IPB University Faculty of Animal Science Lecturer Presents Types and Benefits of Feed Additives for Chicken Performance
Dr Widya Hermana, IPB University lecturer from the Department of Nutrition and Feed Technology, Faculty of Animal Science, elaborated on the types and benefits of feed additives that can be used by layer and broiler farmers. She argues that feed additives are necessary to improve performance, health, production, and quality of products produced.
The IPB University lecturer explained that feed additives are categorized into probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, enzymes, herbs, vitamins and minerals. Probiotics are microorganisms that are added to feed, while prebiotics are feed from these microorganisms. While synbiotics are a combination of probiotics and prebiotics.
“In my opinion, the synbiotic type can give better results than just probiotics or prebiotics because it contains microorganisms along with the food needed for their development,” said Dr Widya in the 38th series of Trobos Livestock Pulpit with the theme ‘Variety of Feed Additives to Support Chicken Performance’, 29/8.
For enzymes, said Dr Widya, the amount can be added according to the purpose, namely what nutrients you want to digest faster. Herbs, she said, can come from rhizomes or leaves such as soursop leaves, bay leaves, and binahong leaves. Meanwhile, vitamins and minerals can be given directly from pharmaceutical manufacturers.
“In addition to support chicken performance, feed additives can also function to increase palatability, preservatives, inhibitors of pathogenic microorganisms, increase nutrient digestibility, antifungals, and aid digestion,” said Dr Widya Hermana.
The IPB University lecturer explained that the addition of probiotic Lactobacillus sp in layer feed, for example, can increase egg production and increase carcass weight. Meanwhile, the addition of vitamins and minerals must also be present in the feed because vitamins are not synthesized by poultry even though their role is essential for normal tissue development for health, growth and basic life.
“If vitamins are not found in feed or cannot be absorbed by livestock, then poultry will experience vitamin deficiency,” she concluded. (MW/ra) (IAAS/NVA)
