Performance and economic viability of broiler chicken fed diets with multienzyme complexes

This study evaluated the effect of multienzyme complexes (EC1 and EC2) in low nutritional density diets on performance and economic viability of broilers. A total of 840 day-old chicks were assigned to 7 treatments, distributed in a completely randomized design: (1) PC: positive control, basal diet formulated to meet nutritional requirements; (2) NC1: negative control, reduced energy and nutrient density diet without enzymes; (3) NC1+EC1; (4) NC2: negative control, diet formulated with 7% over-estimated crude protein and amino acids of soybean meal without enzymes; (5) NC2+EC2; (6) NC3: negative control, reduced energy and nutrient density diet and over-estimation of crude protein and amino acids of soybean meal; (7) NC3+EC1+EC2. Feeding NC1 or NC3 impaired feed conversion ratio at 7, 21 and 42 days, and NC2 at 21 days. Inclusion of EC2 in NC2 diet improved feed conversion ratio and kept it similar to basal diets from 1 to 21 days. Association of EC1 with EC2 in NC3 diet did not improve performance. In summary, inclusion of EC2 in diets with reduced nutrient density keep feed conversion ratio similar to basal diets from 1 to 21 days but does not improve performance of broiler chicken from 1 to 42 days post-hatch.