|
|
Studies linked to UFSM evaluated the use of plant-based additives in the productive performance of broiler chickens and layer breeders. The additives used in the research were extracts from the plants Quillaja saponaria , Yucca schidigera and tannins from black wattle ( Acacia mearnsii ). In broiler chickens, the objective was to evaluate a natural additive to obtain better intestinal health, contributing positively to production coststion, shell quality, protection against microorganisms, number of dirty eggs in production and incubation parameters. The additives act on the health of the birds and, consequently, allow them to produce better. The professor and researcher at the Department of Animal Science at UFSM, Catarina Stefanello, says that “it is increasingly important to work with natural additives, which do not generate waste in meat and eggs and which make it possible to sell poultry products to different markets and in markets in that there are restrictions on the use of non-natural antimicrobials.
The professor reports that, for consumers, natural additives, through their antioxidant properties, can improve the quality of chicken meat, reducing lipid oxidation, which is related to maintaining the quality of the meat during storage. For producers, lower humidity in bird excreta can provide greater reuse of poultry litter, which, combined with other management controls, aims to reduce costs. Positive results The results of the studies show that saponins and polyphenols from Quillaja and Yucca resulted in better productive performance in broiler chickens raised up to 3 kg of live weight. “The DM Databases natural additive improved the integrity of the intestine, increased the height of the intestinal villi and the digestibility of nutrients, which favored the improvement of feed efficiency”, states Catarina. For laying hens in the egg production phase, the Quillaja and Yucca additive improved feed conversion and reduced the percentage of discarded eggs – cracked, dirty, without shells or with defects. “It was observed that bird excreta became drier and fewer dirty eggs were produced when chickens were fed feed with 250 g/ton of the additive.
Furthermore, the additive worked to improve the quality of the egg shell, the percentage, thickness and resistance of the shell, increasing the use of eggs obtained in chicken production. We also identified an improvement in the integrity of the cuticles of bird eggshells, which represents greater protection against the presence of bacteria that can harm egg hatching, and improved the so-called incubation parameters, which include reducing the number of contaminated eggs and of embryonic mortality”, reports the professor. Increasing levels (0 to 900 g/ton of feed) of a commercial tannin added to broiler feed were also evaluated, which resulted in increased weight gain and better feed conversion. “Tannin improved the use of protein in the feed, the integrity of the intestine and the height of the intestinal villi. Additionally, tannins decreased lipid oxidation in chicken thigh meat that was stored frozen for six months. The best results in weight gain and feed efficiency for chickens were observed with the use of, on average, 310 to 444 g/tonne of tannin in the feed, respectively”, he states.
|
|
發表於 2024-3-14 14:09:23