Hybrid Phytase and Carbohydrases in Corn and Soybean Meal-Based Diets for Broiler Chickens: Performance and Production Costs

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of using 500 FTU/kg of hybrid phytase (created from three bacteria - Natuphos E), with or without xylanase and glucanase (560 TXU/kg; 250 TGU/kg) - Natugrain TS, in corn and soybean meal-based diets, with nutritional reductions in metabolizable energy (ME), Ca, and available phosphorus (AP), on performance parameters and production costs in broiler chickens. The 1875chickens were housed in boxes and distributed among 5 treatments with 15 replicates of 25 chickens each. The experiment included a positive control (the diet of which met the nutritional requirements of the birds), two negative controls (with ME reductions of 70 and 100 kcal/kg, and fixed reductions in Ca [0.16%] and AP [0.15%]), and two treatments with identical nutritional reductions in addition to enzyme supplementation. The treatments included the following: PC=positive control (basal diet (BD) corn and soybean meal); R_70 = BD with reduction of 70 kcal/kg, Ca and AP;R_100 = BD with reduction of 100 kcal, Ca and AP; R_70 + P = BD with reduction of 70 kcal/kg, Ca and AP + phytase (500 FTU/kg); R_100 + P + XG = BD with reduction of 100 kcal/kg, Ca and AP + phytase (500 FTU/kg) + xylanase (560 TXU/kg) + glucanase (250 TGU/kg). Performance parameters, carcass yield, and production costs (USD/ton chilled carcass) were evaluated. In conclusion, the reductions of 70 kcal/kg, 0.16% Ca, and 0.15% AP did not affect performance in chickens over 42 days, if diets were supplemented with hybrid phytase (500 FTU/kg). Supplementation with hybrid phytase and carbohydrases in diets with reductions of 100 kcal/kg, 0.16% Ca, and 0.15% AP led to lower production costs.