Evaluation of some dietary and environmental factors influencing energetic efficiency in growing broilers

Scope and method of study. In today's economic climate efficient feed conversion into broiler tissue is essential for successful poultry production. Sophisticated knowledge of broiler nutrient requirements and nutrient content of feed ingredients are needed. Though genetic improvement has produced the most efficient broiler to date, questions related to its nutrients need are expected to continue. Refinements in dietary and environmental factors influencing energetic efficiency need to be developed. The aim of this study was to evaluate and quantify the performance and energetic efficiency of broilers under different dietary and environmental stress conditions and to evaluate the effects of dietary enzyme and growth promoters on these birds performance and energetic efficiency. The outcome enhances our knowledge on the mode of action of these products and may enable us to make proper suggestions to the producers to deal with such stress factors.; Findings and conclusions. Acidifier supplementation should be considered when a heat stress episode is anticipated by the broiler producer as it has the potential to reduce economic losses attributable to heat stress. Total edible meat yield data favored dietary acidifier supplementation mainly due to increased survivability. As low as 0.05% Hemicell supplementation was effective to remove the negative effects associated with guar gum supplemented up to 1% into broiler diets. In summary, therapeutics such as organic acids and betaine have proven to be effective and have the potential to reduce the economic loss due to chronic heat stress. With proper management, economic loss due to various stress factors could be minimized since birds are capable of showing compensatory growth. Dietary enzymes remove adverse effects of antinutritional factors. Additionally, dietary enzymes improve the nutrient bioavailability of certain feedstuffs.