SPECIAL STORY 52 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE August 2022 and alpha-monobutyrin. FRA® Butyrin Hybrid Dry is designed to improve intestinal integrity and development, such as villi height and villi height to crypt depth ratio, but also balance the microbiome. Butyrate increases the expression of tight junction proteins, improving the epithelial barrier which is essential for normal intestinal function. Hence, it was expected that dietary supplementation of FRA® Butyrin Hybrid Dry would have a positive effect on performance and intestinal health of broilers during chronic heat stress. PROOF OF CONCEPT To test this hypothesis, FRAmelco carried out a broiler study during the hot-dry season in Nigeria last year. From rectal temperatures of 42.8 °C and respiratory rates of 96 breaths per minute, it became clear that the Arbor Acres broilers really suffered from heat stress. The control group received a basic commercial start, grower, and finisher diet based on maize and soybean meal. The test group received the basal diet supplemented with FRA® Butyrin Hybrid Dry (500 g/ton) during the entire trial period of 42 days. BETTER PERFORMANCE UNDER HEAT STRESS WITH FRA® BUTYRIN HYBRID As expected, the effect of heat stress was seen on all parameters as growth rate, feed intake, feed efficiency and final body weight were negatively affected in both treatment groups compared to the performance objectives of the genetic (see Table 1). However, FRA® Butyrin Hybrid Dry was able to alleviate the effects of heat stress as average daily weight gain was improved with 5.1% compared to the control group. As a result, at slaughter these broilers were 70 grams (4.6%) heavier. Remarkably, instead of a higher feed intake, in particular feed was better utilized when FRA® Butyrin Hybrid Dry was fed as feed conversion ratio was improved by 13 points. Looking at the carcass quality, dressed poultry was significantly increased with 6.7% and the percentages of breast meat, thigh and drumsticks were also elevated in the treatment group compared to control animals, with 5.1%, 6.1% and 1.9% respectively. Overall, the results of the current study are in line with scientific publications where blends of tributyrin and alpha-monobutyrin increase growth performance and breast meat yield. The total improvement in performance resulted in an increase of 19 points on the European Production Efficiency Factor. To find out what is behind this considerably improved feed efficiency, the researchers at FRAmelco went on to investigate the intestinal health of the heat-stressed broilers. Table 1. Effect of FRA® Butyrin Hybrid Dry on growth performance of Arbor Acres broilers under heat stress from day 0-42. Parameter Initial weight (g) Final body weight (g) Daily gain (g/day/bird) Feed intake (g/day/bird) Feed conversion ratio EPEF* Genetic objective 43 2901 68 112 1.63 424 Difference -2.0% +4.6% +5.1% +1.4% -13 pts + 19 pts FRA® Butyrin Hybrid Dry 43.1 1608 37.3 73.2 1.89 200 Control 44.0 1538 35.5 72.2 2.02 181 * European Production Efficiency Factor
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