The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of a heat-resistant bacterial phytase added to pelleted diets on mineral digestibility, live performance, carcass traits, and bone quality of broilers. Three treatments were evaluated: Positive control; negative control, with 0.10 points reduction in calcium level and 0.15 points reduction in available phosphorus level; and negative control + phytase at 500 FTU/kg. Mineral digestibility and bone quality results demonstrated that the evaluated phytase resisted pelleting as it increased the utilization of the minerals present in the diet.

A total of 1.500 male Cobb 500 broilers were used to determine the optimal digestible lysine level for 18 to 40-day-old broilers. The experimental period started when broilers were 18 days old and had an initial average weight of 737 ± 20 g. A completely randomized experimental design was applied, with five lysine levels, totaling five treatments with 10 replicates of 30 birds each. The experimental diets contained equal energy and protein levels, and 0.86, 0.95, 1.04, 1.13, and 1.22% digestible lysine. The following parameters were evaluated: average body weight at 40 days of age, daily weight gain, daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio, carcass yield and parts yield, and abdominal fat percentage. There was a quadratic effect (p<0.05) of digestible lysine levels on average body weight at 40 days of age, daily weight gain, and breast yield, and a cubic effect on feed conversion ratio and abdominal fat. There was no influence of lysine levels of daily feed intake, carcass yield, leg, or wing yields. It was concluded that digestible lysine requirements for male broilers during the evaluated period was 1.22% for performance and 1.04% for carcass yield.

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of feed restriction and different sodium levels in the diet on the performance and hematological values (erythrocyte, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean cell volume, mean cell hemoglobin, mean cell hemoglobin concentration and white blood cell) of broilers from 22 to 42 days of age. A completely randomized design was used in a 4 x 2 x 2 factorial (levels of sodium: 0.16%, 0.19%, 0.22% and 0.25%; with or without feed restriction; male and female), and two replicates of thirty broilers each. Sodium levels did not affect performance (p>0.05). Feed restriction resulted in increased feed intake and affected weight gain and feed conversion negatively (p<0.05). Better weight gain and feed conversion (p<0.05) were seen in male broilers. Hematological values were not affected by sodium levels, feed restriction or sex (p>0.05).