Fermented poultry litter and fungal enzyme supplementation of high-fibre broiler diets: Growth responses,carcass characteristics and blood lipids of fed chicks

Three different types of poultry litter, Broiler's (BL), Layer's (LL) and Grower's (GL), were subjected to fermentation by a mixed starter culture of Aspergillus niger, Leuconostoc spp. and Candida utilis for 108 h. Fermentation resulted in increase of crude protein, nitrogen free extract, calcium, phosphorus, biomass and amino acid content. The dried, highly fermented broilers litter was applied at 2 levels (0, 15%; w/w) as supplement of high-fibre basal diet along with different levels of fungal enzyme mixture (0, 1, 5, 10, 20 and 25 IU/kg diet) fed to 480 day-old broiler chicks of mixed sex in 2 trials conducted to study the growth responses and blood lipid composition of such birds to the diets. Results of these trials show a positive correlation between enzyme supplementation and body weight, feed efficiency, carcass weight, edible meat and the meat: bone ratio. Consistently significant reduction was observed in the blood total lipid, free fatty acid, phospholipid and cholesterol concentrations between the enzyme-deficient diet and the enzyme- and fermented poultry litter supplemented diet. However, from both trials it is concluded that an enzyme concentration of 15 IU/kg diet in the presence of 15% fermented poultry litter is best for supplementation.