EFFECT OF BETA-GLUCANASE PENTOSANASE ENZYME SUPPLEMENTATION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF CHICKENS AND LAYING HENS FED WHEAT, BARLEY, NAKED OATS AND RYE DIETS

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of beta-gluca nase/pentosanase enzyme complex (Trichoderma viride, Roxazyme(R) G) on the performance of Leghorn chicks and laying hens fed wheat, barley, oats or rye diets. In the first experiment, enzyme addition (0. 2 and 0.4 g kg-1) improved weight gain and feed efficiency in Leghorn chicks fed hulless barley (45 and 18%, respectively) and naked oat-based die ts (35 and 15%, respectively). No response to dietary enzymes was evid ent when chicks were given the wheat diet. In the second experiment, t he addition of Roxazyme(R) G to diets containing hulless barley (0.1 g kg-1) and rye (4.0 g kg-1) improved feed consumption (8 and 16%, resp ectively), weight gain (21 and 35%, respectively) and feed-to-gain rat ios (11 and 14%, respectively). Relative gizzard weights of birds fed the rye diet were reduced by 18% when enzyme was added to this diet. I n the third experiment, replacing all the wheat with hulless barley, n aked oats or rye in diets for young pullets had no effect on overall p erformance during a 12-wk laying trial. Vent feather soilage increased with the incorporation of naked oats and rye. Enzyme supplementation had a beneficial effect on weight gain and feed intake but not on egg production, initial egg weight, average egg weight, egg specific gravi ty, Haugh unit score, and mortality.