Dr Sonia Yun Liu

I. INTRODUCTIONExogenous phytases increased apparent ileal digestibility coefficients of 17 amino acids by an average of 4.13% (0.833 versus 0.800) in one meta-analysis (Cowieson et al., 2017); however, the scale of responses varies. Phytases increased apparent ileal digestibility coefficients of 16 amino acids by averages of 12.7%, 7.24% and 9.15%, respectively, across three selected assays (Amer ...

I. INTRODUCTIONWheat and sorghum are the most common feed grains for chicken-meat production in Australia. In two direct comparisons birds offered maize-based diets were better able to accommodate dietary crude protein (CP) reductions than wheat-based diets (Chrystal et al., 2021; Greenhalgh et al., 2022). One underlying reason for this difference appears to be the higher protein contents of wheat ...

IntroductionThere are several advantages stemming from crude protein (CP) reductions in diets for broiler chickens, including decreased nitrogen (N) excretion and ammonia (NH3) emissions coupled with improved litter quality resulting in enhanced bird welfare [1, 2]. Moreover, soybean meal inclusions are considerably lower in reducedCP diets. Australia, and many other countries, imports substantial ...

I. INTRODUCTIONLow-protein diets for broiler chickens axiomatically contain high inclusions of supplemental amino acids and have the potential to generate economic, environmental and bird welfare advantages. Low-protein diets are usually formulated by reducing soybean meal inclusions and increasing inclusions of a range of supplemental amino acids. An alternative approach was adopted in the presen ...

I. INTRODUCTIONWhole grain feeding (WGF) involves the partial substitution of ground grain with whole grain in boiler diets. Whole grain (WG), usually wheat, may be added either prior to (prepellet) or following (post-pellet) steam-pelleting. WGF generates heavier and presumably more functional gizzards, which are thought to be the genesis of responses in feed conversion ratios (FCR) and energy ut ...

1. IntroductionThere is considerable interest in the successful development of low protein diets for broiler chickens, which axiomatically contain high inclusions of supplemental amino acids. This is because low protein diets have the potential to generate economic, environmental and bird welfare advantages.Formulation of low protein diets are usually achieved by decreasing soybean meal inclusions ...

I. INTRODUCTIONThe digestive dynamics of starch and protein are considered pivotal to broiler performance (Liu and Selle, 2015). Moreover, it was proposed that the rates of starch digestion and glucose absorption exceed the rates of protein digestion and amino acid absorption and this asynchrony in digestive dynamics compromises the performance of broiler chickens. If so, it follows that the provi ...

I. INTRODUCTIONSupplementation of amino acids to reduce feather pecking behaviour and improve plumage condition has been previously studied and found to be successful (Savory, 1998, van Hierden et al., 2004). Feather eating behaviour performed by feather pecking birds suggests that feathers (predominately composed of keratin protein) may be consumed as an alternative source of amino acids, if dige ...