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Protein Nutrition of Poultry: Maximising Efficiency


By Anthony Waller, DSM Nutritional Products Animal Health and Nutrition


When formulating poultry feeds, be it for meat birds, egg layers or breeders, the supply of protein is always at the forefront of the nutritionist’s mind. Because of the key role that protein plays in animal production there has been much academic work in defining the optimum approach to diet formulation and further commercial development to produce the most efficient and cost effective solutions. Clearly when we talk about protein today we are really discussing the supply of amino acids to the birds and aiming to match the supply to the requirement as closely as possible. The nutritionist will begin with first principles and consider the way


the bird digests and absorbs proteins and amino acids and then utilises them for maintenance and production. Adding in the level of production and stage of maturity of the bird allows the requirement for protein to be defined and will lead to the setting of digestible amino acid specifications for the diet being prepared. When setting this specification, not only do the individual absolute requirements need to be defined, but consideration needs to be given to the profile of amino acids and the ratios between them. There are well documented antagonisms that can occur if particular ratios are outside the acceptable range, and there is the potential for the true value of protein being lost if an inappropriate profile of amino acids appears in the diets. Having settled upon a suitable amino acid profile then focus


shifts to the raw materials to supply the protein. Whilst the range of materials available today is not particularly extensive, it is important that 1) appropriate values for protein and amino acids are attributed to the materials and 2) particular attention is given to the digestibility of the materials. In relation to the first point, a solid Quality Control programme analysing samples of materials to be used on a frequent basis is essential. Reviewing the information obtained through analysis and acting upon it with changes to the raw material database is extremely positive to achieving the aim of supplying the appropriate level of protein and amino acids to the bird. On the second point, it goes almost without saying that digestibility of amino acids should be factored into the description of raw materials but also it is worth taking a step back and thinking about the overall digestibility and fibre content of different raw materials and assessing further benefits one material may give over another, similar material. To this end, there are analytical tests available to help in this assessment, and there are more sophisticated tests being developed which will add to our armoury of knowledge of protein quality. In terms of raw materials, beyond the macro ingredients such as soya, sunflower, rapeseed, fishmeal and the cereals, we are in


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the fortunate position today of having a number of synthetic amino acids available to allow us both to improve the digestibility of the final feed and refine the balance and ratio of amino acids in that feed. Lysine and Methionine have been key constituents of poultry diets for a number of years now, and Threonine is also now routine. More recently Valine has become both available and economically viable and now Arginine has moved into the same arena. With Tryptophan also available modern poultry feeds can more closely mirror the protein requirements of the birds for which they are intended than at any time previously. There are notes of caution related to the use of synthetic amino acids. Firstly, maximum levels of addition of synthetic amino acids should be applied as there is the potential for these highly digestible amino acids to be assimilated by the birds more rapidly than those within the proteins of raw materials with the consequence being an imbalanced profile being created. Secondly, as there is greater reliance on synthetic amino acids with a resultant drop in crude protein level, care must be taken to avoid any deficiency developing in those amino acids not available in the pure form. Provided sufficient attention is paid to these points there are great benefits to be had from the pure amino acid products. Further strategies need to be considered and brought into play


to maximise the efficiency of protein nutrition in the feeds of today. Enzymes are widely used and our knowledge and understanding of how they can bring benefits to poultry nutrition is developing all the time. The most straightforward use of exogenous enzymes in relation to poultry is the use of proteases, which act directly upon protein to increase amino acid digestibility and therefore improve efficiency of production. However, today there is sufficient scientific information available to allow precise consideration of the role that a range of enzymes can play in enhancing protein nutrition, including the positive impact that carbohydrases and phytases can have upon improving availability and digestibility of amino acids. At the same time, other nutritional tools are available such as amino acid precursors and amino acid sparing products which can be brought into the mix. So in summary, today we are in a better position than ever before to


maximise the precision and efficiency of the protein segment of poultry feeds which is an absolute must when trying to match the requirement of the modern genetics we are dealing with. By keeping a strong focus on detail in the more traditional approach


to formulation but simultaneously embracing the new nutritional knowledge and technologies available, we can deliver feeds of the highest quality into the poultry market.


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