Coprase Produced by Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma spp Improved Broiler Performance Fed Copra Meal Based Diets

Abstract

Despite the fact that copra meal is rich in protein (up to 25%), and can meet the crude protein demands for young chicks, it is poor in quality. An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of coprase (an enzyme produced by solid state fermentation that suit to copra meal) on performance of birds fed different levels of copra meal and different enzyme treatments. A total of 108 day old unsexed Cobb were obtained from local company and randomly allocated to brooder cages. The birds were fed with starter diet from days 1 to 21 and grower diets from days 21 to 42. Feed and water were available at all times. The experimental design was a two way factorial with two basal diets (10% and 30% copra meal in the diets), three enzyme treatments (nil, 2.0% coprase produced by Aspergillus niger and 2.0% coprase produced by Trichoderma spp) and three replicate cages. Analysis of variance indicated that the inclusion of 0.05% coprase produced by Aspergillus niger significantly increased body weight gain of birds kept for 42 days from 1494 gram to 1686 gram. Feed conversion ratio was also significantly affected by coprase from Aspergillus niger. No interaction between diets and enzyme treatments was found. Among enzyme treatments, enzyme produced by Aspergillus niger was more effective in improving body weight gain and decreasing feed conversion ratio.