Tannin from chestnut trees: A natural feed additive with many advantages for broiler finishing

摘要

Hydrolysable tannins are natural extracts derived from chestnut trees and have a broad range of nutritive effects. This means they have great potential to improve growth performance and cost-effectiveness in chicken production. The results of SCT trials carried out since 2005 (largely hydro-lysable tannins with a high polyphenol content) as astringent sensory feed additives show advantages for broilers. This is due, amongst other things, to improved intestinal health, higher weight gain, reduced feedrequirements, less pathogenic bacteria and lower drinking water requirements, with reduced litter moisture levels (improved litter quality). In a 2012 dose-response pen trial, a level of about 509 g per ton of a commercial SCT product in broiler chickenstarter and grower feeds (0-35 days) was estimated, by interpolation, to be equally effective as 50 g per ton of bacitracin methylene disalylate for improving the mortality-adjusted feed conversion ratio at a similar cost. Thus SCTs can be seen as a further cost-effective natural product with clear action mechanisms and potential for improving growth performance and profitability in broiler farming.