Effect of Different Levels of Corn Gluten Feed with and without Enzyme Addition on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Nutrient Digestibility and some Blood Parameters in Broiler Chicks

In the poultry industry, the use of agricultural and industrial waste  is one of the economic strategies for providing feed . Corn gluten feed is an industrial waste that is produced through the wet corn milling process and due to its cheap price, good nutritional value and availability, can reduce feed production costs and provide part of the energy and protein required by poultry.

This experiment was performed with 320 on-d-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens in a completely randomized design with 2×4 factorial arrangement including four levels of corn gluten feed (0, 12, 24, 36%) and two levels of multi enzyme (0 and 0.07%) was performed. For each experimental treatment, four replications containing 10 birds were assigned. During the experiment, feed intake and body weight were measured periodically. At the end of the experiment, two birds were selected from each replicate and their carcass characteristics were examined after slaughter. Nutrient digestibility was also assessed by sampling feces at 21 days of age. At 21 and 42 days of age, two chicks were selected based on the average body weight of each replicate and blood was drawn from their wing vein.

The rations containing 36% level of corn gluten feed had more feed consumption in the growth period, as well as the lowest weight gain and the highest food conversion ratio in the initial periods, growth and the entire rearing period, compared to other levels of corn gluten feed consumption (p<0.05). The average weight gain and feed conversion ratio improved in treatments containing enzymes in the initial and growth periods. Birds containing enzyme levels without corn gluten feed had the highest weight gain and the lowest food conversion ratio in the entire rearing period compared to other treatments (p<0.05). Addition of enzyme to the diet containing 36% of corn gluten feed increased the relative weight of liver and bursa of Fabricius compared to diets without enzyme (p<0.05). Addition of enzyme also decreased fat in the ventricular cavity (p<0.05). The use of 36% level of corn gluten feed in the diet improved the digestibility of crude fat compared to zero and 12% levels of corn gluten feed in the diet. Addition of enzyme to the diet improved the digestibility of crude protein (p<0.05). At the age of 21 days, treatments containing a mixture of 12 or 24% corn gluten feed and enzyme in the diet caused a decrease in the concentration of triglyceride and very low density lipoprotein compared to the levels containing 12 and 24 percent corn gluten feed. Also, by adding enzyme to the diet, blood glucose concentration increased significantly.

In general, the results showed that by supplementation multienzyme in, corn gluten feed up to 36% can be used in the diet of broilers without negative