This experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of protease on metabolization coefficient of nutrients, performance and slaughter yield from male Cobb(r) broilers fed diets with feather meal. Two experiments were carried out in a completely randomized design in a 2x2 factorial arrangement - with (0.05%) or without enzyme addition x considering or not the improvement of the nutritional value by protease, with seven replicates per treatment group. In experiment 1 the metabolization coefficient of dry matter (MCDM), crude protein (MCCP) and ether extract (MCEE) in initial (9-12-d-old) and growth (29-32-d-old) phase was evaluated. In the initial phase it was observed that regardless of enzyme addition, broiler chickens fed a diet considering improvement in nutritional value had higher MCCP (P≤0.05). However, MCDM and MCEE were not affected (P>0.05). In the growth phase, there were interactions between treatments for the variables MCCP and MCEE. The birds fed diets considering the improvement in nutritional value without enzyme (negative control) showed better results (P≤0.05) for MCCP and MCEE. In the treatments with enzyme, the best MCEE (P≤0.05) was observed in the treatment not considering the improvement in the nutritional value (over the top). Therefore, considering the improvement in the nutritional value and enzyme without considering the improvement in the nutritional value improves the coefficients of metabolization of nutrients in broiler chickens.
metabolization coefficient; enzyme; broilers; protease
