D. H. Nguyen

Effect of crumbled diet on growth performance, market day age and meat quality of growing-finishing pigs

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to determine the effect of crumbled diet on growth performance, market day age, and meat quality of growing-finishing pigs. A total of 120 crossbred pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] with an average initial body weight (BW) of 25.89 ± 1.93 kg at 68 days of age were randomly allotted to 2 experimental diets based on initial BW (15 replicate pens per treatment, 4 pigs per pen; 2 barrows and 2 gilts). The trial lasted for 120 days. Dietary treatments included: (1) T1 (mash diet); (2) T2 (crumble diet). During the overall study period pigs fed the T2 (crumble diet) had significantly greater (P < .05) average daily gain (ADG) and gain to feed ratio (G:F). Moreover, the number of pigs reaching market age at day 177 was higher in pigs fed crumble diet than mash diet. No significant differences were observed in back-fat thickness, meat colour, sensory evaluation, cooking loss, drip loss, water holding capacity, and longgissimus muscle area (LMA) between T1 and T2 groups. Our results revealed that the growth performance was significantly enhanced in pigs fed with the crumble diet. The crumble diet reduced market day age and meat quality of growing-finishing pigs.

Evaluation of the blend of organic acids and medium-chain fatty acids in matrix coating as antibiotic growth promoter alternative on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, excreta microflora, and carcass quality in broilers

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the blend of organic acids (OAs) and medium‐chain fatty acids (MCFAs) in broiler chickens. A total of 816 1‐d‐old male Ross 308 broiler chickens (35 ± 0.44 g) were randomly allocated into 1 of the following 6 dietary treatments (17 broilers per pen with 8 pens per treatment): dietary treatments consisted of corn‐soybean meal‐based basal diet and the basal diet supplemented with 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, and 0.06% blend of OAs and MCFAs. The study lasted 5 wk during which growth performance was determined. In the current study, the inclusion of 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, and 0.06% blend of OAs and MCFAs in the basal diet linearly increased (P < 0.05) body weight gain and improved feed conversion ratio (P < 0.0001) on day 7 to 14, day 14 to 35, as well as overall. Increasing inclusion of the blend of OAs and MCFAs levels in the diets also linearly increased (P = 0.001) the digestibility of dry matter on day 35. Broilers fed with different levels of the blend of OAs and MCFAs showed a linear increment (P = 0.042) in Lactobacillus concentration and decrease (P = 0.002) in Escherichia coli concentration. With regard to relative organ weight, a trend of linear reduction (P = 0.052) in bursa of Fabricius weight of broilers fed the blend of OAs and MCFAs was observed. There was a significant linear improvement (P = 0.011) in the IgG concentration associated with the inclusion of the blend of OAs and MCFAs levels in the diets. In conclusion, the blend of OAs and MCFAs supplementation positively influenced growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and excreta microflora in broiler chickens.

Influence of low-protein diets and protease and bromelain supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood urine nitrogen, creatinine, and faecal noxious gas in growing–finishing pigs

Abstract: A total of 180 crossbred pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] with an average body weight of 22.61 ± 1.23 kg were used in an 18 wk study to determine the effect of protease and bromelain in low-protein diets in grower–finisher pigs. Dietary treatments included: T1, basal diet treatment; T2, low-protein treatment; T3 (T2 + 0.2 g kg-1 protease); and T4 (T2 + 0.3 g kg-1 bromelain). Pigs fed protease- and bromelain-supplemented diets increased average daily gain and gain to feed ratio at week 18, dry matter and nitrogen digestibility at week 6, as well as energy digestibility at week 12, compared with low-protein diet (P < 0.05). Pigs fed T3 and T4 diets led to a trend of decreased (P < 0.05) blood urine nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine concentrations at the 12th wk. A reduction of ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) emission was observed in pigs fed the dietary protease and bromelain supplementation at the 6th wk (P < 0.05). There was no effect on all parameters between the protease and bromelain supplementation treatments. In conclusion, supplementation of protease and bromelain to low-protein diet enhanced growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and reduced NH3 and H2S in growing–finishing pigs.

Influence of Enterococcus faecium and endo-1,4-β-xylanase supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microflora, fecal gas emission, and meat quality in finishing pigs fed with diets based on corn–soybean meal

Abstract: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Enterococcus faecium (EF) and endo-1,4-β-xylanase (XY) in finishing pigs. The pigs were randomly divided into four treatments with eight replications per treatment and four pigs per pen in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two levels of EF (0 or 0.1 g kg−1 of feed) and XY (0 or 0.1 g kg−1 of feed). During 0–12 wk, average daily gain and gain to feed ratio (G:F) increased by addition of EF in the diets (P < 0.05). The G:F increased by addition of XY in the diets (P < 0.05). At the 6th week, the results showed that digestibility of dry matter (DM), nitrogen, and energy increased with pigs fed EF supplemented diet compared with diets without EF supplementation (P < 0.05). In addition, administration of XY improved DM digestibility compared with treatments without XY supplementation (P < 0.05). The fecal Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus counts decreased and increased respectively by addition of EF or XY in the diets (P < 0.05). In conclusion, providing finishing pigs with diets that contained EF and XY can improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility, Lactobacillus population, and decrease E. coli counts.

Influence of a cocktail of protease and xylanase in different energy densities of corn- and soybean-meal-based diet on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass quality, and gas emission in broilers

Abstract: A total of 480 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers with an average initial body weight (BW) of 42 ± 1 g was randomly divided into four treatments (8 replicates/treatment, 15 birds/replicate) by their BW to evaluate the influence of a cocktail of protease and xylanase in different energy density of corn- and soybean-meal-based diet on broilers. This experiment lasted for 35 d and there were two phases; starter (1–18 d) and finisher (19–35 d). The experiment was a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two levels of metabolizable energy and the cocktail enzyme with 200 mg of protease kg-1 diet and 100 FXU xylanase kg-1 diet. Both high-nutrient density and cocktail enzyme supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the body weight gain (BWG) during day 1–18 and day 1–35 as well as dry matter retention on day 35. Broilers fed the high-nutrient-density diets had higher (P < 0.05) energy retention on day 35 and relative breast muscle weight. Broilers fed the cocktail enzyme diets significantly increased nitrogen (N) retention and decreased the levels of ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) emission. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of the cocktail enzyme component improved BWG, N retention, and reduced excreta noxious gas emission in broilers.

Effect of dietary extracted rice bran supplementation on production performance and excreta microflora in laying hens

Abstract This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of extracted rice bran supplementation in the diet on production performance, feed intake, egg quality, and excreta microflora in laying hens. A total of 288 Hy-line Brown (46 wk old) laying hens were randomly assigned to three different treatments. The three treatments were (1) CON (control), basal diet; (2) T1, basal diet + 0.01% extracted rice bran (ERB); and (3) T2, basal diet + 0.02% ERB. The trial lasted for 6 wk. Egg quality was checked weekly, whereas egg production was recorded daily throughout the trial period. All data were subjected to the GLM procedures of SAS and differences among treatments were separated by Duncan’s multiple range test with a P < 0.05 indicating a significance. There were eight replicates per treatment with 12 birds per replicate. The results showed that egg production increased linearly during weeks 5, 6, and in cumulative period (P < 0.05). Improved eggshell thickness was found by increasing dietary ERB levels (P < 0.05). The excreta Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus counts decreased and increased respectively by addition of ERB in the diet. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of 0.02% ERB increased egg production, Lactobacillus counts, and decreased E. coli counts in hens.