Broiler Integrators: Use High-Shear Dry Extruded Ingredients to Quickly Attain Market Weight & Flock Uniformity
The poultry industry is continuously evolving as demand for poultry products increases globally. To meet these demands, choosing efficient feeding strategies and dietary ingredients is crucial to provide an abundant, consistent final product.
This article highlights some key aspects to consider when selecting ingredients for poultry feed. It is focused on the relevance of knowing the chemical composition of ingredients, their nutritional values, the negative impact of antinutritional factors, how feed processing can be affected by the quality of ingredients, and the economic aspects to consider. This is aligned with what we have blogged previously based on the widely proven superior amino acid digestibility, energy concentration, proper deactivation of antinutritional factors and relative value in the market of ExPress® soy meal when compared to solvent-extracted soybean meal. Additionally, we have addressed the advantages of highly-gelatinized high-shear dry extruded corn. Overall, we understand how to produce high-quality ingredients through proper processing, and most relevant, we evaluate animal performance because animals do not lie about quality of ingredients. In fact, that is the most precise quality control and supports why high-shear dry extruded ingredients are the first option when selecting ingredients for poultry diets.
A clear indication of how high-shear dry extruded ingredients can impact positively body weight was recently demonstrated in a 42-day broiler trial conducted at Iowa State University. It evaluated growth performance of broiler chickens fed ExPress® soy meal and high-shear dry extruded corn-based diets versus a control diet including solvent-extracted soybean meal and ground corn. It was demonstrated that high-shear extruded ingredients not only improved the feed conversion of growing broilers but also increased body weight at 42 days with respect to the group fed the control diet (2.92 kg vs. 2.59 kg). A significant difference of 330 g more of body weight when feeding high-shear dry extruded ingredients was evident. Also, those broilers not only were heavier but also uniformity of the flock was observed.
What does this mean for the poultry industry? Integrators are currently facing the challenge of high feed prices and the need to make adjustments in market body weight. Selection of high-shear dry extruded ingredients in poultry diets offers advantages if a specific market age or market weight is needed. According to the results of the mentioned study, flocks fed high-shear extruded ingredients marketed at 2.5 kg would show clear advantages with respect to a diet based on ground corn and soybean meal: Birds will gain 7.9 g/bird/day more, allowing them to reach target market weight 4.7 days faster; achieving 1 more uniform flock/barn/year.
Poultry industry stakeholders – if your main purpose is to reach a targeted market weight within a minimal growth period while considering flock uniformity, ask about the nutritional value of high-shear dry extruded ingredients. Combining two optimal ingredients in poultry diets is a nutritional strategy with remarkable and impactful results to poultry integrators.
