The Effects of Nonstarch Polysaccharide Enzyme Addition and Dietary Energy Restriction on Performance and Carcass Quality of Organic Broiler Chickens

Feed constitutes a substantial cost in organic production. Organic poultry may have access to pasture, a nutrient source that has the potential to curtail feed costs. Past research has demonstrated that feed restriction will motivate broilers to forage. Incorporating a nonstarch polysaccharide (NSP) enzyme may enable broilers to better utilize nutrients found in forage. The objective of this study was to examine ways to decrease feed costs by increasing forage intake through dietary energy dilution (7%) and increasing forage digestibility through the incorporation of an exogenous NSP enzyme. The experiment was conducted during the 3-to-8-wk growing phase in spring and summer months on broilers with and without access to pasture. Dietary energy dilution did not result in increased broiler forage intake. During the spring months, NSP enzyme inclusion enhanced performance only when broilers were given access to pasture. Feeding a low-energy diet with NSP enzyme did not enable broilers to overcome a 7% energy dilution. Decreasing energy and subsequent feed cost in organic broiler diets may be possible with energy dilutions less than 7%, depending on forage intake and quality.