ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2025 57 Control 1.25 2.5 4,72 Feed intake (kg) 4,76 4,75 4,7 4,71 4,72 4,73 4,74 4,75 4,76 1,57 1,56 1,53 1,5 1,52 1,54 1,56 1,58 FCR (g/g) Control 1.25 2.5 Control 1.25 2.5 Cost/kg gain ($) 0,628 0,627 0,620 0,61 0,62 0,63 sumed by the total weight gain of a group (or individual) over a given period. Lower FCR values indicate improved feed efficiency, highlighting the effectiveness of seaweed in enhancing livestock performance (de Verdal et al., 2017, Knap and Kause, 2018). Recognizing the importance of feed efficiency in animal production, Ocean Harvest Technology has invested significantly in research over the past few years, exploring the impact of its unique seaweed blends, OceanFeed™, as a feed ingredient. This research focuses on improving feed efficiency across various livestock species, emphasizing its potential to enhance overall productivity and sustainability in animal farming. In one study, 720 Vencobb 430 Y male broiler chickens were used to evaluate the impact of OceanFeed™ Poultry on feed efficiency. The birds were fed corn-soybean meal-based diets, with OceanFeed™ Poultry added at 0, 1.25, or 2.5 kg/ton of feed. The study followed a completely randomized design, with 12 replicate pens per treatment group, each containing 10 chicks. The results revealed that the inclusion of OceanFeed™ Poultry significantly improved FCR and reduced Feed Intake when compared to the control group, as illustrated in Figure 1. These findings indicate that the addition of OceanFeed™ Poultry led to a more efficient feed utilization in broilers. Moreover, OceanFeed™ Poultry inclusion also had a significant impact reducing the cost per kilogram of weight gain, particularly at the highest dose (2.5%) (Figure 1). These conclusions demonstrate that OceanFeed™ Poultry has the potential to enhance feed efficiency, boosting productivity, and reducing production costs in broiler chickens, making it a valuable feed ingredient for the poultry industry. Building on the positive outcomes observed in broiler chickens, a commercial trial was conducted at a customer facility to assess the impact of OceanFeed™ Swine on piglet performance. The 28-day trial involved piglets weaned at 25–28 days of age (average weight 7 kg), with two rounds of dietary treatments. Each round included 3 pens of approximately 25 piglets, totaling 450 pigs. The trial aimed to compare Figure 1. FCR, Feed intake and cost per kilogram of weight gain in broiler chickens fed a Control (C) diet or the control diet supplemented with increasing inclusion of OceanFeed™ Poultry from 0-42 days of age.
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