision making. It is the nutritionist’s responsibility to evaluate alternatives that could reduce feed costs without affecting maximum profitability. From a nutritional standpoint, protein and energy represent most of the cost in a poultry diet. These nutrients provide a major opportunity for nutritionists to impact overall feed cost. Improving feed utilisation should always be considered a priority. The use of near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectros- copy technology, enzyme supplementation and the inclusion of alternative feed ingredients, are among the alternatives that will be discussed in this article.
Enzyme supplementation Feed enzymes largely focus on gaining feed cost savings (through better feed utilisation) rather than improvements in live performance. Enzymes are one of the best tools available to nutritionists for improving feed utilisation. They also re- duce the environmental impact of animal production and have the potential to improve gut health and animal welfare. Phytases, carbohydrases and proteases are used to improve the nutrient digestibility of phytate-bound phosphorus and remove non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) that interfere with energy utilisation and protein digestion, respectively. Today, phytases are commonly used in the industry while nu- tritionists have more recently become interested in carbohy- drases and proteases. Current increases in corn and soybean meal costs have presented an opportunity for nutritionists to use carbohydrases and proteases. The use of carbohydrases will depend on the major NSP components of the main diet ingredients. Cereals, such as corn and wheat, contain a high
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Poultry production involves converting feed into meat or eggs, but with high feed costs profitability is under pressure. Increased feed efficiency will lower the cost of production which will then increase profitability. Available solutions in the nutritionist’s toolbox to optimise feed efficiency include enzyme supplementation, NIRS technology and alternative feed ingredients.
percentage of arabinoxylans, with almost double the amount of arabinoxylans in wheat relative to corn (Table 1). By con- trast, soybean meal contains a small percentage of arabinoxy- lans but a higher percentage of pectins and oligosaccharides. The bird’s intestinal tract is not fully developed at hatch and does not produce the critical enzymes (amylase, trypsin, chy- motrypsin and lipase) required for nutrient digestion. During the first few days post-hatch and before intestinal maturation is achieved, providing the bird with supplemental enzymes to
As the cost of feed ingredi- ents increases, nutritionists may have some solutions to help producers reduce the cost of feed.
PHOTO: COBB VANTRESS
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