Application of an in vitro multi-enzyme assay to estimate the precaecal digestibility of crude protein and amino acids in broiler chicken

Summary

Knowledge of the precaecal (pc) crude protein (CP) and amino acid (AA) digestibility can be used in formulation of poultry diets. The pc CP and AA digestibility can differ between various feedstuffs as well as between batches of the same feedstuff. Thus, table values can provide misleading information. However, they are generally used because there is no standard method to predict the actual pc CP and AA digestibility. Thus, the aim of the study was to evaluate the use of an in vitro multi-enzyme assay to predict the pc digestibility of CP and AA in broiler chicken.
The adapted in vitro multi-enzyme assay provides good estimates for the pc CP and AA digestibility of single feedstuffs for broiler chicken. Further calibrations with in vivo results are recommended to improve the significance of the assay. Various samples of different feedstuffs as well as of mixed feeds with known pc digestibility of the CP and AA should be used for this purpose.