Energy and ether extract digestibility of commercially available lipids fed to broilers

Authors: Kerr, Brian; DOZIER, WILLIAM - Auburn University; LEE, DERRELL - Auburn University

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Poultry Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/11/2024
Publication Date: 2/12/2024
Citation: Kerr, B.J., Dozier III, W.A., Lee, D.T. 2024. Energy and ether extract digestibility of commercially available lipids fed to broilers. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 33(2). Article e100406. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japr.2024.100406.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japr.2024.100406

Interpretive Summary: Various refined, crude, and recycles lipids, depending upon their costs, can be used in poultry feeding programs because they provide a concentrated source of energy compared to other commonly used feedstuffs. While the digestibility and caloric value of refined, deodorized, bleached oils have been well documented in poultry, there is limited data on the lipid digestibility and energy evaluation of many other fat and oil sources. The current studies were conducted to evaluate the digestibility energy content of various lipids in growing broilers and to compare these values to a commonly used digestible energy prediction equation based on an oil's chemical composition. The digestible energy content of the fats and oils used differed dramatically with the commonly used prediction equation having little predictability compared to an oil's experimentally determined caloric value. Data from this experiment provides a digestible energy value for thirteen different lipid samples when tested in growing broilers and is important for nutritionists at universities, feed companies, and poultry production facilities for the determination of the energy value of commonly used lipids in feed formulations, and provides a basis from which to assess their economic value.

Technical Abstract: Energy is an expensive component of diets with lipids providing a concentrated energy source to meet these needs; in addition, supplementary lipids affect milling efficiency and diet palatability. Because of the increased use of lipids as feedstocks in renewable energy production, typical fats and oils are becoming more limited and costly to the livestock industry necessitating the need to source and understand the caloric values of alternative lipids. The experiments reported herein determined the caloric value of typical and non-typical fats when supplemented to growing broilers and compared these empirical values to values predicted by commonly used equations. Thirteen sources of lipids consisting of an animal-vegetable fat blend, poultry fat, three soybean oils, three distillers corn oils, palm oil, acidulated canola-soybean oil soapstock, acidulated palm oil-soybean oil soapstock, flaxseed oil, and canola oil were evaluated. Differences in the determined nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy (kcal/kg) were observed among the lipids tested (animal-vegetable fat blend, 7,671; poultry fat, 7,984; three soybean oils, 8,118, 7,535, and 8,767; three distillers corn oils, 8,205, 7,990, and 9,364; palm oil, 7,408; acidulated canola-soybean oil soapstock, 8,056;, acidulated palm oil-soybean oil soapstock, 7,685; flaxseed oil, 8,588; and canola oil, 7,854) and the use of a commonly used prediction equation did not adequately estimate the caloric value compared with the empirical values. Data presented also shows the difficulty of determining and predicting energy values of lipids when used at low inclusion levels.